Railwayman, businessman.
Born in Campolonyo Maggibee, in the province of Venice, Italy on the 27 May 1883, son of Guiseppe Biollo and Valentina Carraro, he was the youngest of seven children. He emigrated to Canada in 1902 at the age of 19, as a prospective employee of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He became a Canadian citizen on 3 July 1905.
In 1906, along with his brothers, he began construction on the Mount Royal Hotel but, the following year, during the final phase of construction, he was denied a liquor permit. This forced the business to open as a “dry hotel” and, without the ability to sell liquor, the hotel was forced into bankruptcy. It was seized months later by creditors led by former Mayor John Arbuthnot.
In 1910, he moved to Rivers and, the following year, to Alberta. In October 1940, due to his involvement in the Italian Society, he was interned at Camp Kananaskis in Seebe, Alberta and later Camp Petawawa in Ontario until he was released in September 1941.
On 10 September 1907, he married Annie D'Mitruzinski (1891-1967) at Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church in Winnipeg. They had ten children: Valentina Biollo (1908-1927), Florence Biollo (1910-2000), Oliver Michael Biollo (1911-1994), Mary Nell Biollo (1915-2012), Arthur Benjamin Biollo (1918-1998), Fidelia Onushko (1921-2007), Gilbert Biollo (1922-?), David Charles Biollo (1925-2014), Valentino Domenico “Val” Biollo (1927-2015), and Gloria Valentina Biollo (1932-2016).
He died at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta on 27 May 1963 and was buried at Venice Catholic Church Cemetery.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Biollo House (494 College Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Mount Royal Hotel / Wellington Hotel / Garrick Hotel (287 Garry Street, Winnipeg)
The Castle of College Avenue (Part 2): The Biollos' Fall by Christian Cassidy, West End Dumplings, 4 August 2011.
Biollo Family History, Parts 1-3.
Olivo Biollo - Genealogical Records, Ancestry.
Obituary [Valentino Domenico Biollo], Edmonton Journal, 13 May 2015.
We thank Nicole Lesko for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.
Page revised: 10 September 2025
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