James Franceschini

James Franceschini (1890–1960)
On my walk through Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, I discovered the grave of James Franceschini — a true rags-to-riches Canadian story.

Born in the Abruzzi region of Central Italy, young Vincenzo Franceschini arrived alone in Toronto in 1906, at the age of 15. He had no money, no English, and no place to stay. On his first night, a Toronto police officer helped him find shelter. The very next day, James found work — and from there, he never stopped.

His entrepreneurial instincts were shaped early by his stern father, Giuseppe, a kitchenwares vendor. Wanting to integrate into English-speaking Toronto, Vincenzo adopted the more Anglicized name James, and soon started his own excavation company.

James distinguished himself by buying his first horse — setting him apart from his competitors — and not long after, he introduced the first steam shovel in Canada. By 1912, he had founded Dufferin Construction, named after the street where he first lived. Remarkably, he became a millionaire by age 24.

His company secured its first provincial contract in 1912 to build Kingston Road (Highway 2), followed by Highway 5 in Hamilton in 1917. After James’s death, Dufferin Construction would go on to build some of Ontario’s most important highways, including the 401, 404, 407, and 410.

A darker chapter in his story — and in Canadian history — came in 1940, during the Second World War. Despite having established Dufferin Shipbuilding to produce minesweepers for the war effort, James was among 600 Italian Canadiansarrested without charge and interned as “enemy aliens.” He was sent to Petawawa Internment Camp. It wasn’t until May 2021 that the Canadian government formally apologized in the House of Commons for the wrongful internment of Italian Canadians.

James Franceschini died at his home in the Laurentians on September 16, 1960, at the age of 70.

An extraordinary life. A Canadian success story that must not be forgotten.

1890-1960