Little Italy in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Grace Bagnato

1891-1950

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2026

1. Grace Bagnato Marker

Inscription. The Canada of today has been created by thousands of immigrants from every corner of the world. Some of these became leaders in their communities and co-creators of the national life. Grace Bagnato was one of them. She was born in the United States in 1891 to Italian parents, who immigrated to Toronto in 1905. They lived in "The Ward", an area of struggling immigrant families, located near the Courthouse and Old City Hall. Grace grew up in the Ward and in this neighbourhood. At age 14 married Joseph Bagnato, a leader in the Italian community. They had 13 children. Wanting to communicate with her neighbours, Grace learned their languages; Ukrainian, Yiddish, Polish... Grace became the district's interpreter, building bridges of understanding between new immigrants and the English speaking world of government, law courts and society. In 1921 she became the first Italian Canadian, woman court interpreter in Ontario and continued the task of weaving the cultures of Toronto's ethnic neighbourhoods into the fabric we now know as Canada.

Erected by City of Toronto.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these

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topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Immigration • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.

Location. 43° 39.19′ N, 79° 24.888′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Little Italy. It is at the intersection of Grace Street and Mansfield Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Grace Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 90 Grace Street, Toronto ON M6G 1B7, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto

and on the Golden Horseshoe.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Johnny Lombardi (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Introduction of Multilingual Multicultural Radio Stations in Canada (about 210 meters away); The Composer John Weinzweig (about 210

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2026

2. Grace Bagnato Marker

meters away); Crawford Street Bridge (approx. half a kilometer away); Monsignor (Père) Athol Murray (approx. half a kilometer away); St. Hilda’s College (approx. half a kilometer away); The Church of the Good Samaritan (approx. half a kilometer away); John Gibson House (approx. half a kilometer away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.

Also see . . . Amazing Grace (CBC.ca).

According to a 1936 profile in the Toronto Star, she quickly became one of the city’s most sought-after interpreters, and was called “as far as Montreal and New York on serious criminal trials.”

“Some evenings there are a dozen people, all wanting counsel on something or other, waiting for me when I get home,” Grace told The Star.

Paul Bagnato remembers his mother taking him with her to the courthouse while she juggled parenthood with multiple meetings and court cases.

“Nothing was impossible to my mother,” he told Simmonds. “She said [women] could do anything, and she proved it.”

(Submitted on November 7, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 7, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.