Our Story

In 1914, a group of Italian settlers (sponsored by the Italian consulate in Edmonton) proceeded to the areas we know today as Venice and Hylo to establish a colony of Italian homesteaders. Venice, at this time, was nothing. Hylo was the name for a siding that the AGW Railroad (just undergoing construction to Lac La Biche and north) had designated as such.

These Italian settlers, although they were the same original group, branched off into the Venice and Hylo factions due to internal disagreements. Venice was established by O. J. Biollo, who was one of these settlers, although some documents name him as Billos. He immediately established a store and applied for a post office under the name Venice, which was granted.

At Venice’s peak, it had two stores, a sawmill, a flour mill, a grain elevator, a train station with accommodations, a post office, a community hall and a church. None of these buildings stood the test of time, except for the latter. We believe that this last visible structure and location has inherited the right and responsibility to keep the legacy of our Italian pioneering homesteaders alive and visible.