The news that St. Clair West’s La Paloma Gelateria closed its doors hit me like a dropped ice cream scoop on a hot summer’s day; it splattered all over the pavement and couldn’t be put back together again.  There was so much Italian history contained in that Corso Italia place. “Swim and gelato” as one person said describing going to the nearby Joseph J. Piccininni pool, followed by La Paloma gelato. I discovered it shortly after arriving in Toronto in 1987. It was as ‘vero italiano,’ — real Italian — and one of the things I loved about Toronto – it kept its ethnicity alive. When you entered the shop, it was an instant teleportation into the Italy of one’s dreams.

The flavours were never translated – the cognoscenti (and the Italian speakers) knew the very authentic fragola was strawberry and limone was lemon. And patrons had to ask, “what’s castagna, what’s nocciola?” (chestnut and hazelnut). There was also very traditional espresso and cappuccino, with no sugary lattes served or allowed. Supposedly the landlord died and the new owner wanted to raise the rent, went the official story about La Paloma’s demise but it was larger than that. 

The history of Salvatore Giannone, La Paloma’s owner, and his passage through Corso Italia is the area’s history writ large.

At 19, he arrived from Palermo, Sicily, on September 4, 1963, as one of five fratelli. Originally a tailor in the Spadina and College area for 24 years, he joined what was then a traditional Italian men’s social club in 1998, he told a city magazine. “I was serving coffees,” he said and “began to learn the business of making ice cream by myself. You learn very well that way because there is no other school that can teach you like yourself.” He took over as an owner in 1990 and created a family-oriented place, instead of one of those drab men’s gathering places that used to dot the Corso Italia. 

He was very old school: “I open up the Woodbridge store every morning, take inventory and shop as needed,” said Giannone. “Then I go to the St. Clair location to ensure everything is OK, then to Yorkdale. In the summertime, it’s 15 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, but I don’t mind, I’m very happy.”

The rise and fall of La Paloma reflected the area’s changing demographics. By the 1970s, Italian immigrants from Little Italy on College Street, moved northward to St. Clair Avenue. One of the largest celebrations on St. Clair Avenue West was when Italy won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which involved an estimated 300,000 fans, shutting the street down for nearly 20 blocks between Caledonia and Oakwood. In 1981, about 35,000 Italians lived in this area, however, by 1991, had dropped to 20,000. Although the character of Corso Italia is still Italian, the demographics of this neighbourhood have changed drastically with a much smaller Italian population more Portuguese and Latin Americans moving in and the Jewish population also rejuvenating (My Jewish mother-in-law attended Oakwood Collegiate in the 1930s) . Much of the Italian population has moved to the Woodbridge northwest of Toronto. 

I moved into the area in 2010 and felt like an honorary Italian. Maria, a Sicilian widow on one side and Yolanda, a Calabrese, on the other. One didn’t like me learning Italian from the other. But the glories of the area: Centro Trattoria e Formaggi, shuttered in 2022 after 47 years; Ital Sport, (your spot for Azzuri jerseys);  the Tre Mari bakery and of course La Paloma.

My neighbour with her little backyard farm, handed greens over the fence and sharing one of the 100 bottles of tomato sauce she made in her garage with friends every harvest season. 

La Paloma St. Clair used to be open year around. Then it closed in winter, a big surprise as gelato was a year-round thing for many. There was a small experiment in providing English translations for the flavours but that quickly fell apart; the flavour selection decreased. One had the sense that it wasn’t keeping up with the times, with its system of having to pay for the order in the back before being served and the photos on the well having been the same forever. The website was out of date; it promised to list 75 flavours and never did. There was a ‘limited time offer’ but it expired in 2016. The last Instagram post was in 2017 and there was mention of a son, Sal Giannone working there, but his LinkedIn post says he is an actuary now. 

The TripAdvisor posts grew increasingly negative: “The gelato was great, but I’m not surprised that they’re closing. I think their business got cannibalized when cheaper options opened up in the area. Another stated “Was looking forward to trying this land-mark place. Arriving there and paying over Needless to say its over-priced average quality ice-cream and the La Paloma’s on Hwy 7 is the same nonsense. Better to go to smaller Italian bakery like Nino D’Aversa.”

And then the word was out that it had closed on St. Clair West and in Yorkdale. For true fans, there is the shop open in Woodbridge, at 200 Windflower Gate; the Italian community had migrated there and just as United Bakers moved to Bathurst and Lawrence, La Paloma relocated too. I am sure the flavours are still excellent. Newer Google reviews for one remaining Woodbridge store are more complimentary: 

“No frills gelato. Got a piccolo Pistachio Gelato on a waffle cone. Pay first, pick flavor after. So many options you could get paralysis looking at all the tasty options…Nicest place in the area for Gelato. Tastes same like we buy in Italy…Everyone’s go-to gelato place. They have so many options and each and every one is delicious! The service is fairly fast and their espresso is good too. Been going here almost my entire life, and they never disappoint… Wasn’t too busy but there were families and couples here. Lots of places to sit and clean inside. Big scoop even for the small. Delicious texture, very authentic.”

And yet some of the same service problems are identified: 

 “I always try to hold back from giving bad reviews but …I do agree that the ladies that work here are not friendly at all. Just wish they would take all these reviews into consideration and care about treating customers better. Great espresso and a variety of different Gelato flavours that taste so YUM! We have made a lot of good memories with friends and will not let the staff ruin it.”

So, farewell to the ‘l’epoca italiana’ on St. Clair West. It was a great moment in TO history.