Barbara Anne Hull Chan says:

I’m grateful that I got to meet her last summer, There aren’t any magic words that can ease your loss, you’ve been so strong throughout this, take good care of yourself.

Pat Moore says:

I am so sorry for your loss. I knew Emma for many years,
She was so kind and generous to me…I loved her homemade pasta.

Smilja Vistica says:

I am so sorry for your loss. I knew Emma for the past 27 years. She was a kind, gentle person who will be deeply missed. I will always cherish my time spent with her.

Gina Pittiglio(Marrello) says:

Our most heartfelt sympathies to the entire family. It was so wonderful that our parents kept in touch over the many years and shared so to many stories with us. May they all be together sharing a wonderful espresso together. May Emma rest in peace.

Silvana Bernardo says:

Emma grew up on a large commercial farm near Campora San Giovanni on the Tyhrrenian Sea, in Southern Italy.
     Given the tropical climate, her family farmed all year round, growing various vegetables and fruits for domestic and international markets. She often spoke of preparing Valencia onions for shipping to the U.S. There was a sorting board with three, progressively larger holes labeled S, M and L. It was not until she came to Canada that she learned what those letters meant.
     Like all of her siblings, Emma started working on the farm as soon as she could walk, working very hard alongside her parents and many siblings. Her first farm job, as a toddler, was to keep the chickens within a designated area. Her dad gave her a stick to help with this task.
     At 19 years old, Emma, in Italy, married Maurino Bernardo by proxy as he was already in France for the first leg of his immigration journey to Canada. She joined Maurino in Canada at the age of 20. 
     Emma arrived in Halifax in January 1960 on a Greek ship after several tumultuous days on the Atlantic Ocean, during which she was seasick the entire time.
     When Emma was delayed in disembarking at Pier 21, Maurino, who feared she had changed her mind, paid a Greek sailor to borrow his uniform so he could impersonate a sailor and board the ship to find Emma. And he did! He had to be sneaky.  He boarded through the opening where the anchor came out of the ship.
     From Halifax they took a three-day snowy train ride to McBride, B.C. This was her first experience of snow and winter. She reminisced about how during a stop, Maurino jumped off the train to scoop up a plate of snow to bring to her at her seat. From this moment on, side-by-side, they would build a life together in Canada. 
     Ask anyone who knew them, they’ll tell you Emma and Maurino were an unstoppable team. No matter the task, they did it together. From planting the garden to shingling a roof, from making sausages to changing tires on the logging truck, you’d rarely see one without the other.
     Emma’s strength and resilience carried her through many tough times. She remained fiercely independent after Maurino passed away when she was just 53. She continued to build a life that we know Maurino would be proud of.  After 34 years, Maurino has Emma by his side again.
     People of all ages and cultures were drawn to Emma. She made an impression on everyone she met and formed lasting friendships from the moment they met. A visit to Emma’s was always welcomed with an espresso along with schiuma, her famous whipped sugar, and traditional homemade Italian baked goods. Many say her’s was the best espresso they’ve ever had.
      Emma always shared home-cooked meals, baked goods, and garden produce with friends and neighbours. You could not leave her house without an armload of her generosity. Her famous oregano is a key ingredient in many dishes and is now in the kitchens of friends and relatives across the country. Yes, little baggies of her green stuff traveled through the post.
     Emma’s generosity did not end there. She gave her time, energy, and talents freely to anyone who needed it.  She opened her home many times to family members and soon-to-be friends who recently immigrated from Italy and needed a landing spot from which to build their own lives in Canada.
     She regularly cooked large meals for many, including weekend gatherings for her brothers-in-law and friends in McBride who worked on the CN gangs during the week.  
     Every Friday Emma’s day started very early with a 10-kilogram bag of flour and a hot oven for baking bread. She went though dozens of loaves every week and would not have it any other way.
     Emma was a strong, independent woman and was determined to get her driver’s licence soon after arriving in Canada. In fact, Emma was one of the first women in her close group of friends in McBride to get her licence. True to her nature, she soon became the go-to person for anyone needing a ride, near or far.
      Her best friend was Emilia Mercuri. They met shortly after Emma arrived in McBride and remained almost inseparable for 66 years, raising their children together while their husbands worked long hours hauling logs in the Prince George area.  Emilia told us shortly after Emma passed away that they never once had a disagreement or argument.
     During one of the Mercuris’ visits to Emma and Maurino’s home in Prince George, Emma’s young godson Benito fell into the sewer sump pump hole on Emma’s front lawn. Emma sprang from in front of the kitchen window, leaped down the front steps in a single bound, yanked Benito out of the hole and carried him directly to the bathtub for a good scrub. Even heroics were not beyond Emma.
     Emma’s garden brought her much joy. She revelled in planting, tending and harvesting everything she grew. Her neighbours took notice and in 2012 nominated her for Lake Country’s Communities in Bloom. She won best vegetable and edibles garden that year.
     Many will remember driving by and seeing Emma on her riding mower mowing her meticulous lawn wearing a baseball cap and ear protection.  Emma’s gardening prowess extended to her flower beds and boarders. Countless varieties of perennials, flowering shrubs and hanging baskets busted with colour at her Lake County property every year. When she moved, it broke her heart to leave behind over 180 different rose bushes… Yes, she kept track and had a story about each one.
     Through the COVID pandemic and in Emma’s later years, when she couldn’t leave her home, she kept in touch with friends and family by phone. She developed a system to ensure she stayed in touch with everyone regularly and was often on the phone for hours each day. Also, every Wednesday and Thursday Emma would scour eight grocery store flyers on her iPad and keep everyone up-to-date on the best deals each week.
     Emma was never afraid of a challenge. She was a leader within her family, among friends, and at work. For many years, she worked at tree nurseries planting seedlings that replenished our forests. Drawing on her farming experience, she did quality work quickly, often becoming the top producer each year. Her colleague, Semilia at PRT in Vernon said, “Emma taught us how to work smarter, not harder.” Her niece Donisa said, “Zia Emma was a strong woman and a constant in my life. I am really going to miss her.” 
     Mom was a source of inspiration to Remondo, Silvana and me. She led by example, teaching us the values that continue to guide our lives. She will be in our hearts forever

Emma grew up on a large commercial farm near Campora San Giovanni on the Tyhrrenian Sea, in Southern Italy.
     Given the tropical climate, her family farmed all year round, growing various vegetables and fruits for domestic and international markets. She often spoke of preparing Valencia onions for shipping to the U.S. There was a sorting board with three, progressively larger holes labeled S, M and L. It was not until she came to Canada that she learned what those letters meant.
     Like all of her siblings, Emma started working on the farm as soon as she could walk, working very hard alongside her parents and many siblings. Her first farm job, as a toddler, was to keep the chickens within a designated area. Her dad gave her a stick to help with this task.
     At 19 years old, Emma, in Italy, married Maurino Bernardo by proxy as he was already in France for the first leg of his immigration journey to Canada. She joined Maurino in Canada at the age of 20. 
     Emma arrived in Halifax in January 1960 on a Greek ship after several tumultuous days on the Atlantic Ocean, during which she was seasick the entire time.
     When Emma was delayed in disembarking at Pier 21, Maurino, who feared she had changed her mind, paid a Greek sailor to borrow his uniform so he could impersonate a sailor and board the ship to find Emma. And he did! He had to be sneaky.  He boarded through the opening where the anchor came out of the ship.
     From Halifax they took a three-day snowy train ride to McBride, B.C. This was her first experience of snow and winter. She reminisced about how during a stop, Maurino jumped off the train to scoop up a plate of snow to bring to her at her seat. From this moment on, side-by-side, they would build a life together in Canada. 
     Ask anyone who knew them, they’ll tell you Emma and Maurino were an unstoppable team. No matter the task, they did it together. From planting the garden to shingling a roof, from making sausages to changing tires on the logging truck, you’d rarely see one without the other.
     Emma’s strength and resilience carried her through many tough times. She remained fiercely independent after Maurino passed away when she was just 53. She continued to build a life that we know Maurino would be proud of.  After 34 years, Maurino has Emma by his side again.
     People of all ages and cultures were drawn to Emma. She made an impression on everyone she met and formed lasting friendships from the moment they met. A visit to Emma’s was always welcomed with an espresso along with schiuma, her famous whipped sugar, and traditional homemade Italian baked goods. Many say her’s was the best espresso they’ve ever had.
      Emma always shared home-cooked meals, baked goods, and garden produce with friends and neighbours. You could not leave her house without an armload of her generosity. Her famous oregano is a key ingredient in many dishes and is now in the kitchens of friends and relatives across the country. Yes, little baggies of her green stuff traveled through the post.
     Emma’s generosity did not end there. She gave her time, energy, and talents freely to anyone who needed it.  She opened her home many times to family members and soon-to-be friends who recently immigrated from Italy and needed a landing spot from which to build their own lives in Canada.
     She regularly cooked large meals for many, including weekend gatherings for her brothers-in-law and friends in McBride who worked on the CN gangs during the week.  
     Every Friday Emma’s day started very early with a 10-kilogram bag of flour and a hot oven for baking bread. She went though dozens of loaves every week and would not have it any other way.
     Emma was a strong, independent woman and was determined to get her driver’s licence soon after arriving in Canada. In fact, Emma was one of the first women in her close group of friends in McBride to get her licence. True to her nature, she soon became the go-to person for anyone needing a ride, near or far.
      Her best friend was Emilia Mercuri. They met shortly after Emma arrived in McBride and remained almost inseparable for 66 years, raising their children together while their husbands worked long hours hauling logs in the Prince George area.  Emilia told us shortly after Emma passed away that they never once had a disagreement or argument.
     During one of the Mercuris’ visits to Emma and Maurino’s home in Prince George, Emma’s young godson Benito fell into the sewer sump pump hole on Emma’s front lawn. Emma sprang from in front of the kitchen window, leaped down the front steps in a single bound, yanked Benito out of the hole and carried him directly to the bathtub for a good scrub. Even heroics were not beyond Emma.
     Emma’s garden brought her much joy. She revelled in planting, tending and harvesting everything she grew. Her neighbours took notice and in 2012 nominated her for Lake Country’s Communities in Bloom. She won best vegetable and edibles garden that year.
     Many will remember driving by and seeing Emma on her riding mower mowing her meticulous lawn wearing a baseball cap and ear protection.  Emma’s gardening prowess extended to her flower beds and boarders. Countless varieties of perennials, flowering shrubs and hanging baskets busted with colour at her Lake County property every year. When she moved, it broke her heart to leave behind over 180 different rose bushes… Yes, she kept track and had a story about each one.
     Through the COVID pandemic and in Emma’s later years, when she couldn’t leave her home, she kept in touch with friends and family by phone. She developed a system to ensure she stayed in touch with everyone regularly and was often on the phone for hours each day. Also, every Wednesday and Thursday Emma would scour eight grocery store flyers on her iPad and keep everyone up-to-date on the best deals each week.
     Emma was never afraid of a challenge. She was a leader within her family, among friends, and at work. For many years, she worked at tree nurseries planting seedlings that replenished our forests. Drawing on her farming experience, she did quality work quickly, often becoming the top producer each year. Her colleague, Semilia at PRT in Vernon said, “Emma taught us how to work smarter, not harder.” Her niece Donisa said, “Zia Emma was a strong woman and a constant in my life. I am really going to miss her.” 
     Mom was a source of inspiration to Remondo, Sandra and me. She led by example, teaching us the values that continue to guide our lives. She will be in our hearts forever.