Founding of Ambrosi Printers

Herewith is an account of how Ambrosi Printers started.

Michael (my Father) Ambrosi in partnership with his brother Joseph (my Uncle) Ambrosi, started and founded our small shop on December 6, 1929; just in time for the great world wide Depression.

And here is how this came about.

Both Michael and his brother Joseph had newspaper routes here in Regina and at that time the ‘’paper boys,’’ as they were then known, had to pick up their papers at the back loading dock of the Leader Publishing Company. This daily paper was located in downtown in Regina and that was a short walk from where the young Ambrosi boys live.

As a consequence of being at the Leader Building every day, my Dad and my Uncle were on first name terms with the men who worked in this plant. One fine day one of these senior men said to my Dad that an apprenticeship position had opened up in the Ruling Department and that my Dad should apply for it. And Dad did just that and was accepted and learned the Ruling Trade. This trade no longer exists and how my Uncle became the last paper ruler around these parts is a story in itself.

Time passed and my Father learned this trade and became a journey man and decided at some point that it would be good thing to buy a ruling machine and establish a company and manufacture ruled goods for the trade and possibly for the general public.

Michael and Joseph were able to obtain a loan of 500 dollars from family and purchased a good used ruling machine from a printing shop just across the line, in the States and they rented premises in what was known as the north side of Regina and set up in business.

The original company name was The Regina Paper Ruling Company. This however did not last long as it soon became apparent to my Dad that it was going to be just about impossible to make a living doing paper ruling only.

Regina was very small at that time. There was about five printing companies of note and they all had their own ruling machines.

So, what to do. What to do?

Both my Father and his brother Joseph decided that they had to go into the printing business. So addition funding was obtained along with a line of credit and the Ambrosi boys purchased some good used printing equipment from a weekly newspaper printer who was a former Queens Printer. This man wanted to retire and agreed to sell his shop to my Dad and my Uncle on time payments.

And so the equipment was moved to Regina into newer and better premises at the rear of 1837 Broad Street and the company name was changed once again to The Bond Printing Company. This name lasted only a few months when the brothers decided upon Ambrosi Brothers as a good and proper name for their shop.

This name and shop location remained in use till sometime in the 1950s when the partnership broke up and my Dad became sole owner and continued on his own. The name changed once again to Ambrosi Printers as Dad wanted to say to the world that he was sole owner. The company moved once again into the present location of 1980 Montreal Street.

I joined the business in about 1952 or so and started my full time printing career.

A few small facts. I started full time work at age 17 in 1952 and have worked my entire life in the same building doing the same job. I am now fully 79 years old and officially retired December 31, 2014. I had wanted to hold on till I was fully 80 years old, but I was not able to do this.

I am very happy with what I have got and what I have done. Retirement is a whole new thing for me and it will take some getting used to.

A couple of more things. I have never been unemployed. I have never failed to bring home a pay check. I have been sick and ‘’off work,’’ for perhaps 20 days in my entire life. The only thing I can do is cast type and print that type, but I got pretty good at it. This trade and business earned a living for me and my family and we had a good go of it. What more can a man want?

Phil Ambrosi, written on January 19, 2015

founding of Ambrosi Printers