History
From Italy to Canada
Born in a small village in what is now the Italian Alps in
1897 (this area of Europe has a long history of territory
disputes and was actually part of Austria before World
War 1) Rodolfo Gallazzini worked as a blacksmith
during the first world war after which he decided to
emigrate to Canada and work for his older brother who
had come to Canada years earlier. Upon arrival, as was
the custom, Rodolfo's name was changed to Rudolph
Gallazin and he made his way across Canada from
Halifax to Vancouver where his brother Len had a
locksmith/bicycle/saw sharpening shop. In 1927
Rudolph married Maria Pavan and together they had a
son Alvin in 1928. In 1941 Rudolph moved with his
family to Nanaimo and started a locksmith shop of his
own, which is the same locksmith business you see
today.
Family owned and operated in
Nanaimo since 1941
Rudolph Gallazin (3rd from left) while
working at his brothers shop in
Vancouver (pre-1941)