Dominic Gallicano

Dominic Gallicano (right) outside bakery, date unknown.

Dates: b. Italy, 1863 d. 12 January 1947

Cemetery Location: Block J, Row 26, Plot 35

Profile:

Dominic Gallicano emigrated to Donald, British Columbia, from Italy in 1893 to work for the Canadian Pacific Railway. A year later, Dominic returned to Italy to marry, and brought his wife, Henrietta Defeo, and 6-month old son, Tangres, to Donald in 1895.

Not long after their daughter Aida was born, the family moved to Revelstoke, settling about 100 yards from the railway tracks. The passenger trains in those days did not carry dining cars, so Dominic began baking bread (out of a large brick oven in his yard) to sell to passengers, along with milk and groceries.

By July 1899, Dominic had established a grocery store on Mackenzie Avenue (his two-storey building at 210 Mackenzie Avenue was the first on that block) and in December 1899, his bakery opened on the corner of Second Street and Victoria Road. 

Dominic continued to work for the railway for almost 20 years while running the two stores. In 1915, the bakery was moved into the newly-built concrete building next to the grocery store – the Sally Ann Bakery – and the family operated the business until 1988.

The Gallicanos had seven children: two boys and five girls. Dominic died on 12 January 1947, at the age of 84.

Gallicano bakery, 1915.

Dominic Gallicano (seated) with daughters Eda and Sylvia and son Tangree, c.1918.