Our History

Cavallotti Lodge was established in 1900 by Italian coal miners in Extension, B.C. and has evolved to include a diverse membership and a celebrated shared community space in Nanaimo where everyone is welcome.

  • Our Past

    Cavallotti Lodge was established in 1900 as a society for mutual aid for the Italian coal miners working in Extension B.C. Mutual aid was a means for the Italian immigrant community to ensure that workers and families were taken care of in the event of injury, illness, and in many cases death. It evolved into a foundational organization headquartered in Nanaimo, B.C. with it’s monumental space.

  • Our Present

    Over the years Cavallotti Lodge has evolved in its membership, activities, community involvement, and enjoyment of the Italian culture. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see a Bocce tournament, enjoy a Cavallotti meal, or see the men of the lodge playing the card game Tresette. It is also an inclusive space that welcomes all people and cultures to rent its facility.

  • Our Future

    Early in 2026, the current building of the Cavallotti Lodge will be demolished in preparation for a new, updated space. We look forward to having a safe, good-looking, innovative facility to keep the Cavallotti Lodge as a foundational part of the Nanaimo community.

Available Now!

In honour of our 125th Anniversary in October 2025, we published Days Gone By: Celebrating 125 Years of Cavallotti History.

From our origins, to the evolution of the membership, the enjoyment of Italian culture and food, and all that has been enjoyed through Cavallotti Lodge, this book is celebration of this landmark Nanaimo space and all that has happened over 125 years.

Limited copies are available for purchase by contacting Cavallotti Lodge at cavallottilodge@shaw.ca. To ensure accessibility of this archive, please request a PDF file of the book at cavallottilodge@shaw.ca.

We thank the Nanaimo Historical Society for sponsoring the publishing of the book through the Arthur Leynard Grant.

This book wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of the members, the public archives, and experts on Italian history and immigration.