Our mission:  To provide our customers with quality products and exceptional service, at the best possible price.   With the October 2000 purchase of Wescom Lock and Safe,  we now have two stores and a  total available staff of 6 locksmiths plus  three fully equipped service vans to come right to your door. Emergency service is also available after business hours.  Quality service, the personal touch and many  years of experience make  ACME SAFE   the place to shop for your lock and safe needs.

Company History
1968   Acme Lock and Safe opens at 743 Fort Street, Victoria, under the partnership of
Frank Richards and Al Owens.  Both Frank and Al have had long careers in locksmithing.

1970   Acme Safe Ltd. Incorporated in the province of British Columbia.

1972   Al Owens leaves the partnership.

April, 1972   Ian Smale,  then 17  years old joins the company as part time help on Saturdays, and  works full time through the summer of 1972 learning  the trade basics.  Ian continues to work there on Saturdays and during summers over the next several years, while attending college.

June 1, 1976
Frank Richards has been ill for a few months  and  decides to sell the business.  Ian Smale - at the ripe age of 21   - sees an opportunity  purchases the business from Frank.  As Ian has no money,  Frank holds the mortgage.   The business is run as a sole proprietorship  under Ian Smale.   Ian moves the store from 743 Fort to 787 Fort Street on  the day of take-over.

August, 1978
The Mortgage to Frank is paid off.

October,  1978
Ian  purchases the assets of A&K Locksmiths, a mobile service  in  Victoria, BC.

October, 1985
The store moves from 787 Fort Street  to 815 Fort Street.

January, 1991
Ian  incorporates the business as  i.j.s ACME SAFE LTD. in the province of BC.

1995
Ian's wife  becomes a shareholder in the company - now a family business.

February 1, 2000
ijs ACME SAFE Ltd. purchases the assets of Capital City Locksmiths.  This mobile operation is integrated into Acme.