Celebrating History: Chinese in Cranbrook Final Edition

• Published in: Daily Townsman
• Main Author: Dave Kay and Dan MacDonald
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cranbrook, B.C Postmedia Network Inc 04.05.2005
• Subjects: Bailey, Ron; Ding, Lee; Kay, Dave; Quan, Lillian Ban; Yick, Sam

This is one of 633 historical articles from the "Come With Me to Yesterday" series done by Dave Kay and Dan MacDonald between 1963 and 1978, but which were originally taken from early Cranbrook newspapers including the Cranbrook Herald (1898-1919), the Cranbrook Courier (1919-1973), and the Daily Townsman (1956 - present). Later when [Sam Yick] had become quite old, he was ill and was living in an old frame building which stood between 6th and 7th Avenues. The building was owned by one Lee Ding, who was almost blind, and looked after by Mah Sim. By this time Chinatown was practically extinct and many old men were living there, in Lee Ding's building. My meeting with Mah Sim led to a friendship which lasted several years. I dont know when he arrived in Cranbrook but he worked for many years in Frames' Bakery, starting with Dave Frames' father. At that time the bake ovens were fired with wood and Mah Sim helped split wood, bring it in, and so forth. He could write, when I first met him, and Dave remembers that he was always eager to learn. He stuttered badly, and when he was trying to tell me something he would become exasperated with himself and generally end up writing his message. This series of articles is supplied by the Cranbrook Historical Archives located at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel. It is a joint venture between the Museum of Rail Travel (compiled by Arlene Pervin, under a Job Creation Program of HRSDC) and the Cranbrook Daily Townsman.