Person

Kay, Dave

1895-1988

Dave Kay was born in 1895 in Listowel, Ontario. Following his high school graduation, he went to a linotype school in Toronto to learn the printing business and apprenticed with the Listowel Banner and then worked for the Listowel Standard. When the Cranbrook Herald was sold in 1915, Dave Kay's elder brother, Tom Kay, was hired to run the newspaper under W.B. McFarlane. Dave Kay then moved to Cranbrook to work for the Herald as a linotype operator from 1915 to 1918. He worked briefly for the Medicine Hat News and the Vancouver World and then again for the Herald until persuaded to work for its rival paper, the Cranbrook Courier. With two others, Dave Kay became owner of the Courier which he ran until his retirement in 1961. With his partner D.A. (Dan) MacDonald, he edited a history column "Come With Me to Yesterday" in the Cranbrook newspaper for over 15 years starting in 1961. The two of them also published several small local history pamphlets and two books, "Come With Me to Yesterday" and "Fort Steele". Dave Kay was also a musician with the Cranbrook City Band, playing the pianoforte, trombone, euphonium and saxophone. In the 1940's, Dave Kay and his wife, Rita, performed drama at the Thimble Theatre. Dave Kay was an active member of the East Kootenay Historical Association, sometimes serving as its secretary. He also played a role in the reconstruction of the Prospector printing office at Fort Steele and after, the reconstruction of the Cariboo Sentinel in Barkerville. He also served on the House Committee of the F.W. Green Memorial Home, serving at one point as the Chairman. Dave Kay was married to Beatrice Alan, with whom he had two children, John and Marjie. Beatrice died in 1929 and in 1937, Dave Kay married Rita Jonasson. In 1978, Dave Kay moved to Creston where he died in 1988 at the age of 93.

MS 47

Fort Steele Heritage Town Archives

Draft

Partial

Revised 15 January 2011