Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
As Henry Sam sits smiling, he vividly recalls enjoying the beauty and fun that the great outdoors had to offer when he was a child.
“I remember tobogganing on an 8 foot toboggan with my brothers and sisters. My sister would take to the front and off we went,” Sam said.
“We had fun. My dad used to make a big pile of snow for us all to slide down,” Sam said.
But Sam also recalls sadness that took over when two of his siblings passed away from tuberculosis years ago.
“I lost them because of it. Today they can take care of it but back then, there was no cure. Nothing could be done,” Sam said.
“My father was a good man. He passed away in 1988. He always made sure I had a box of chocolates for my birthday every year. My mom passed away years before in 1954.”
Sam, who was born in 1938, has seen many changes over the years in Fort St. James.
“I used to work at the Stuart River Saw Mill years ago. I was there for 25 years,” Sam said.
Sam also raised 3 boys and one girl in the Fort.
If not out for a walk, Sam enjoys socializing or reading the paper at The Key in Fort St. James.
“There’s always something to do here,” Sam said. “I have lots of friends. I enjoy the camaraderie here.”
