The Importance of Striking
November 21st, 2024
Bicycle for Two
A pair of cyclists enjoy an outing on a tandem (two-seater) bicycle during the CPR Station Pioneer Reunion in Cranbrook 1938. Nellie Miller (Duncan) and Malcolm McPhee showcase the double seater patented in 1889 by William Starley and Herbert S. Owen. Miller (Duncan) and McPhee were both from notable families within the community of Cranbrook B.C.
McPhee was born and raised in the Key City, arriving on March 19, 1913. He later became a teacher after studying at Normal School and taught in the East Kootenays, starting in Skookumchuk before returning to Cranbrook for the remainder of his career. According to ‘Cranbrook and District Key City Chronicles 1898 – McPhee was a beloved teacher during his 41-year tenure, most of it spent in his hometown.’
Nellie was a nickname for Helen Miller, who also studied at Normal School and became a teacher. She eventually entered nursing following certification from the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, B.C. Miller’s time as a nurse took her across the East and West Kootenays and Alberta before she married Charles Duncan in 1955.
