Dr. Duncan Campbell Gray was a pioneering physician in the Lakes District during the early 1900s. Born in Scotland and trained at the University of Edinburgh, he practiced abroad in Formosa (Taiwan) before moving to Northern British Columbia. Settling at Francois Lake, he lived in a simple log cabin and provided medical care in the isolated region.
With no hospital facilities nearby, Dr. Gray became a lifeline for settlers and Indigenous families. He made house calls on horseback and never refused an emergency case, no matter how far he had to travel. He operated by lamplight and did double duty as a dentist when necessary. He delivered babies, treated illnesses, and travelled far to reach those in need, earning him deep respect for his dedication to the community.
John Keefe was one of Gray's early patients. A root cellar equipped with a small stove to keep the Keefes' vegetables from freezing almost resulted in John's demise. Unknown to cellar's owner, the fire in the root cellar used up most of the facility's oxygen. A few days later, John went down to get a sack of potatoes but found he couldn't light his lamp. He collapsed from oxygen deprivation just outside the root cellar's door, where he was found and revived by Dr. Gray.
Dr. Gray's stay in the Lakes District was short (two years) and filled with tragedy. According to one source, his wife died prematurely, leaving him with two small children. He subsequently moved to Vancouver.
His patients never forgot him, though. “I believe one of our first doctors in the area was Dr. Gray, who was from Formosa, and he settled at Francois Lake," remembered one Southbank resident with pride. "He lived in a little cabin… and he was our doctor.”
Dr. Gray passed away in 1951. His story is part of the region’s medical heritage as one of the first physicians to serve in the area.
With no hospital facilities nearby, Dr. Gray became a lifeline for settlers and Indigenous families. He made house calls on horseback and never refused an emergency case, no matter how far he had to travel. He operated by lamplight and did double duty as a dentist when necessary. He delivered babies, treated illnesses, and travelled far to reach those in need, earning him deep respect for his dedication to the community.
John Keefe was one of Gray's early patients. A root cellar equipped with a small stove to keep the Keefes' vegetables from freezing almost resulted in John's demise. Unknown to cellar's owner, the fire in the root cellar used up most of the facility's oxygen. A few days later, John went down to get a sack of potatoes but found he couldn't light his lamp. He collapsed from oxygen deprivation just outside the root cellar's door, where he was found and revived by Dr. Gray.
Dr. Gray's stay in the Lakes District was short (two years) and filled with tragedy. According to one source, his wife died prematurely, leaving him with two small children. He subsequently moved to Vancouver.
His patients never forgot him, though. “I believe one of our first doctors in the area was Dr. Gray, who was from Formosa, and he settled at Francois Lake," remembered one Southbank resident with pride. "He lived in a little cabin… and he was our doctor.”
Dr. Gray passed away in 1951. His story is part of the region’s medical heritage as one of the first physicians to serve in the area.
