Dominic Harry Maika

Dominic (Nick) Harry Maika passed away peacefully on March 31, 2026, in Kamloops, B.C., with his children at his side. He was a trapper, angler, hunter, saw filer, inventor, entrepreneur, downhill skier, and devoted father.

Dominic was born to Philip and Mary Maika on August 4, 1930, in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. His mother died shortly after his birth, leaving his father Philip unable to raise a family of nine alone. And so, on a snowy November night when Dominic was less than four months old, Dominic’s brothers carried him from house to house in their Polish-speaking neighbourhood, knocking on doors in search of a family who could take their baby brother in.

Frances Chapeskie answered her door that night and saw a family in desperate need. She also saw the baby she so desired but had been unable yet to conceive with husband Alex. When Alex came home from logging camp some months later during spring breakup, Frances introduced him to their new son, Dominic. Together, Alex and Frances embraced Dominic as their own and described his arrival as a blessing that allowed them to have four more children — Bernard, Clemance, Tony and Mary.

Throughout his life, Dominic described how wonderful it was to be raised by his loving Chapeskie parents with his younger brothers and sister. He also spoke of the friendship, courage and shared character of his Maika siblings who, despite difficult early lives, succeeded in work and life and inspired him to do the same.

After grade 10, Dominic quit school to go logging with his father, Alex, learning skills that served him well. He also broke his arm in camp and witnessed horses overworked in harsh conditions. He decided to look for safer work and enrolled in a two-year saw filing course in Montreal. After graduating, he and a friend drove west to Vancouver, where Dominic worked in mills along the Fraser River, then in Chemainus where he became second filer and discovered saltwater fishing, built his own boat, met and married Patricia Murray, renovated their Ladysmith cabin into a three-bedroom house and welcomed five of their six children.

His ambition for advancement continued and in 1968 the family moved to Squamish where he became head filer and welcomed a sixth child, Julia. Next the family moved to Penticton and then Salmon Arm where he rose from mill superintendent to manager. Shortly afterward, Dominic and Patricia separated then eventually divorced but always stayed in contact about their children.

In 1990, Dominic started his own sawmill consulting business in Merritt. He worked across B.C., Alberta, Newfoundland and abroad in New Zealand, Australia and Ireland. He retired to Kamloops in his mid-70s, reconnecting with Jane Powell, whom he had known earlier in life. They were inseparable for 17 years, travelling and enjoying each other’s company until her tragic early passing — a loss he struggled to recover from.

Dominic thrived on challenge and was particularly proud of skiing Sun Peaks 85 times at age 85 to raise money for adaptive sports and had planned to ski 90 times at 90 before losing his vision. He was a long-time member of the Sun Peaks Antiques Ski Club and hunted and fished with close friends and family for over 40 years at Tum Tum Lake and Harbour Lakes.

Dominic was a loving and affectionate father and very proud of all his children, grandchildren and his great-grandson. His main goal in life was to provide the best he could for his family, and in this he was a great success.

Dominic is survived by his brother Tony Chapeskie and his sister Mary Bisch (Ken), and his six children: Paul (Heather), Patrick, Timothy (Leigh Ann), Christopher (Rachel), Frances, Julia, as well as nine grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Many thanks to the staff at Kamloops Seniors Village, Dr. Peter Loland, Cardiac Care at Royal Inland Hospital, and St. John Vianney Parish.

Dobranoc Daddy. We love you and will miss you forever.