Emil George Sick

Fritz Sick (1859-1945) was born in Freiburg. In 1883 he emigrated to the U.S., settled in Cincinnati, Ohio and worked in the brewing business before moving to Tacoma, Washington. In 1889 he married Louisa Frank (1860-1941) who had also been born in Freiburg. The Sicks next moved to Trail, B.C. where Fritz established a brewery. He also founded the Fernie-Fort Steele Breweries during the construction of the Crowsnest Pass railway. In 1901 he sold out and moved to Lethbridge where he established the Lethbridge Brewing and Malting Company that produced the popular “Pride” beer. The Sicks lived in Lethbridge for 30 years, and the brewery developed into one of the largest in western Canada. The present-day “Old Style Pilsner” was first brewed in 1926 by Fritz Sick at the Sick's Lethbridge Brewery. The beer was and still is brewed after the famous formula of the House of Lethbridge. In 1924 Fritz and Emil Sick built plants in Regina and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. They added the Edmonton Brewing Company in 1926. In 1928 the Edmonton, Lethbridge, Regina and Prince Albert breweries were amalgamated to form Associated Breweries. Fritz and Louisa retired to Vancouver in 1930, where Fritz organized Capilano Breweries in 1934. In 1944 Associated Breweries became Sick's Breweries Ltd., and Emil took over as the head. Emil later became a director of Molson Breweries. In 1958 Sick's Breweries Ltd. along with the Old Style Pilsner Brand was bought by Molson Inc.