This award is presented to a student enrolled in a welding program at Selkirk College who is carrying a full course load (60% minimum) and who has demonstrated the greatest financial need by completing the Selkirk College Bursary application, review and approval process.
BIOGRAPHY GEORGE EMIL JOHNSON
Written by his daughter, Shirley Roberts, and his grandson, Ken Johnson
George Emil Johnson was born on March 21, 1908 at Gold Rock, Ontario, (near the present day city of Dryden) to Finnish immigrants, John and Kreeta Johnson. He was their fourth child, but the two oldest died at a young age, so he was the oldest son.
George and his sister, Helmi, were taken to Finland in 1908, and returned to Canada in 1910. George had a recollection of standing on a little hill when he was in Finland for that short time. He was baptized while in Finland, and given the Finnish name of Yrjo Emil Ridanpaa. Apparently the surname Johnson was used by his grandfather during his stay in Canada from 1884 to 1898, and it became the choice of the sons and grandsons on which surname to ultimately adopt.
It is interesting to note that George's Finnish surname of Ridanpaa was the name on record with the Government of Canada. His application for Old Age Pension brought this to light, and required a bit of effort to prove that George Ridanpaa and George Johnson were in fact the same person.
George's family farmed in the Nummola district south east of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. As mechanized farming machinery became available, some farmers of this area, in the Finnish tradition, co operatively purchased machinery. As he grew older, George's work changed from a barefoot cow herder, to a blacksmith.
George apparently came to be a blacksmith by way of his great dislike of cows, and love of horses. George had an intense dislike for cows that probably developed from his dislike from trying to keep the cows where they were supposed to be. He managed to avoid having to do any cow related work by learning the skill of horse shoeing. This initial skill lead to doing whatever forge work was required with repairing plows, discs, etc. He claimed that he did not go to school, but he could read and write, and he remarkably acquired high school geometry skills from his fabrication welding work.
Early in 1931 George, and Fay Impi Niemi were married, and in 1932 they, with their baby, Raymond, homesteaded near Admiral, Saskatchewan. In 1934, as a result of the diminishing opportunities for farming, George and his small family, along with another couple, left for British Columbia in three covered wagons. One wagon had furniture, one wagon had a bed, Raymond's crib and necessities for the long trip, and the third wagon was full of oats for the horses. Upon reaching Retallack, B.C., George found work for a few weeks. After this short stay in Retallack, they went on to Nelson, B.C. to look for work.
There were ocassional short-term jobs in the last years of the depression at Stevensons Machine Shop, as well as a construction job for West Kootenay Power on the Upper Bonnington dam. George also sold stove wood, which he cut and hauled with a hand sleigh from Cottonwood Lake, south of Nelson. He obtained a permanent job at Stevensons Machine Shop as a blacksmith welder, and this work changed over the years to include pressure welding and fabrication welding. He retired from Stevensons Machine Shop in December 1972.
In the 1940's a workweek was 48 hours, which dropped to 44 hours in the late 40's, and then to a 40 hours in the early 1950's. George's days off were spent cutting and hauling wood for the sauna and the house, shovelling snow, hauling manure, spading the garden, huckleberry picking, fishing, and going to Ainsworth hot springs. Hunting was added to his activities when his son Raymond was old enough to participate. Friends were visited often, and came to visit regularly as well. It was usual for George and Fay to attend a whist drive/dance every week at the Eagles hall.
Johnson's first house in Nelson, on the Cottonwood Flats, was a one room cabin with bedroom, and a kitchen lean to. As soon as time permitted, George built a sauna, and warming the sauna was, and continued to be the highlight of his life. In 1937, George built a three room house, and added three rooms to this in 1945. In 1947, he built a large garage and spent many hours there fixing and making things. The house and garage are still standing today.
George lived on the same 3/4's of an acre he settled in 1934, until he died May 16, 1996 at the age of 88. Although George left the prairies early on in his life, he maintained a lifelong love of the region, and a personal ownership of several quarter sections. He frequently visited the farms of his relatives near Shaunavon over the years. His early remains were returned to Saskatchewan by his family for burial.
George's surviving family include wife Fay, son Raymond, daughter Shirley, seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. The professions of his surviving family include engineering, welding, and teaching; they are scattered across Canada from B.C. to Ontario.
March, 2001