Search for content in message boards

Norwegian in Canada ca. 1925

Norwegian in Canada ca. 1925

Posted: 26 Nov 2006 6:06PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mortensen
I am looking for information for my cousin who lives in Norway...specifically about her father-in-law. His name was Einar Odd Mortensen (b. 27-12-1902 in Norway) and he travelled to Canada in November 1925. I found his immigration record and he entered Canada at Quebec on 11-13-1925. He wrote a manuscript about some of his experiences in Canada and the family is trying to find out more about this time in his life. He was a fur trader in northeast Canada from 1925-1928. He was in Manitoba and The Pas and traveled around Churchill River, Nelson River, Oxford Lake and York Factory on Hudson Bay. He traded with the Cree and had a business/station by a reservation north of The Pas. He went first to Winnipeg and then traveled to Norway House and finally to The Pas and used dogs and a sled to travel the rest of the way to his business/station. For some reason the family believes he lived with a Cree woman. They also said that he worked at the Winnipeg Post when he wasn't a fur trader. The family thought the Winnipeg Post was a newspaper but I am thinking it was a post where business was conducted.

I am not familiar with the resources available to find information about Einar Mortensen's life and business dealings in Canada. I would appreciate any suggestions and/or help anyone has to offer. I did find his immigration record as mentioned above but that has been all I have been able to find thus far. Someone told me about the Hudson Bay Company records and I checked their website. It appears one has to travel to Canada to access these records...is that correct??

Thanks in advance for any and all help and/or suggestions.
--Jane G.

Re: Norwegian in Canada ca. 1925

Bette (View posts)
Posted: 26 Nov 2006 10:31PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mortensen
Hi Jane,
Finding people after the last publically available census in Canada, which is the 1911 census, is rather difficult. However, here's some suggestions.
On pg. 5 of My Nighbour and Yours
http://www.ourroots.ca/e/page.aspx?id=3267950
there's a note about a Pearl and Einer Mortensen. I don't know if this would be your Einer, but it's a possibility.
I'm not sure what the Winnipeg Post is either, but I doubt that it's a place of business. It's more likely to be a newspaper seeing as Einer was in the habit of writing a manuscript. He might have been referring to the Winnipeg Free Press.

What I find rather interesting is that Einer was till a fur grader in the 1920's. That's a rather late time frame for most immigrants - most fur trade happened in Canada in 1700-1800's. So you might consider querying the Winnipeg Free Press not only to see if they ever had him as an employee or "stringer" (free lance writer), of if they ever did a story on him.

Also, in Canada in 1940-41, all persons over the age of 16 were required to register. I've never tried to access any of these files but you can read about it here and possibly find someone who might do this for you.
http://www.ikweb.com/murduck/genealogy/research/sources/nrma...

http://www.statcan.ca/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=93C0006

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/genealogy/022-907.006-e.html

And yes, you have to search the HB Company records in Manitoba yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. I don't think they are housed anywhere else, or on microfilm that can be borrowed.

Good luck,

Bette

Re: Norwegian in Canada ca. 1925

Posted: 26 Nov 2006 10:51PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thanks, Bette, for the info. I should have been more clear in my last post...Einar returned to Norway in 1928 and lived out his life there. So, there wouldn't be any mention of him with a wife in Canada as he married in Norway in 1930.

I was thinking that the "Winnipeg Post" may have been of the "trading post" variety or just an outpost of some sort. I have no idea. The family sent me the manuscript today and it is in Norwegian. I can read Norwegian but haven't gotten through it all yet. I hope there is a mention of the Winnipeg Post in it as that might clear some up the confusion about this place.

Thanks again--
Jane

Re: Norwegian in Canada ca. 1925

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 7:24PM GMT
Classification: Query
I came across your blog about Einar odd Mortensen, I have this person in my family tree. I would share what I have.

Peder from USA

111 Ivar Hansen 1872 Dagny Nilsd Fredriksværn 1883
153 i Jon Ivarsen 1902-1903
154 ii John Ivarsen 1904-1918
155 iii Trygve Ivarsen 1905-1918
156 iv Astrid Ivarsd 1907-1995 Einar Odd Mortensen 1902-1969
157 v Hans Ivarsen 1908-1979 Anne Kristine Ivarsd 1912-2001

Re: Norwegian in Canada ca. 1925

Posted: 26 Oct 2014 3:05PM GMT
Classification: Query
(You can get access to this on Google. Ask for the English translation, as the original is in Norwegian. It appears he wrote other books, too.)
Fur, mosquitoes and cold
EINAR ODD MORTENSEN

Fur Dealer

Gyldendal

Recovered book manuscript about the adventure is good reading nearly a hundred years later.
PER Haddal
Updated: 20.okt. 2011 1:00
Share
Tweet
E-mail
Mortensen, Odd Einar "The factor"
In 1925 went Einar Odd Mortensen, age 23, of North
Canada to live three years among the Indians and trappers. Only now is his account. It was worth waiting på.Der Mortensen came home to take over the family furniture business in Oslo, he sat down to write down their experiences in the wilderness. But halfway through, he gave up, presumably because Helge Ingstad released his "Pelsjegerliv". Ingstad went out well after Mortensen, but was first on the book market.
Well-written.
Mortensen's draft was lying in the attic and found my family a few years ago, after his death. With some editing is "Fur Dealer" at Gyldendal, a stunning fresh and well-written bokblikk at a time and an environment more than ever must appear as enticing exotic, even as blasting cold or mosquito filled it could be, in drastic contrast. Equally exotic is that the amateur was considered an expert on fur because he was Norwegian. Mortensen was one of the many who had read "Deer Kills" and "The Last of the Mohicans" in childhood. His encounter with the Indians' real life was disillusioning. So much romance it was not life conditions. But Mortensen sees all aspects of Indian culture, both the relaxed and intense, during the hunt. A sharp observer he is, with the ability to articulate their experiences in a clear, simple and effective språk.Så great heights as Helge Ingstad when he did not, but the book will suit anyone with an adventurous spirit going in the direction of the wilderness, then.
Share
Tweet
E-mail
per page

Find a board about a specific topic