The story of Niels and Nelly Husted
In 1957 Canada was heavily promoting immigration to Western Canada.
My husband Niels and I lived in Holstebro, Denmark with our three children. Niels had a bakery and I was a nurse.
We decided to go to Olds, Alberta, where Niels had relatives.
As we waited for the train to Copenhagen, Niels' mom said, We'll never see you again. She was right––both Niels' parents died before we returned.
No Golden Streets
After a wonderful voyage to Canada, we docked in Halifax. Then we boarded the train. By the time Niels' cousin met us in Olds, we were homesick and exhausted.
The wooden sidewalks and dirt streets in Olds were a shock. Niels quickly found a job. Ironically, it was building new sidewalks.
He wasn't used to such heavy work and came home every evening with bleeding hands. I just wanted to return to Denmark.
Learning English
I soon recalled my high school English and the children learned quickly.
Niels had difficulty. One day he needed matches and repeated matches, matches all the way to the store. When the clerk said, I beg your pardon? his mind went blank. He walked home to relearn the word, then walked back to the store. But he returned home triumphantly, matches in hand.
Trustworthy Town
I got a nursing job and then we opened a bakery. We had two more children. In 1969, we went to Denmark for a visit. We had no house key, so left the doors unlocked. When we came home, nothing was missing.
After living in Olds, Ponoka and Red Deer, we moved to Edmonton, where Niels worked in real estate. We retired to the Village of Pigeon Lake––which still has a few wooden sidewalks.
It took a while but we learned to love Canada. I'm glad we came.
Adapted from the 2009 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
More Immigrant Stories:- Crave Danish breads and pastries? Make your own using these family recipes.
- Birthe Christensen is homesick. Will she ever see her mother again?
