The Story of Per and Lilly (née Christensen) Falkenberg-Andersen
About the time Per completed his carpentry apprenticeship, his two uncles from Dickson, Alberta visited Denmark. Their stories about Canada intrigued him and Per was restless. He decided to emigrate. He'd come back home if things didn't work out.
Travelling to Canada
In 1952, Per embarked on the seven-day trip to Halifax. The train journey to Innisfail took five days. There were several other Danish immigrants on the train, so they had fun. Soon even the porter was speaking Danish! Per ate the rye bread sandwiches he had brought from Denmark, saving his $50.00 meal allowance for more important things.
Arrival
Nobody met Per at Innisfail. But the stationmaster kindly escorted him to a nearby chick hatchery and said, Someone from the Dickson area will come along sooner or later––just ask for a ride to your uncles' farm. And sure enough, a kind stranger not only gave Per a ride but offered some good advice: Buy yourself some rubber boots and work clothes.
Alas, a shock was in store for our Per. This place was nothing like his stately seven-bedroom home in Denmark. There, he'd had all the comforts and amenities his father, a medical doctor, and his mother, a dentist, could provide. Here, there were few comforts and even fewer amenities.
Per's life was about to change.
Adapted from the 2007 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
More Immigrant Stories:
• What will Per think of farming? Find out in Per the Farmhand
• Have you ever seen a chick hatchery? Visit Round Creek Quarter horses and Chick Hatchery near Spruce View.
