The Story of Per and Lilly (née Christensen) Falkenberg-Andersen
Working in Edmonton
After leaving Dickson, Per went to Edmonton, where he had a Danish carpenter friend. Work was plentiful. Anyone with tools and coveralls could sign on as a carpenter. Per found a job building houses.
Per liked carpentry better than farming. It was a lot cleaner. At the end of the day, the carpenters just dropped their coveralls and tools and walked away in their clean street clothes. Coveralls, tools, and building materials and supplies were left at the jobsite in plain view, without any worry about thieves or mischief-makers.
Per heard about the weekly social evenings at Ansgar Danish Lutheran Church and attended often. It was a great place to meet fellow immigrants, catch up on the latest news from home and find jobs and accommodation.
Working in Jasper
Later, Per's crew was rebuilding Jasper Park Lodge after a major fire. It was a great opportunity to explore the area and they spent many enjoyable Sunday afternoons fishing. They inadvertently broke many rules, fishing without a license and drinking wine in the Pyramid Lake campground. Luckily, they only had encounters with bears, not the authorities.
One day, Per turned a corner and collided with a bear. It scared him––and also the bear. Per lay on his backside with the wind knocked out of him. The bear took off in a hurry.
Work for the Winter
One of Per's friends bought a car, so Per taught him to drive. They heard about a project in Kitimat, British Columbia where they'd be guaranteed work all winter. So with two other buddies, they decided to drive to Vancouver and apply.
Adapted from the 2007 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
More Immigrant Stories:
• Per's next adventure may be dangerous. See Per Builds a Tunnel
• Check out the special events at Ansgar Danish Lutheran Church
