The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Side 68

66
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Summer 19G7
Thomas H. Johnson
by T. O. S. Thorsteinson
When Thomas Herman Johnson was
made attorney-general of Manitoba
and Minister of public works in May,
1915, he made history. He was the first
Icelander to become a cabinet minister
in a Canadian government.
His life was symptomatic of early
Icelandic pioneers, one of ambition
and hard work, hunger for knowledge,
deep concern for the affairs of his
adopted land and an abiding interest
in the development of his own prov-
ince. Beginning as a school teacher, he
left behind him a distinguished career,
in that role, as a lawyer, school trustee
and legislator.
He died at his Winnipeg home on
May 20, 1927, after a lengthy illness.
He was 57.
Mr. Johnson was born in Iceland
February 12, 1870, and came to Can-
ada with his parents in 1879. The fam-
ily lived at Gimli for one and one-
half years, then moved to Winnipeg
where he attended school and sold
papers on street corners to augment
Thomas H. Johnson
the family income. When he was 16
the family moved to Glenboro where
he continued his schooling.
Securing a third class teacher’s
certificate in 1888, Mr. Johnson taught
British Columbia
British Columbia
Canada
Lindal, W. J.
Stefanson, H. J.
B. C. according to electoral districts, 1902. King’s Printer,
Victoria, 1902.
The B. C. Coast. Bull. No. 8, 1929. King’s Printer, Victoria,
1929. _
Department of Lands and Forests, The B. C. Coast, Bull.
No. 9, 1950. King’s Printer, Victoria, 1950.
Sessional Papers, 1918 — 1944.
Bureau Statistics. Census (1931 — 1961).
"Byron Ingimar Johnson”. Icelandic Canadian, Vol. 22,
No. 3, 1964, pp. 31 - 33.
“The Siverlz Family”. Icelandic Canadian, Vol. 7, No. 4,
1949, pp. 28 - 31.
Records and archives documents of the Icelandic societies
in Vancouver were used extensively, as were the private
papers of many individuals. The assistance of many
individuals in the gathering of material for this account
is gratefully acknowledged.