The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1971, Qupperneq 43

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
41
couver Island. An exception from that
general rule has, however, been made
in the case of the following two edu-
cators, because of their close links
with Vancouver Island and their
prominence in educational affairs in
British Columbia.
Johann (Joe) Phillipson was, in the
fall of 1970, named Deputy Minister
of Education in British Columbia,
having previously been Assistant
Superintendent in charge of admin-
istration and school board relations.
He was born in the Icelandic settle-
ment at Osland on the main land in
British Columbia, but grew up in
Sooke in the vicinity of Victoria. His
parents Jon Phillipson and Johanna
Jonsdottir Phillipson came from Ice-
land to Canada in 1902, settled first
in Selkirk, Man., but became pioneers
in the Osland settlement in 1913.
Johann Phillipson attended public
school in Sooke and Victoria, received
his teaching training at Victoria
Normal School, and graduated in Arts
and Education from the University of
British Columbia.
Previous to joining the head-
quarter’s staff of the Department of
Education, he had served as Principal
at Campbell River and Superintendent
of Schools at Prince Rupert and Prince
George. He was President of the B.C.
Teachers’ Federation in 1955-56.
Haraklur M. Palsson was born in
Manitoba, but grew up in Saskat-
chewan. He is the son of Dr. Johannes
P. and SigriSur Sigfusddttir Palsson,
former residents of Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, but of Sooke since
1954. Dr. Palsson is well-known among
his Icelandic fellow-countrymen for his
writings, short stories, plays and essays.
Haraldur Palsson received his B.S.
and B.E. degrees from the University
of Saskatchewan, from which he also
is an Associate in Fine Arts. After
having taught for several years in the
North Battleford district in Saskat-
chewan and having been prominent in
teachers’ association work, he moved to
Vancouver Island in 1948, when he
began teaching at Bellmont Junior
High School. He has served as Pres-
ident of the Sooke Teachers’ As-
sociation, and has, among other activ-
ities in the educational field, been for
many years a representative to the
South Vancouver Island District Coun-
cil. He was President of the British
Columbia Teachers’ Federation 1962-
1963.
Arni Myrdal, who spent his early
years in Victoria, but his later years, to
an uncommonly ripe age, at Point
Roberts, Washington was, as previous-
ly mentioned, a memorable example
of the traditional self-educated Ice-
lander. Ele was, as amply revealed in
his numerous articles published in the
Winnipeg Icelandic weeklies, a man
endowed with a strong scientific bent
of mind, not least in the field of math-
ematics. Otherwise, his many talents
and inerests are well described in an
article published in connection with
his 89th birthday in The Ladner (B.C
Optimist (Oct. 12, 1961):
“Mr. Myrdal is a skilled cabinet
maker, tool maker and craftsman, an
omnivorous reader, and an essayist in
Icelandic and English on such subjects
as astronomy, mathematics and the hi-
story of Iceland.”
To which may be added, that Arni's
spinning wheels—of which he made
over 40—are rightfully admired for
their masterful workmanship.
As previously noted Einar Brynjolf-
son was for years a member of a well-
known construction firm in Victoria.
Another of those pioneers, Thorsteinn
Thorsteinsson (Stoneson) was a con
tractor in a small way. His sons, Henry
and Ellis Leo, were destined to become
building contractors in an uncommon-
ly large scale in San Francisco.