Edwin A. Alm

Edwin Albert Alm was born in Bjärme, Jämtland February 9, 1888. His father was a professional soldier, and the family was quite poor. Edwin learned to work hard early in his life. He did well at school and after confirmation, his father and the minister of the local church decided that Edwin should study to become a minister. He was sent to lessons in Latin with the minister, but there was no money for university. Edwin went to work on local farms instead.

In 1907 Edwin decided to emigrate to America. He didn’t speak any English and had no money. Edwin tried to borrow money from an uncle, but the uncle thought he should stay in Sweden. Eventually a stranger, back in Sweden from America on a visit, lent him 500 kronor. When Edwin went to buy his ticket, they asked where he was going he said: “As far as the money will take me”. This turned out to be Seattle, Washington.

The journey started in Östersund by train to Gothenburg, it took 36 hours. Then by ship to England. From Liverpool he went by ship to New York where he went through immigration at Ellis Island. In New York he boarded a train to Seattle. The train journey was eight days in a dirty, smelly train full of immigrants from central and southern Europe. No sleeping accommodation!

Finally in Seattle Edwin staid in a rooming house, together with some young Swedes he met on the train, for 25 cents a day. After three days they were desperate to find some work. A Swede came to the rooming house and gave them work on a farm, no wages but free room and board. So, Edwin started his new life in the US pulling turnips. After a few days they heard that work could be had building a logging railroad 20 miles a way. So off they went! Edwin eventually progressed into other construction work, learning on the jobs. He did bridgebuilding, carpentry, cement work. All this in the Spokane area of Washington and in Montana. As he learnt better English, he became a foreman and later took on contracts on his own.

In 1912 Edwin came to Saskatchewan and started his own contracting firm, working mostly for the CPR. In 1921 Edwin went to Vancouver and started out with a carpet cleaning company. He became quite successful and sold the company after some time to start his own real estate company. He had an office on Granville Street and later built his own office building on the corner of Burrard and Broadway. He owned and operated a hotel, three dance halls, a farm near Chilliwack and was in a mining syndicate.

Edwin and his wife Anne took many trips back to Sweden and Edwin became a philanthropist and a self-proclaimed ambassador for Canada in Sweden. Making generous donations to among other things a large collection of Canadian books for the Jämtland Länsbibliotek (provincial library of Jämtland). This became the authority on Canadian literature in Sweden. He also set up some scholarships and arranged for a totem pole to be sent to Östersund from Vancouver. Edwin also made a donation to some of the Swedish organisations and to the building of the Augustana Lutheran Church in Vancouver.

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