Els-Britt Marianne Lindholm: Involved in the Swedish Community.

Els-Britt Marianne Lindholm nee Jansson was born in Stockholm in 1930.
In June 1950, Els-Britt emigrated to Canada with her husband Olle from
Stockholm.
They traveled via Hamburg and England to Halifax on the ship M/S Homeland
formerly M/S Gripsholm. They were looking for a better life and adventure.
From Halifax they took the train to Montreal and then went by Canadian Pacific
railway to Vancouver. Someone at Els-Britt’s work in Stockholm had told her that
Vancouver was the best place in Canada.
Once in Vancouver, Els-Britt and Olle were helped at first by other Swedes they
met. They lived first in a boarding house and then were able to rent a basement
suite in Burnaby. Els-Britt didn’t speak English but found work at White Lunch, a
restaurant on Main street. After that, she got a better job at Woodwards
department store on Hastings Street. She was later promoted to the accounting
department.
Els-Britt and Olle saved their money and were able to buy a lot at Trinity Street in
1952 for $600.00. In 1954 they started a shop called Hastings Radio TV Service Ltd.
They also started to build their house themselves. Whenever they had saved some
money they bought material for the house.
In 1954, Els-Britt became pregnant and as a result, she was not allowed to work at
Woodwards.
Subsequently she worked in their family store on Hastings Street, with eventually
her four children in the store with her.
Els-Britt was very homesick in the beginning, as she thought everything in Canada
was so old fashioned. She and Olle had very little money in the beginning, so their
entertainment were bowling on Hastings Street and parties at the Swedish Park.
They belonged to the Vasa Lodge at the Swedish Hall.
They were also members of the Swedish Cultural Society where Els-Britt was the
treasurer for 15 years. She has been very involved with the Swedish Community
and appreciated by many
Els-Britt now resides in North Vancouver.