Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl, famous Norwegian explorer, is best known for the Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, but for a brief period in 1941, Heyerdahl was a resident of Rossland.
Rossland Miner, January 17, 1941
In 1947, aboard a hand-made raft, Heyerdahl sailed from South America to the Polynesian islands in an effort to prove his theory that ancient South American peoples could have travelled to the islands of the South Pacific. After sailing across the Pacific Ocean for 101 days, the Kon-Tiki raft arrived intact at the Raroia atoll in French Polynesia, confirming Heyerdahl’s theory. The expedition brought him international fame, and a subsequent documentary about the expedition, directed by Heyerdahl himself, went on to win the award for Best Documentary Feature at the 24th Academy Awards.
A lesser-known fact, however, is that Heyerdahl was once a resident of Rossland! Before the famous expedition in 1947, Heyerdahl, along with his family, had relocated from Norway to B.C. He arrived in the province in 1939, before the start of WWII, and lived in Vancouver and Victoria before travelling to Bella Coola to study the local Indigenous populations. Heyerdahl had hoped his research would qualify him for a doctoral degree at Johns Hopkins University. He continued to conduct his work in Bella Coola until the German invasion of Norway in 1940. As a result of the German occupation, the funding allowing him to conduct his studies in B.C. was cut off and Heyerdahl was forced to remain in Canada. In need of an income, Heyerdahl and his family travelled to the Kootenays where he was able to secure a well-paying job at the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company. According to a 1941 Cominco Magazine article about Heyerdahl, he became a popular member of the Tadanac carpenter crew.
Rossland Miner, February 7, 1941
Although he worked in Trail, Heyerdahl called Rossland his home. Not a great deal is known about what he or his family did during their time in the city. On at least two occasions, however, Heyerdahl gave presentations to the Rossland Junior Board of Trade and the Golden City Club. In January 1941, Heyerdahl and his wife spoke to the Junior Board of Trade and discussed their time living amongst Indigenous peoples on Fatu-Hiva Island, French Polynesia. Moreover, in February 1941, Heyerdahl went before the Golden City Club and gave a similar presentation. He also continued to conduct research and other scholarly work and even had articles published in the National Geographic and Canadian Geographic magazines during his time in Rossland.
Heyerdahl did not live in Rossland long, however, he appeared to make the most out of his time in the city. According to The Rossland Miner, Heyerdahl departed Rossland in July 1941 as he accepted a faculty position at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His wife and children remained in Rossland for a short period of time, but when exactly they left to join him in Baltimore is unknown. Heyerdahl and his family eventually made it back to Norway around 1942 where Heyerdahl fought with the Free Norwegian Forces against Germany.
Although his time in the city was brief, Heyerdahl remains amongst the many notable residents of Rossland, past and present.
Written by Tyler Bignell
Sources:
Cominco Magazine. Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre.
Rossland Miner. Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre.
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