Artur Hjalmar Ludvig Carlson

Artur (Arthur) Carlson was born on his parents' farm on June 1, 1907 in the parish of By, province of Varmland, Sweden. As a young man he left everything behind - including an elderly widowed father, two siblings, and his interest in the family farm - to immigrate to Canada. "I read a lot and after learning about Canada, I decided that it was the place for me," said Arthur. He arrived in Red Lake on June 2, 1929, just one day after his 22nd birthday. Arthur and his wife, Florence, founded the first fly-in tourist lodge in the area in 1948 called Viking Island Camp, located on Douglas Lake. Gradually over time, operation of the camp was passed on to their sons Hugh and Craig Carlson and their respective families.

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