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Soffanius Thorkelsson
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Businessman, inventor.
Born in Iceland on 5 April 1876, he came to Winnipeg in 1898 and worked as a merchant. In 1919, he and two sons founded a business to manufacture wooden boxes and crates. It grew to become the largest of its kind in western Canada. In the 1930s, he used wood waste from his factory to invent a form of insulation called Wood Wool that was installed in hundreds of Manitoba homes. He retired from business in 1939.
He and wife Johanna Maria Fridriksdottir (1867-1948) had five children, including Ragnheidur Thorkelsson (1900-?) and Pall “Paul” Thorkelsson (1903-1991). He contributed financially to literary publications and to the reforestation of Iceland.
He moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1947 and died there on 30 May 1964.
Birth registrations [Ragnheidur Thorkelsson, Pall Thorkelson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census [Zofonias Thorkelson], Automated Genealogy.
“Winnipeg manufacturer inventor of wood wool insulation for houses,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 August 1934, page 64.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Death registration [Johanna Marie Thorkelsson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Thank birthday Winnipeg,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 1949, page 67.
Death registration [Sofannius Thorkelsson, Paul Thorkelson], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 2 June 1964, page 23.
We thank Jim Anderson and Ray Cruickshank for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 28 September 2025
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