What propelled four Icelandic descendants with strong ties to the small Interlake community of Gimli into leadership positions at Manitoba Hydro, one of Canada’s largest utilities? Manitoba Hydro, a publicly owned enterprise, is a huge organization with over 4,000 employees and many complexities. It takes skilled leadership to run such a place.

Let me introduce you to these Manitoba Hydro leaders referenced above. Over the past three-quarters of a century Jon (John) Julius Arnason, Kristjan (Kris) Kristjanson, Ruth Kristjanson, and Don Bjornson, Jr. have been working and contributing to the development of Manitoba Hydro in varying leadership capacities.

■             1948 to 1986 – John Arnason – Rural Electrification Program; Field Director of Construction; President and CEO.

■             1961 to 1979 – Kris Kristjanson – Director of Economics; Assistant General Manager.

■             1980 and 1981 – Kris Kristjanson – Chair of the Board.

■             1987 to 2017 – Ruth Kristjanson – Senior Economist; Executive Assistant to the President and CEO; Division Manager Aboriginal Relations; Vice-President of Corporate Relations.

■             2003 to present – Don Bjornson, Jr. – Lawyer; In-house Counsel; General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Three of these four individuals were born in Gimli and graduated from the Gimli public school system. The other spent most of her summers in Gimli. Do they have similar traits and skills? Was the Icelandic culture important to their success? How did each one’s leadership impact on Manitoba Hydro? I don’t have the answers, but I do have their stories.

John Arnason

The saga of these four Icelandic descendants working for Manitoba Hydro began in 1948 when John Arnason graduated from the University of Manitoba in Electrical Engineering and was hired by the utility. “John began his working career in the Rural Electrification program, which was, according to W.L. Morton in his Manitoba: A History, one of the great achievements of the Douglas Campbell Government. The villages of Fraserwood and Meleb received power in 1949, and rural Gimli in 1951. John would later say in an interview that the work he did with this program was what he was most proud of throughout his career.” (Johannson, Blicq, and Ledohowski: Notable People from Gimli post 1945).

From 1949 to 1961, in Manitoba’s history of hydro-electricity, there existed two separate organizations of the provincial government: the Manitoba Power Commission (MPC) and the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (MHEB). The power commission was responsible for distribution, the electric board for generation and transmission. And so, it made sense when, in 1961, the government of Manitoba proclaimed the Manitoba Hydro Act amalgamating MPC and MHEB to form a new crown corporation named Manitoba Hydro. This same year John Arnason was promoted to Field Operations Manager and five years later to Director of Construction, designing and building power stations for Manitoba Hydro. “Hydro had begun its great development of northern Manitoba’s huge hydro potential.” John had a great impact on the north through his work on the generating stations from Grand Rapids to Kettle River and Limestone.

John climbed the ranks of Hydro, eventually becoming President and CEO in the early eighties. It was in this position that John made sure that all employees were aware of Hydro’s achievements and programs as well as including them in the decision-making. John was a collaborator, espousing “a two-way flow of information ... to ensure that management shapes its strategies having due consideration of the needs and concerns of the people who serve the utility.” And before he retired in 1986, he began an “affirmative action” program.

Forward thinking with loyalty and integrity, pride and a sense of accomplishment, John continued a family tradition of community service, serving on many boards such as the Health Sciences Centre, the Professional Engineers Association, and Betel Home Foundation while he was working. As well, John had great pride in his Icelandic heritage and became the president of the Icelandic Canadian Club and a member of the Canada Iceland Foundation. He held the record as the longest serving member of the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba.

He wasn’t afraid of hard work. Having moved back to Gimli in retirement, he took part in both the restoration of the 1915 Gimli Public School, now the Gimli Municipal Offices, and the Gimli Unitarian Church.

His children describe him as having been shy and humble, which didn’t prevent him from becoming the President and CEO of Manitoba Hydro. “As well as a great leader, he was also a great family man.” His wife, Lilja Johnson Arnason, who was also community spirited, eventually was chosen as Fjallkona by the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba.

Kris Kristjanson

With a strong belief in education, Kris Kristjanson received his PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1954. He also supported his brothers while they studied.

Having become a professor of economics at the University of Nebraska, Kris thought it wise to take time from the university to work in both the public and private sectors to better understand not only the theory but the practice of what he was teaching. “As often happens, life got in the way, and he never returned to a university setting. However, this alternate path was to the benefit to both Manitoba Hydro and Great-West Life, and to public life in general.”

Appointed Director of Economics for Hydro in 1961, and later to Assistant General Manager, Kris went on loan to Ghana for a brief time to recommend a water development program.

He played a major role in the great Nelson River power development, which the Roblin government initiated in 1967. It initially included a huge dam at Kettle Rapids, diversion of the Churchill River into the Nelson River, and two long distance direct current high voltage transmission lines running from a convertor station at Gillam to another at Rosser outside of Winnipeg. 

With a change in government and policy differences, Kris resigned from Manitoba Hydro in 1971. But shortly thereafter Kris joined Great-West Life where he became Executive Assistant to the President of Great West Life, eventually taking on the role as Vice President of Corporate Planning and Personnel.

However, this was not to be Kris’s last connection with Manitoba Hydro. In 1980, Kris returned to Hydro as Chair of the Board of Manitoba Hydro, chairing for two years, while remaining a consultant for Great-West Life until his retirement in 1986. (As a side note, Kris’s daughter, Ruth, retired as VP Corporate Relations from Hydro, while his son Stefan retired as President of Great-West Life Canada.)

Kris always had a strong sense of community and professional service, whether taking on the presidency of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada or chairing a United Way sector, among others. 

Committed to his Icelandic Heritage, Kris became president of the Canada Iceland Foundation and a devoted member of the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba.

The draw of his hometown Gimli and family were strong. Kris built a cottage close to his family home in Gimli where he, his wife Lois, and their children spent their summers with his many relatives.

A kind man, Kris took the time to drive seniors to the Icelandic Festival or visit them at Betel to converse in Icelandic.

Unfortunately, at the age of 61, Kris suffered a stroke, which left him wheelchair bound. But he never lost his sense of humour.

As his daughter Ruth said: “Along with lessons associated with kindness to others, Kris taught his children the value of vinnugleði (the joy of work) and the importance of working together, all lessons he learned from his parents.”

Ruth Kristjanson

Ruth Kristjanson began working for Manitoba Hydro in 1987, following seven years in the Manitoba government’s Department of Energy and Mines. Soon after the completion of her master’s degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario, now known as Western University, Ruth started working for the provincial government.

When she joined Hydro, Ruth became a senior economist in the Economic Analysis Department, soon becoming manager. Ruth felt very fortunate when she was appointed Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, Bob Brennan. He was Manitoba Hydro’s longest serving president. She had the opportunity to work directly with him.

From there, she was tasked with both developing and staffing a new unit called the Aboriginal Relations Division as its Division Director, eventually taking on the role as Vice President of Corporate Relations until her retirement at the end of 2017.

Ruth was drawn to work for Hydro because of her economics degree, her prior government experience in energy policy, and her admiration for the institution, having learned much about it from her father. Over her thirty years there much happened and she was fortunate enough to have been involved with many significant and diverse initiatives including strategic planning and the acquisition of Centra Gas. Her most rewarding work was that related to developing and maintaining relationships with Indigenous communities that have been and continue to be impacted by Manitoba Hydro’s operations.

Ruth says that “Energy developments of all kinds come with impacts and while Manitoba is blessed with water resources that allowed for the development of its non-greenhouse gas emitting and renewable hydraulic systems, those primarily Indigenous communities near the affected waterways were negatively impacted. Much of my work and my team’s work was dealing with those legacy issues.”

Why work there so long? “There were amazing challenges and complex issues associated with helping to run this large and complex institution that is so integral to Manitoba’s economic well-being. I always considered it to be a privilege, and I was generally blessed with good people to work with and learn from. Every day was an adventure. I am told that I brought a sense of calm to various tables and that I provided the long view on issues.”

Former colleague and Manitoba Hydro vice president, Lyn Wray, characterizes Ruth in this statement: “Warm, smart, and humorous, Ruth is much loved by friends and colleagues alike.”

Ruth volunteers with the United Way, Canada Iceland Foundation, and the Electrical Museum, which she does as a means to give to the community. She considers herself to be very fortunate. “I had many advantages in life: a supportive family, excellent educational opportunities, a great career to name a few. So giving back through volunteering seems appropriate. Volunteering also provides a great way to stay connected to people, especially in retirement.” 

An avid reader who also enjoys cooking and gardening, Ruth’s priority upon retiring was to spend time with her mother, Lois, who died shortly after celebrating her 100th birthday this past August. As many can relate, she also must make time for daily sciatica exercises!

Happily, the cottage at Gimli is still in the family. She has very fond memories of time spent at the “Home of the Gods,” having never missed an Íslendingadagurinn.

Don Bjornson, Jr.

In February 2003, Don Bjornson, Jr. joined Manitoba Hydro as in-house legal counsel. This followed a 16-year career as a lawyer at Tupper and Adams after receiving his Doctor of Law (J.D.) in 1986. He was called to the bar in 1987.

Currently, Don is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Manitoba Hydro, a position he assumed in 2021. As a key member of the senior management team, Don is responsible for providing legal services to protect the interests of Manitoba Hydro and managing programs to foster integrity, respectful workplaces and compliance with codes of conduct. He also acts as an advisor to the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board on matters related to law and governance.

Jeffrey Betker, a vice-president of communications, said when Don assumed his role on the senior management team, “with 34 years of experience in both private practice and as in-house counsel with Manitoba Hydro, Don brings considerable expertise in energy law and an extensive knowledge of the corporation’s business and governance role.”

Don joined Hydro as he has a passion to serve people. This has also extended into life outside of work where he played a significant role with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat works toward a vision of building and improving homes in partnership with individuals and families in need of a decent and affordable place to live. Don became a director of Habitat Manitoba board, eventually becoming Habitat Canada’s national board of directors chair in 2015 with 56 affiliates across the country.

“What struck me about the Habitat model when I first learned about it, and what still resonates with me today, is that it just makes so much sense. We offer potentially life changing opportunities to good people and we help generations of people in ways that we can’t possibly measure,” Don remarked in a Habitat newsletter.

Former President and CEO of Habitat Canada, Mark Rodgers extolled Don for his role on the national board: “Don is perhaps the most humble, gentle and genuine individual I’ve ever met. In fact, I’ve always said he is a walking anomaly in that he has the presence of a Bay Street lawyer but the heart of Mother Teresa. That said, his soft-spoken demeanor shouldn’t be mistaken for his deep -seated resolve to serve families within the province and across the country.”

Don always was “hands on” during the “house builds,” wielding a hammer when needed, although he says he isn’t a “very handy guy,” and that his strength lies in guiding Habitat from behind the scenes. But he gets the greatest pleasure from meeting the families who work on and move into their Habitat homes. “I am part of the Habitat family because the result of our work is that we provide partner families not only with safe, decent and affordable housing but also pathways to success that may not have otherwise been available to them.”

Also proud of his Icelandic heritage, Don has taken on the volunteer role as vice president of the Canada Iceland Foundation board, helping in various ways at Íslendingadagurinn, and often golfs in the Lögberg-HeimskringlaIcelandic Open golf tournament fundraiser.

A family man with two daughters, Spencer and Cindy, plus grandchildren, Don and his lawyer wife, Tanys, have moved back to Gimli in anticipation of retirement. He is close to his mother, Hedy, who lives at Waterfront Centre in the town.

What stands out to me about these four individuals who took on leadership roles in Manitoba Hydro? They kept close ties to Gimli and their Icelandic heritage; they valued education, community service, and working collaboratively with others; they had strong families and believed in hard work, but were also humble, kind, and maintaining a sense of humour.

Resources: Notable People from Gimli post 1945 (Johannson, Blicq and Ledohowski) and the Habitat for Humanity newsletter.