Businessman.
Born at Arborg on 27 May 1926 to Ragnheidur Elin Schram (1988-1979) and Gudmunder Oskar Einarsson (1887-1955), he was already as a child assertive and self-confident. In his youth, he came to admire his brother-in-law, who was a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and decided to join the Canadian forces fighting in the Second World War. Although under-aged, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and served as a cook on a tugboat in Vancouver harbour. In that role, one of his duties was to allot crew members their daily rum rations, which led to him becoming alcohol dependent. Seeking help, he was able to overcome the problem and provide support to others struggling with dependence.
He loved being on the water and Canada’s North, which led to him working on the Distant Early Warning system (DEW Line) for a time; making several trips to Iceland; visiting the Antarctic; travelling down the Mackenzie River on an oil exploration ship; and crossing the Atlantic on the RMS Queen Elizabeth ocean liner (returning home on the Concorde supersonic passenger airliner). He enjoyed travel in general, visiting places such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tokyo.
In 1949, he married Blanche Viola Danielson (1928-1996), and began his career as owner-operator of Harold's, a barber shop and beauty salon, which grew into a multi-chair business in the West End. The place became a daytime social venue, with passers-by often dropping in for a cup of Icelandic coffee even when they were not there for a haircut. To satisfy his attraction to sailing, he also became part-owner and manager of the MS Lord Selkirk II cruise ship. The ship plied the waters of the Red River as guests dined in style on its decks. The venture never did become as successful as Einarsson had hoped.
Being a story teller, a dapper gentleman, and an accomplished dancer, he took on a new career after his wife Blanche died: the position of social escort aboard cruise ships. He danced his way across the Pacific to Fiji and Australia, through the Panama Canal, around Cape Horn, and on the Baltic Sea, with stops along the way. Meanwhile, summers in Manitoba were spent at cottages at Glen Bay and at Ponemah on Lake Winnipeg, where he hosted many family get-togethers. He was an active and enthusiastic participant in the Icelandic community and with the Liberal Party; served as President of the Manitoba Hair Stylists Association; planned and supervised the construction of one of the Town of Arborg's symbols, the giant Curling Rock; and sponsored the family annual invitational golf tournament.
He died at Winnipeg on 4 June 2013 and was buried in the Arborg Community Cemetery.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 8 June 2013.
“Haraldur (Harold) Stefan Einarsson,” Collins/Limbourne/Eyjolfsson/Norman/Stewart Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 7 November 2026
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
