Biography - notes from the life of Albert Karvonen
The Farm
Albert Karvonen was born in Hollow Lake, a small town north of Waskatenau, in 1931. His parents, Lytti and Arvi Karvonen, immigrated to Alberta from Finland. Arvi immigrated in 1925, and in 1926 Lytti followed. Albert was the middle child of seven children: Eino, Alex, Elvi, Paul, Edward, and Martha. The family grew up on a diversified farm with grain, cattle, pigs, horses, chickens and a large garden. There were many chores, including making cream and gathering eggs. At a young age Albert learned how to harness the horses to plough the fields or to drive them to town.
Albert experienced the natural world of the farm for 20 years and this environment influenced his character as he grew. For though the farm is a place of domesticated animals, there were wild animals, big and small, around too. In fact, something as small as the ruffed grouse caused Albert big trouble when, instead of bringing the cows in, he�d be distracted by his feathered friends; he�d follow a mother and her chicks to see what they were up to and where they were off to. It is this boyish curiousity that still compels Albert today to capture the colourful, noisy spectacle of the wild on film.
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