Ex-resident donates $30,000 for local health care

Paul Dalseg, who was born and raised in Rainy River District, surprised the Riverside Foundation for Health Care last week with his very generous donation of $30,000 in memory of his parents, Paul and Bricken Dalseg, on behalf of the Dalseg Family.
“My father raised us to be generous,” Dalseg said during a telephone conversation with Foundation director Teresa Hazel.
“They [my parents] were pioneers of the area,” he noted. “They immigrated to the district at the turn of the century from Norway and Sweden. They started a business in Bergland and went on to purchase a farm near McInnis Creek.
“They eventually sold the farm and opened a store in Morson, Ont.,” he continued.
Hazel explained how the donation came about.
“During the ‘Just Imagine’ campaign, we sent a letter to Mr. Dalseg further to a discussion we had with his nephew, Colin Dalseg, who lives in Emo,” she noted.
“Colin thought his uncle might be interested in supporting health care in the Rainy River District.
“I guess he was interested because here we are today with a very substantial gift,” Hazel added gratefully.
Although Dalseg was born and raised in Fort Frances, he did not raise his own family here. After fighting and surviving as a prisoner of war during World War II, he settled in Dryden and opened the first Canadian Tire store there in 1961.
He went to another store in Port Credit, Ont. in 1966 and then in 1971, owned and operated a Canadian Tire store in Sault Ste. Marie, where he has since retired and still resides today.
He has two grown children but, unfortunately, his wife, Eleanor, passed away in 2000 after battling cancer.
The Dalseg family name definitely is still well-known around the district today.
“My dad’s brother, Morris, opened one of the first tourist camps in the area named Dalseg’s Camp in Nestor Falls . . . that would be Jack Dalseg’s father,” Paul Dalseg explained.
Although he doesn’t get to the area very often anymore, Dalseg has fond and happy memories of being raised here—and keeps in touch with his nieces and nephews.
The donation will be held in reserve until the final costs come in for the CT Scanner at La Verendrye Hospital.
“If we have excess funds at that time, we will use these funds to support another health care service or program that benefits the entire Rainy River District as that is the intent of Mr. Dalseg’s gift,” Hazel explained.