An historical journey for Ken Johnson

An historical journey for Ken Johnson the CSCE history award winner in 2018 June 2018 Ken Johnson’s interest in history began in the silver mining town of Nelson, BC, growing up 2 blocks away from an old mining tramway. His early days of wandering the hills around Nelson cultivated the historical interest with exploration of historic mining areas and land surveying old properties in the region.

For Ken, the 2018 Gordon Plewes History Award has been a 25 year historical journey focused on the north, with 10 conference papers, 10 articles in various magazines, 6 northern historic civil engineering project dedications, a variety of conference and community presentations associated with the dedications, and even a starring role in the 2005 History Channel documentary on the White Pass and Yukon Railway.

Ken received a civil engineering education at UBC, but he started training to be a land surveyor at the age of 16 with his dad. Life works in mysterious ways, and 30 years ago Ken left land surveying in the Kootenay’s and ventured to Yellowknife, discovering a passion for engineering northern water, northern planning, and ultimately northern history.

His interest in history surfaced with a move to Whitehorse in 1992 and exposure to the Klondike Gold Rush (photo above taken during filming of History Channel documentary on the White Pass and Yukon Railway in 2004). He channeled his enthusiasm into championing the first of six historic civil engineering dedications, which was the White Pass and Yukon Railway. The run of “plaquing” northern civil engineering projects continued with the Alaska Highway, Dredge 4 near Dawson, the Town of Inuvik, Snare Hydro near Yellowknife, and most recently the airfield in Iqaluit.