Evald Walter Westlund [1893-1971] moved to the McBride area in 1939. Evald (“Ed”) was born in Minnesota. In 1904 he moved with his parents to Saskatchewan, where he later homesteaded. In 1941 his Wisconsin-born wife Esther (1903-) and their children joined him on their farm west of McBride. “When we came to the farm the road was a trail through two horse-pastures, with seven gates to open and close,” said Esther. With the help of the Board of Trade, Westlund Road was made public. The last hurdle to overcome was the lack of operators for the outdated public works equipment during the War. In 1942 Evald and Ed Garrett volunteered to grade the present road.

Evald farmed part time, operated the grader for the Department of Highways in the summer, and worked for the McBride Timber Company in the winter. He was a steam engineer at the Lamming’s mill for five years before his retirement. He was a member of the McBride Fall Fair Association, the Farmers’ Institute, and the Board of Trade. He was for many years a trustee of the McBride School Board, and donated many hours to the district, which included schools from Valemount to Crescent Spur. In 1965 the Westlunds moved to Ruskin, where they celebrated 40th wedding anniversary in 1970. Ed passed away in the Prince George hospital.