Dr.
Hans R. Kivisild was born in Tartu, Estonia, in 1922. He grew up
in the Estonian capital of Tallinn. He left Estonia to escape the
Soviet reoccupation of his homeland. He studied at the Royal
University of Technology (RUT) in Stockholm, Sweden, graduating in
1946. One year later, he married Livia Martna, who was also from
Estonia. Dr. Kivisild worked for a Swedish engineering firm until
1950 when he immigrated to Canada. In 1954 he completed his PhD in
hydraulics from RUT. Dr. Kivisild's innovation won him great
acclaim for his invention of artificial ice islands. Dr. Hans R.
Kivisild was instrumental in developing ice platforms for
petroleum drilling in the Canadian Arctic. He was also known for
his exceptional work in designing the earthquake-proof George
Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River in Vancouver. Perhaps his
most fitting contribution to the engineering world was his designs
that helped make his native Estonian port of Paldiski in to a
year-round harbor for international traffic. Throughout his life,
Dr. Hans R. Kivisild was given many prestigious and well deserved
awards. In 1976, he won the Engineering Medal of the Professional
Engineers of Ontario, and in 1977, he was awarded Her Majesty the
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal. His honours also include
the Ernest C Manning award of Merit in 1985, and the Government of
Alberta Achievement Award of Excellence in 1987.
|
This digital collection was
produced with financial assistance from Canada's Digital
Collections initiative, Industry Canada.