Did you know “Tolko” is derived from taking every second letter of the Thorlakson family name?
Thorlakur and Ingibjorg Thorlakson arrived in the Okanagan Valley in 1890, leaving behind poor economic conditions in Iceland. The Thorlaksons were originally farmers, and had eight children – one of which was Harold.
One of Harold’s first ventures was raising sheep. Together with his sons Doug, Alan and John, they drove some 2000 sheep along Highway 6, through Lumby to the alpine meadows of the Monashee Mountains to graze for the summer.
The sheep business didn’t last as there wasn’t enough profit to support his family and Harold would eventually establish Lavington Planer Mills in 1955. In 1973, the now thriving company was renamed to “Tolko” and grew substantially under Harold’s guidance. Although Harold Thorlakson passed away in 1981, Tolko remains under the ownership and guidance of the Thorlakson family.
