Dutch immigrant sold paper bags to department stores

Koldewijn founded manufacturing firm

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Dutch emigrant entrepreneur Teunis Koldewijn who founded Allied Paper Products Ltd. shortly after arriving in Canada from Apeldoorn in 1954, has died recently. Koldewijn was 82.

With his brothers, the Koldewijn operated a paper-bag manufacturing business in the central Dutch town, when he, after a visit to Vancouver the year before, decided to set up a similar business on his own in Canada. Koldewijn purchased large rolls from paper mills such as MacMillan Bloedel and produced paper bags for his new customers Eaton's, The Bay, Simpson Sears, and others. In 1969, after suffering a series of heart attacks, Koldewijn sold Allied Paper to MacMillan Bloedel. The business continued as the new owner's paper bag division.

A Dutch army conscript during the mobilization of 1939, Koldewijn became a record collector of military bands. At the time of his death, he had a collection of 3,500 such records.

When German occupation troops put Dutchmen to work to dig trenches during the Battle of the Bulge, Koldewijn was rounded up as well but escaped.

In the post-WWII Dutch immigrant community, Koldewijn was one of a small group of entrepreneurs who had founded a manufacturing business upon arrival.

He is survived by his wife Johanna (Eysink) of 55 years, son Frank and daughters Elsie Paynter and Mieke Beck and five grandchildren.