Norman Luxton

Norman K. Luxton (1876-1962) was a pioneer in the Canadian Rockies known as "Mr. Banff". With John Voss, he attempted to sail around the world in an old red cedar Indian dug-out canoe. On his return to Canada, he worked on improving the community of Banff and the relationship between its residents and the aboriginal community.

Norman Luxton was the son of Winnipeg Free Press co-founder, William Luxton. After working with his father at the Free Press in Manitoba and for the Indian Agency at Rat Portage (now, Kenora, Ontario) in 1892. In 1893, Norman decided to head to the Cariboo Gold Fields to make his fortune. It is hard to know if he did make it to the gold fields, but he did make it to Calgary and worked for the Calgary Herald for the next eight years before moving to Vancouver in 1901. In 1904, Norman Luxton married Georgina (Georgie) Elizabeth McDougall (1870-1965) of the pioneer missionary McDougall family of Morley, Alberta. Norman and Georgie Luxton had one child, Eleanor Georgina, born in Banff in 1908. Norman F. Luxton died on October 22, 1962 at the age of 89, in the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary.

In 1901, Norman moved west to Vancouver where he briefly worked for a weekly called Town Topics. While in Vancouver, Norman met Captain John Voss, an eccentric sea captain. The two planned a most adventurous voyage. They would purchase a 100-year-old Nootka dugout canoe and sail it around the world, leaving from Victoria, British Columbia and heading west to London. The dugout canoe was named the Tilikum, meaning friend in Chinook Jargon. Luxton journeyed 10,000 miles (about 16000 km) on the Pacific Ocean with Voss, and endured five months of travel, before the Tilikum struck a reef and Luxton was thrown from the boat. His whole body was badly cut by coral, and he had to abandon the trip in Fiji, and was immediately taken to a hospital in Australia. Following this, Luxton came to Banff to recuperate. He kept notes of the voyage; his Tilikum Journal, edited by his daughter Eleanor was published in 1971. Captain John Voss finished his journey around the world and published his sailing memoir as The Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss in 1913. The Tilikum boat changed hands a number of times but is now on display at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria, British Columbia.

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