Career
Born in Norway, Gilbertson"s family emigrated to Canada and settled on Saint Joseph Island in Ontario"s Algoma District. He began his working career on the freighters plying the Great Lakes, and later ran a maple syrup business before his election to the legislature, and was known for bringing cans of syrup to the legislature as gifts for his fellow MPPs each spring. He also owned a trucking business and a pancake house.
In his riding, he was particularly known for his efforts to have the bridge on Highway 548 built to connect Saint Joseph Island to the mainland.
The bridge was named in his honour in 1994. In the Legislative Assembly, Gilbertson served as caucus chair and chief government whip, in addition to serving on a variety of standing committees.
Gilbertson died in summer 1995 on Saint Joseph Island. On October 5, in one of the first sessions of the legislature following the 1995 provincial election, tributes to Gilbertson were delivered in the Assembly by Bud Wildman, Norm Sterling and Mike Brown.
Gilbertson"s family business, Gilbertson"s Maple Syrup Products, is still in operation as the largest producer of maple syrup in Ontario.
lieutenant is now owned by Gilbertson"s son Don.