By Courtney Almeida

Eva Olsson shares her survival story with the community

Feb 15, 2019 | 4:30 AM

Eva Olsson, acclaimed Canadian author and Holocaust survivor, spoke to a packed house Thursday at Isabel Campbell Public School. The 93-year-old is promoting her new book, “Every Step of The Way”.

“Every Step of The Way”, is a parenting book reflexive of the struggle and the life lessons that she took away. The book is the third in Olsson’s collection and was co-written by her son, Jan Olsson.

At 93 years young, Olsson maintains a busy schedule. She travels by herself cross-country and from October to November alone, she conducted 47 live presentations. In the next week right here in the Peace Country, she will be speaking 14 times with additional private meets on schedule too.

When asked how she stays so young, Olsson responded by saying, “an attitude of gratitude. Being grateful to be healthy and being grateful to live in a country like Canada. A country that a lot of people take for granted because they don’t know any different, but I do.”

Heather Putio, Assistant Superintendent for Peace Wapiti Public School Division says, “It would be my goal that Eva has a chance to meet every student in our district and surrounding area so that they can be as impressed by her message as I was.”

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Putio believes Olsson makes a true impact on the students she speaks to.

“Watching the faces of the students as they listen to her speak to them, they’re completely engaged. They are all paying attention, they’re listening. Watching after her presentation, the number that comes up and wants just to have a single word, say hello or give a hug. She touches them with her message.”

Olsson’s first book, “Unlocking the Doors: A Woman’s Struggle Against Intolerance” went on to become a five-time National Bestseller. For her second book, “Remembering Forever: A Journey of Darkness and Light”, she went back to visit the camps for the first time.

Olsson says her message to students is, “never to be a bystander because bystanders give their power away to the bullies.”

She says that she’s on a mission to “persuade this young generation to eliminate hate.”

“All wars are caused by hate. Some of the wars, not many, are by greed. When we eliminate hate, we automatically eliminate bullies because they go hand-in-hand. The cause of the Holocaust is one word, hate, not love.”

Olsson believes that many parents fail to talk about the Holocaust with their children because it’s a difficult subject but she believes it’s imperative for their future. She notes, “It’s important for children to know what hate is and still does.”

She’s thankful for the opportunity to do so, “when I speak to the students, they are allowing me to keep my family spirit alive. I couldn’t do it without them.”

Olsson is a current resident of Muskoka, Ontario. After moving to Canada as an immigrant, she too soon became a widow. She was a single mom and the sole provider of her family but it wasn’t until raising her grandchildren that she decided to share her story with the world.

At age 71, she began a new career and wrote her first book. Since then, she continues to travel and meet with people to share her story.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Olsson says she has received over 16,000 letters from people.

WATCH as EverythingGP gets an exclusive sit down interview with Eva Olsson: