Johan Pitka was born on 19 February 1872 in Jalgsema, Kreis Jerwen in the Governorate of Estonia of the Russian Empire, into an Estonian family.

At the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence, the Defence League was one of the main forces of the Republic of Estonia, and at that time Pitka also started organising the armoured trains.

The promise of new roads in and extension of the railway caused Pitka to establish a settlement in the Sowchea area of Fort St. James, British Columbia.

[4][5] The initial settlers were Pitka's family consisting of: Lady Mari-Helene Pitka, sons Edward and Stanley, daughters Saima and Linda and son-in law Lt. Aleksander Päären; families Andrekson, Rosin and Saar; Col. Steinman, Mr. Nilk and Mr. Pärtelson with wives; and Messrs. Kuusk, Olem, Puhm, Sulakatk, Vaimel, Unger and Wilmanson.

The Estonian settlers were happy living with the Hudson Bay officials, the local Dakelh people and other residents.

The delayed local development and frustrating access to markets caused all members of the group to move elsewhere or return to Estonia by 1932.

In April 1944, Pitka returned to Estonia as the frontline of the Eastern Front of World War II was approaching the country again.

In September, when the Germans were retreating from Estonia, Jüri Uluots organized a new Estonian government headed by Otto Tief.

An appeal by Pitka was published in a newspaper in Tallinn, calling for volunteers to fight against the imminent Red Army offensive.

[6] Several stories relate that he died either in a battle against a Soviet tank group or in the stormy Baltic Sea when trying to make his way to Sweden aboard one of the last small boats fleeing the country.

His troops lost the battle, and Pitka committed suicide by injecting a sedating syringe, so as to not fall into the hands of the Soviets alive.