Lögberg-Heimskringla - 09.05.2003, Blaðsíða 1

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WeeA; at a glance
New lceland Youth Choir Performs
in front of a captive audience
Page 3
The lcelandic Association of Utah
donates a framed photograph of
lcelandic emigrants Page 5
Friday, 9 May, 2003 • Number 16 / Númer 16 • Föstudagur, 9 Maí, 2003
Lögberg
Lögberg stofnað 14. janúar 1888
Heimskringla stofnað 9. september 1886
Sameinuð 20. ágúst 1959
Heimskringla
The Icelandic Weekly
www.logberg.com
PAP Registration no. 08000
Agreement no. 1402161
117th year /117. Árgangur ISSN 0047-4967
Province to Fund Arrival of Viking Ship
and Historic Exhibit for Gimli Area
The New Iceland Heritage
Museum will receive
$70,000 to assist in bring the
full scale Viking ship to sail on
Lake Winnipeg from mid-June
to September, Premier Gary
Doer announced officially at
the Museum on Monday, April
2003.
Some of the funds will be
used to help support the muse-
um’s companion exhibit Full
Circle: First Contact - Vikings
and Skraelings in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
“This 44-foot replica of an
ancient Viking ship reminds us
of the strong cultural ties
between Iceland and
Manitoba,” the premier said.
“The Viking Saga ship and the
accompanying Viking exhibit
will have great appeal for locals
and tourists alike and will
enhance the existing charm of
our Icelandic history.”
To complement the exhib-
it, the town of Gimli is offering promise a significant, positive
a cultural tourism package that influence, not only on regional,
PHOTO BY KERRI TAVERNER - COURTESY OF THE NEW ICEIAND HERITAGE MUSEUM
Premier of Manitoba Gary Doer, officially announcing the
coming of the viking ship
but on provincial tourism as
well. The package includes a
series of programs, special
events, workshops and lectures
to be held from May through
October 2003.
“This is an excellent oppor-
tunity for visitors to get a taste
of the life the early Vikings
led,” said the Premier. “And the
boat will be shared with various
partners around the shores of
Lake Winnipeg for inclusion in
any special summer events they
are planning.”
Visitors can don costumes
and they can even take a tum at
the oars while they sail the vast
expanse of Lake Winnipeg.
The ship will also carry two
Viking interpreters from
Newfoundland.
Funding support for this
initiative comes from
Manitoba Culture, Heritage
and Tourism ($25,000 through
Tourism Development and
$20,000 though the Heritage
Grants Advisory Council) and
Manitoba Intergovernmental
Affairs ($25,000 through the
Rural Economic Development
Initiative).
“The Viking theme has a
proven tourist appeal,” the
premier said, “and this will
make an adventurous and
romantic link to this unique
chapter in Canadian and
Manitoba history.”
Saturday; June 21 st, is the
official Grand Opening of Full
Circle: First Contact - Vikings
and Skraelings in
Newfoundland and Labrador. A
wild and exciting Viking Feast
will mark this event which
includes . entertainment and a
miniature Viking Village with
craftspeople and artisans. This
celebration presents some of
the entertaining parts of
Viking heritage and also that
of First Nations. Sunday the
festivities continue at
Waterfront Centre with special
lectures and demonstrations.
Special guest, author David
Arnason will be giving a read-
ing of current work.
The Vikings are Coming
A replica ship, that is, is sailing into Gimli
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ICELAND HERITAGE MUSEUM
The full scale Viking ship sailing near Newfoundland
Mia Rabson
Legislature Reporter
Winnipeg Free Press
WlNNIPEG, MB
Viking history will come to
life on Lake Winnipeg
this summer when a 13.5-
metre replica Viking ship
hoists its sails and drops its
oars into the lake near Gimli.
“A Viking ship on the
Prairies,” said an excited
Tammy Axelsson, executive
director of the New Iceland
Heritage Museum. “It’s an
actual working, authentic repli-
ca. It will be moored in the har-
bour and people will be able to
go on board, raise the sails, feel
the oars and go for a ride.”
From June 20 until the
middle of September, the ship
will be open to the public for
viewing. There will be Viking
costumes available for the
public to put on, and you will
be able to board it and get a
feel for the Viking way of life,
Axelsson said.
Twice a day, at sunrise and
sunset, the ship will leave its
moorings and go for an hour-
long jaunt on the lake, with two
professional interpreters on
board to tell Viking stories and
give a living history lesson.
The public can even hoist
the sails and take a hand at the
oars themselves.
“It’s very unique,” said
Axelsson. “It’s a really perfect
fit to have it here.” The muse-
um is hosting the ship at the
same time as a museum exhib-
it from Newfoundland on the
first contact of Vikings in.
Canada.
The ship, built and owned
by a Newfoundland couple,
will arrive in Manitoba via
flat-bed truck. It will take up to
fifteen days to move the ship
cross-country because it takes
up a lane-and-a-half of road-
way and is not permitted to
travel on weekends because it
will back up traffic.
The ship is scheduled to
arrive in Winnipeg by June
15th and will be put into the
water at The Forks. Then it
will sail up the Red River to
Lake Winnipeg and dock at the
shores in Gimli in time for the
opening of the museum exhib-
it - Full Circle: First Contact
- Vikings and Skraelings in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
The exhibit was created
for the 2000 Newfoundland
celebration of the 1,000-year
anniversary of the Vikings’
landing there. At that time, one
of the commemorative events
had a replica Viking ship sail
across the Atlantic to
Newfoundland to replicate the
first crossing.
Please see The Vikings are
Coming on Page 7
Creating Community • Sköpum Samfélag