Lögberg-Heimskringla - 18.04.1980, Side 1

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Freserves Heritage — Assures Future
Ö4. ARGANGUR
Winnipeg, föstudagur 18- apríl, 1980
NUMER 14
Aðalsteinn F. Kristjansson:
LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA INCORPORATED
Historical Perspectives
LOGBERG-
HEIMSKRINGLA is a
distinguished name for the
Icelandic newspaper, whose
beginnings go back to the
month of September in the
year 1886, when the first
issue of Heimskringla was
published in Winnipeg. As
the name indicates, our
newspaper is an
amalgamation of two
Ted Amason
Notwithstanding the work
and effort of many
dedicated members of the
Icelandic community, who
. for many years prior, had
advocated the merger of the
two newspapers as a
solution to some of the
economic and social
problems which oftentimes
threatened the continued
existence of both
newspapers, it was not until
strengthening in North
America of the Icelandic
ethnic identity and heritage.
The importance of the role
played by the newspaper in
the lives of the early
Icelanders who emigrated to
North America and of their
descendants, living today,
cannotbe overstated. It was
and is of the greatest value,
and because this is so, the
newspaper has always
Maurice C. Eyolfson
Gordon Peterson
Icelandic weeklies, the
Heimskringla and the
Logberg, the latter ' being
first published in Winnipeg,
in the month of January in
the year 1888. Heimskringla
means “The World” and
Logberg means “The Law
Rock” and the successful
union of these two Icelandic
newspapers, which bear
names suggesting magnitude
and solidarity, was not an
easy accomplishment. It
took over 7o years for the
merger to happen and
during that period of 70
years, Logberg and
Heimskringla continued to
publish separately and
independently of the other.
Brian Jakobson
1958, when the merger was
accomplished. The reader is
referred to the Article on
“Logberg and Heim-
skringla” which appeared in
the November 23rd, 1979
edition of this paper.
They have done fheir work
well
Logberg-Heimskringla,
like its predecessors, has
been a successful
publication. It has been the
means of communication by
North Americans of
Icelandic descent with each
other and with Iceland and
her people. It has been one
of the instruments for the
preservation and
received the whole-hearted
support of the Icelandic
organizations in North
America. The Government
of the Country of Iceland has
been very generous in its
support of the newspaper,
as have many, many in-
dividual members of the
Icelandic Comunities who
gave liberally of their time
and resources and exhibited
a dedication which has
brought the newspaper
through almost 100 years of
service into the 1980’s. We
are indebted to them all for
their collective and in-
dividual devotion. They
have done their work and
have done it well, but the
work continues. New
solutions to old problems
must again be found.
The work continues
At a meeting held in
Winnipeg on September
llth, 1979, attended by
representatives from both
Logberg-Heimskringla and
The Icelandic Canadian
Magazine, it was agreed
that an “AdHoc” Committee
of thrée to five members be
appointed to study the
situation, identify the
problems and endeavour to
Þráinn Krist jánsson
find suitable solutions.
Professor Haraldur
Bessason, Mr. Norman
Bergman and Mr.
Adalsteinn Kristjansson
agreed to act as the nucleus
of the “Ad Hoc” Committee
with power to add.
The Committee has limited
its initial study to Logberg-
Hejmskringla. The im-
mediate problem con-
fronting our newspaper is a
financial one and results
from what was a dramatic
decline in the numbers of
subscribers during a period
when the costs of
publication were escalating.
It seems unnecessary to
mention that, with the
decline in readers, Logberg-
Heimskringla experienced a
substantial decrease * in
advertising revenue.
A realistic goai
The solution simply
stated, is that Logberg-*
Heimskringla must find new
readers. The number of
subscribers must increase
and it is the opinion of the
members of the Ad Hoc
Committee that an initial
target of 4,000 new readers
during the next 18 to 24
months is a realistic goal,
since the number of persons
of Icelandic descent in the
Province of Manitoba alone,
is said to exceed 25,000. It is
true that the number of
people of Icelandic descent
in North America is
relatively small, but it is also
true that their numbers are
more than sufficient to
provide the support that
Logberg-Heimskringla must
receive, if it is to continue to
play its invaluable role in
our communities.
The “Ad Hoc” Committee
now comprises seven
members, with the addition
of Mr. Maurice C. Eyolfson,
Mr. Gordon Peterson, Mr.
Thrainn Kristjansson and
Mr. Brian Jakobson, and
this group has been meeting
weekly to consider and
adopt ways and means
designed to attract new
subscribers and thus im-
prove revenues.
Th'e Committee has under
consideration many ideas
and propcsals which, if and
when implemented, should
bring about the initial
suggested increase in new
subscribers. However,
while much work needs to
be done, some ideas have
been implemented, which
hopefully, might satisfy, at
least for the present, the
concern of our subscribers
whether the Ad Hoc
Committee is, to use the
expression, on the right
track. The Committee is
confident that when all of its
recommendations have been
implemented, the future of
the newspaper will be more
assured.
The new corporation
The first proposal im-
plemented by the Committee
deals directly with the
ownership of Logberg-
Heimskringla. The Com-
mittee has caused a new
Corporation to be created
under the Corporations Act
of Manitoba without share
capital. A Certificate of
Incorporation for LOGBERG-
HEIMSKRINGLA IN-
CORPORATED was issued
by the Director, Cor-
porations Branch of the
Province of Manitoba, under
date of December 28th,
1979. The object or un-
dertaking of the new Cor-
poration is restricted as
follows:
Cont. on page 2