Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.08.1981, Síða 12

12-WINNIPEG, HÁTÍÐARBLAÐ 1981
Icelanders - Ukrainians
Continued from page 8
myself, had the good fortune to be
born in Canada. I in Winnipeg, and
he at Rivers, Manitoba. This had
given us command of the English
language, we were bi-cultural, he
could fit into the Ukrainian
background and I could revert to the
Icelandic culture and yet both of us
could move freely in the larger
English speaking community,
where our future lay, and which we
recognized as the path to higher
rungs that make up the ladder to
greater and better things. These op-
portunities were not open to our
fellow workers on the gang, they
had to be content with their lot.
They were locked in because of
language and cultural backgrounds
foreign to the Canadian ways, which
was common to other nationals that
immigrated from non-English speak-
ing countries. The years ahead of-
fered little encouragement, mainly
strenuous physical labour for
meagre earnings that were carefully
accounted for and sent home to
families or to see them through the
winter until the following year,
when they hoped to once again ob-
tain a labouring job on an Extra
Gang.
In due course the gang arrived for
lunch. As the hand cars rolled in I
kept an eye open for Mike, he was
smiling as he informed me that I had
a job. When the foreman learned
that Mike was leaving and re-
quested that I have his job, he said,
"You both need jobs to help you at
University, tell your friend to report
for work after lunch". This man
was a section foreman from Port Ar-
thur, now Thunder Bay. He was
Ukrainian and like so many of his
countrymen appreciated the value
of higher education. His kind favour
has always made me feel grateful.
After lunch we lifted the hand
cars onto the tracks and heaved in
unison as ten of us on each car pro-
vided the muscular power that pro-
pelled the car on its way to where
the gang had left off from work.
The routine was simple, half hour
for lunch, half hour for supper, a
total of 13 hours of work each day
including Sundays and holidays.
The pay was 25 cents per hour with
nothing extra for overtime, holidays
or the Sabbath and the meals cost 75
cents each day. Our home was bunk
cars, converted from run down
freight cars. The bunks were
wooden, with no springs, mat-
tresses, pillows or blankets. There
were no showers, washroom, laun-
dry or toilet facilities. The
numerous lakes in the Precambrian
Shield provided the facilities that
our National Railway failed to
render.
The Extra Gangs were headed by
foremen who were usually Ukrai-
nian. The pressure of their ethnic
background compelled them to
favour their people when hiring for
the gang. This left the rest of us as a
small minority, which always
frustrated a renowned extra gang
foreman named John Babiak. His
English was limited but that did not
prevent him from making himself
understood. Naturally he preferred
Ukrainian help, they understood
him and he understood them. John
Continued on page 19
COMPLIMENTS OF . . .
Johnson & Sons
Arborg Ltd.
Your Home — Auto and Farm
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Phone 376-2972
ARBORG MANITOBA
HAMINGJUÓSKffi . . .
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JOHN CLUBB & ROY BREED
FAMILY DRUGGISTS
HOME aad ELLICE
774-44X2
"The Chapel founded by A.S. Bardal to provide warmth,
understanding and personal service within the means of all."
SiNC.E 1S
BAR.DAL FUNERAL.HOME
AND CREMATORIUM
843 SHERBROOK STREET, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
774-7474
The people of Icelandic extraction and friends in Canada and the
United States hold the Annual Icelandic Festival on which occasion they
pay tribute in speech and verse to the land of their origin, to the
lceiandic pioneers and the land that is now their own.

* -éc-rtVAl p permittln9
CHnJREKsEBViCE „,vEVENlN6s
•111?®*' "
9
í • fé 4
m-
W
r ‘ \ y ’■ * - .:•••
GIMUFOLK FESTIVAL
Sunday evening, August 2 — Featuring
☆ Tom Jackson
☆ BrentParkin
☆ Dan Donahue
☆ Rick Neufeld
☆ LenUdow
☆ Dave McLean
☆ Kozubs
☆ Marla Guberman
☆ Len & Karen
MONDAY, AUGUST3rd, 1981
.Abf|V||||.
H lcelandic Festival Parade Featuring
Khartum Temple Shríne Units (10:00 a.m.)
wk Jmw*.
Traditional Festival Program - 2:00 p.m.
* 0r FJallkona (Maid of the Mountain)
fe’ Mrs. Mariorie Amason
•ír Toast to Canada
Mr. Helgi Bergs
(Mayor of Akureyri)
-ir Toast to Iceland
Mr. John J. Amason
...
Attendthe Festival Dances in the Park Pavillion
Saturdaý, August 1 - Wee Willy Music Services
Monday, August 3 - Johnny and His Musical Mates
FREE ADMISSION TO GIMLI PARK GROUNDS
Thls Viking Long Ship
“Vikingur” was presented to
the Icelandic Festival of
Manitoba by James Richard-
son & Sons Ltd., to com-
memorate the lOOth An-
niversary of the arrival of the
Icelanders to Mantioba.
Icelanders settled in
Manitoba in 1875.
Thanks to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Historical Resources and The Music
Performance Trust Fund.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE ICELANDIC FESTIVAL
reserves the right to alter any portion of the program if necessary.