Lögberg-Heimskringla - 08.06.1984, Síða 4

4-WINNIPEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 8. JÚNÍ 1984
Ritstj ór nar gr ein
—
Islendingadagurinn nálgast
Stöðugt styttist í merkustu hátið
Vestur-íslendinga, íslendingadaginn
á Gimli. Þessi hátið er nærri eitt
hundrað ára gömul í Kanada en fyrsti
Islendingadagurinn var haldinn í
Winnipeg árið 1890 eins og allir vita.
Fyrsta hátíð Islendinga í Vesturheimi
var hins vegar haldin í Milwaukee
árið 1874.
Undirbúningur hátíðarinnar er
gífurlegur og stöðugt fer hún
vaxandi. Islendingadagsnefnd hefur
setið á mörgum fundum undanfarna
mánuði þvi eðlilega er í mörg horn að
líta. Ræðumenn þarf að velja í tíma
og gefa þeim tíma til að semja ræður
sínar. Fjallkonan er valin af kostgæfni
og hefur val nefndarinnar ávallt verið
til fyrirmyndar. Fjallkona verður að
vera vel máli farinn og alltaf er
skemmtilegt að heyra hana mæla
nokkur orð á íslensku. Hún er tákn
íslands og því ætti hún að ávarpa
þegna sína á máli forfeðranna, íslen-
sku. Vafalaust er val nefndarinnar
ágætt í ár og verður frekar greint frá
því síðar.
Kent Bjornsson, sá ágæti
nefndarmaður, hefur brotið upp á
ýmsum nýjungum t.d. koddaslag við
höfnina. Vakti hann mikla kátínu
síðasliðið ár og verður væntanlega
fjölmenni við höfnina í ár. Þá hefur
Kent einnig gert ítrekaðar tilraunir til
að fá íslenskar kvikmyndir sýndar
meðan á hátíðinni stendur en eins og
lesendum er kunnugt þá eru þær
orðnar fjölmargar og margar hafa
enskan skýringartexta og því
skiljanlegar öðrum en íslensku-
mælandi.
Þessi hugmynd er afar merkileg og
vonandi tekst Islendingadagsnefnd
að verða sér út um nokkrar myndir.
Fátt er eins verðmæt landkynning og
einmitt kvikmyndir því þær
endurspegla oft þjóðfélagið betur en
Seismic activity at Grímsvötn, a
lake situated within Vatnajökull
glacier in south-central Iceland, has
risen to similar levels to those record-
ed immediately before the eruption
there last May — prompting specula-
tion that the forces of nature might
be thinking of staging an anniversary
show.
Monitoring on seismographs
around Grímsvötn, which would
nokkur blaðagrein. Það gefur þó
augaleið að slíkar myndir ættu að fara
víðar en til Gimli, því margir eru þeir
Islendingarnir í Vesturheimi, sem
ekki komast á hátíðina. Þetta er
atriði, sem vestur íslensk félög ættu
að hafa samráð um, því alltof oft
Win a Trip for Two
to Iceland
Tickets will be on sale soon for a
lottery organized by the Icelandic
Society of Edmonton. The Grand
Prize is a trip for two to Iceland in the
summer of 1985, or later if the win-
ner wishes.
The prize includes air fare from
western Canada to Chicago via Air
Canada, and from Chicago to Iceland
via Icelandair. It will also cover all
the accommodation, food, and travel
costs of an organized tour around
Iceland, including a visit by air to the
Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar),
site of the famous volcanic eruption
in 1973 (Cash equivalent for unspon-
sored prizes only.) The tickets for the
flight from western Canada to
Chicago have been donated by Air
Canada, while those from Chicago to
Iceland, and from Reykjavík to Vest-
mannaeyjar have been donated by
Icelandair. The Society wishes to
thank these airlines for their
generous support.
Only 600 tickets will be available,
at a cost of $10 each. They can be
purchased from members of the Ex-
ecutive, and sales will initially be
restricted to members of the three
Icelandic Societies of Alberta.'
The tickets will be on sale about the
middle of June, and the winning
seem to be the centre of a volcanic
system linking numerous craters in
this part of the country, suggest that
a considerable buildup of lava is tak-
ing place beneath the lake. Scientists
are reluctant, however, to forecast
when or if any eruption worthy of
the name will occur — much activi-
ty simply never breaks through the
thick layer of ice which normally
covers the glacier-bound lake.
veldur léglegt samband
félaganna óþarfa misskilningi
jafnvel leiðindum.
Það er því augljóst að ungir menn
í Islendingadagsnefnd eru á réttri leið
og að vænta megi ýmissa nýjunga í
framtíðinni, nýjunga sem glæða munu
ticket will be drawn at the next Thor-
rablot in February 1985.
Markerville Picnic
Don't forget to leave a spot open on
your June Calendar for the annual
Markerville Picnic, which will be
held on Saturday, June 16, the
weekend of Iceland's Independence
Day. Icelandic T-shirts will be on
sale.
Edmonton Icelandic Society
Icelandic Celebrations in Alberta
by Ninna Campell
Icelanders were among the first
pioneers in Central Alberta. A group
of 165 Icelandic settlers arrived in
Canada in 1873 and proceeded on to
Ontario, Manitoba, Wisconsin, and
North Dakota. In 1888 some 50
members of this group arrived in
Alberta and settled in the area by the
Red Deer River now known as
Markerville. The following year they
were joined by several more families
from North Dakota, including that of
Stephan G. Stephansson.
Other individuals who figured pro-
minently in the early Icelandic
community were Johann Bjornsson,
Sigurdur Grimsson, and Ofeigur
Sigurdsson. These men all provided
community leadership and helped es-
tablish schools, churches, and libra-
ries. Ofeigur Sigurdsson is credited
with being instrumental in organiz-
ing an annual picnic at Markerville
on June 17, the birthday of Jon Sig-
urdsson, one of Iceland's leading
statesmen. In an account of the ear-
ly days in the district, Mrs. Fitch
states: "It was a great day. Speakers
were there from the provincial go-
vernment, and often a minister or
other speaker from Winnipeg or Ice-
land. A Choir was in attendance and
sang beautifully in English and
Icelandic."
Around the time of the war years
these celebrations were discontin-
ued, and it was not until the 1960s
that they were revived.
On June 17, 1944, Iceland achieved
its independence from Denmark and
was proclaimed a republic. It was a
national holiday and Icelandic com-
munities in North America observe
the occasion. The three Icelandic
organizations in Alberta — Stephan
G. Stephanson Society of Marker-
ville, Leif Eriksson Club of Calgary,
and Edmonton Icelandic Society —
co-sponsor the picnic, which has now
áhuga á hátíðinni um ókomna daga.
og íslendingadagsnefnd verður að hlusta
gaumgæfilega á þá yngri í sínum
röðum því þeirra hugmyndir skifta
máli. Engin nefnd má vanrækja slíkt
því þá er hætta á stöðnun. Verum
vakandi og hlýðum á þá yngri. J.Þ.
become a weekend event. The Satur-
day activities include sporting events
such as races, baseball games, and
horseshoe tournaments. The formal
aspect is held in the Fensala Hall
where individuals from the three
clubs participate in the programme,
and choirs (the Calgary Icelandic
Choir, and the Saga Singers from
Edmonton) are in attendance as in
early times. The Alberta Fjallkona
(Maid of the Mountains) is crowned.
For those whose talents and interests
are more inclined towards sporting
events, the baseball tournament is
usually held at the picnic ground in
the afternoon.
In the early evening a pot luck sup-
per is served outdoors (weather per-
mitting), and the day's activities are
highlighted by a community dance in
the Fensala Hall.
On Saturday morning the Stephan
G. Stephanson Society of Markerville
serves a fantastic pancake breakfast
at the picnic ground. Following the
breakfast, many folks make the pil-
grimage to the Stephanson Home-
stead, which has been restored by Al-
berta Culture Historic Sites Branch.
A major concern for Albertans of
Icelandic origin is the retention of
their culture. Participation in cele-
brations such as June 17 helps to re-
tain an interest in the language and
the cultural heritage, and provides an
opportunity for good fellowship and
fun.
"Hvad er svo glatt sem godra vina
fundur,
er gledin skin a vonar hyrri brá?"
"What greater joy when in that
magic hour,
When loyal friends foregather full
of mirth,
With eyes agleam with friendship
like the flower,
That first in spring adorns the
smiling earth?"
(Translated by Paul Bjarnason).
Thorrablot 1984
The annual Thorrablot celebration
was held at Club Mocombo on
February 25th, with 110 members
and guests in attendance. Highlight
of the evening included entertain-
ment by Baldvin Juliusson, who per-
formed songs both in Icelandic and
English, and dancing to Bud Berg-
thorson and his Orchestra. The ma-
jor raffle prize, an Icelandic cardigan,
was won by Brinki Gudmundson.
mmmmmm^mmmmmmmmm
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