Lögberg-Heimskringla - 13.12.1996, Page 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 13, desember 1996
jSetters
■ Rest assured we will always subscribe
to Lögberg-Heimskringla no matter what
you publish. You will never please
everybody.
We really appreciate your help in the
effort towards developing curling in
Iceland!
We enjoy shorter articles nertaining
to activities in clubs across our two
countries that could encourage more of
our younger people to get involved.
How about starting a home exchange
program? That could be fun!
Sophie & Tom Wallaxe
Seattle, WA
■ This paper is my window on the
Icelandic community in Manitoba, North
America and Iceland. This is a tough
mandate for you to fulfill. You are doing
the best you can, so, any criticism would
be unfair.
Given your broad mandate, it is
difficult to be “all things to all people.”
Never the less, your efforts are
appreciated and the importance of the
paper to people like me will no doubt
continue.
Yours truly,
KAJ. Davidson
Vancouver, BC
■ Your issue of November 22, 1996
contains a very interesting account of the
flash flood in Skeiðar River on November
5-6. Obviously the flash flood involved
a good deal of water, but just how much
compared to other rivers is not made clear.
Is this a case of a little river^ couple of
miles long becoming as large as say the
Red River or as the Icelandic River in
Arborg and Riverton?
According to your account of the
flood Skeiðar River was delivering about
60 cubic metres per second before the
onset of the flood, had reached 6,000
cubic metres about 2.5 hours later, 15,000
cubic metres per second after 10 hours,
30,000 cubic metres after about 24 hours,
and peaked at 45,000 cubic metres per
second 40 hours after the flood began.
How do these numbers compare with the
discharge rates for other rivers?
The Encyclopedia Britannica (1973-
74) can provide at least partial answers
to these questions. Before the flood the
Skeiðar River was more or less of the
same size as the RiverThames or the Rio
Grande, both of which are listed as having
a mean discharge of 80 cubic metres per
second. After 2.5 hours, when the dis-
charge had reached 6,000 cubic metres
per second, Skeiðar River had moved into
the big time and now equalled the Niger
River, the nineteenth largest river in the
world in terms of discharge volume. Ten
hours after the onset of the flood, Skeiðar
River had caught up with the mean
discharge rate of the Ob-Irtish and was
now in 9th place in the ri vers of the world.
Some fourteen hours later, having swelled
to 30,000 cubic metres per second, the
river took its place between the Orinoco
(19,800 cubic metres) and the Yangtze
(34,000 cubic metres) as the fifth largest
river in the world. Finally, 40 hours after
the flood began, Skeiðar River had
surpassed the Congo (41,000 cubic
metres) as the river with the second
greatest discharge on the face of the earth.
Gary Filmon
Premier
Harold Gilleshammer
Minister of Culture,
Heritage and Citizenship
Minister responsible for
Multiculturalism
The holiday season is a special time of year as Manitobans gather to
celebrate friends, families and the traditions of our heritages. The many
festivals and festivities that highlight our passage from one year to
another bring Manitobans of all origins together in the spirit of peace
and goodwill.
In sharing our cultural celebrations, we gain new insights and
understanding of the ethnic diversity that has made Manitoba an
excellent place to live, work and raise our families. The common
themes of family, peace, health and happiness remind us of the shared
aspirations of all people.
On behalf of the Government of Manitoba, we extend our best wishes
during this very special season.
Manitoba
Only the mighty Amazon was carrying
more water to the sea.
And the Red River?
This river is not included in the
Encylopedia Britannica Iisting, but it is
probably of the same order of magnitude
as the Nelson which has a mean discharge
of 2,000 cubic metres per second or less
than five percent of the discharge of the
Skeiðar River at its peak.
Einar R. Kvaran
Pueblo, CO
■ As a matter of fact I am not a “Westem
Icelander” nor do I live in Iceland, but an
Icelandic citizen living in Denmark. I am
deeply interested in the history of the
Icelandic immigrants in the U.S.A. and
Canada in the late nineteenth century.
Therefore I always look first for historical
matters in Lögberg-Heimskringla. I think
it could be of great interest for others too,
to interview some of those who are left
of the second generation, or these
Canadians who are studying the history
of the Icelandic immigrants in America,
their genealogy, circulation, social
activities and cultural heritage.
There might be some interest too, for
the American/ Canadian subscribers of
Lögberg-Heimskringla to get some news
about “living” Icelandic culture (some-
thing more than the monthly report of
Björk beating journalists!!!) some
Icelandic literature, poems, short stories,
et cetera. In earlier times Icelandic poets
often primarily published their poems in
Lögberg or Heimskringla, and I have seen
in the American letters from these days
that many subscribers enjoyed it. Now,
as the situation among the descendants is
changed conceming understanding the
Icelandic language, the texts must be
translated, but there are so many fine
Icelandic speaking literati connected to
the Icelandic community in Winnipeg,
such as Kirsten Wolf, Daisy Niemann and
Kevin Johnson.
This was just a friendly suggestion,
by no means malice criticism. Lögberg-
Heimskringla is doing well, I personally
enjoy it, and I miss it when it is late. My
best wishes to Tom Oleson, to Gunnur
Isfeld and all of you.
Yours sincerely,
Böðvar Guðmundsson
Denmark
Continued on page 12
CONSTITUENCY OFFICE
832-2943
Eric Stefanson,
M.L.A.
KIRKFIELD PARK
Gleöileg Jól og
Farsælt Komandi Ár
Merry Christmas and
a Prosperous New Year
LEGISLATIVE OFFICE
945-3721
John Harvard, M.P.
Winnipeg St. James
Gleöileg Jól og ,
Farsælt Komandi Ár
Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year
Bestu ósbir um gleöilega jólahátíö
Wishing you & yours aíl the best for the
holiday season
Ed Helwer
M.L.A. GIMLI