Lögberg-Heimskringla - 04.02.2000, Blaðsíða 1

HeimsKringia
The lcelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnað 14. januar 1888 Heimskringla Stofnaö 9. september 1886

Millennium
Edition
ICELAND
IN Canada
2000
Editors: Svavar
Gestsson, Jón Einars.
Gustafsson
Layout: David Jón Fuller
A salute to
Icelandic Canadians
Adrienne Clarkson
Governor General of Canada
Ottawa, ON
For the people of Iceland and of
Canada, this millennium year has a
special meaning unique to the his-
tory of our two countries. The year 2000
marks the first millennium since the
arrival of Icelandic Vikings on Canadian
shores. Historians and archaeologists
such as Canadian W.A. Munn and D.
Kristjan Eldjarn of Iceland have con-
firmed that the Baffin Islands,
Newfoundland and Labrador were among
the lands in the North Atlantic visited by
these Icelandic explorers 1000 years ago.
The presence of the Icelandic com-
munity in modern Canada has a more
recent history. In the early days of the
Canadian Federation, Icelanders estab-
lished a settlement in Gimli, Manitoba
and vicinity known as “New Iceland”.
Today, the descendants of that communi-
ty are an important part of the Canadian
mosaic, and their presence is having an
increasing impact all across the country.
Later this year all Canadians, and
those of Icelandic descent in particular,
can witness with pride the spectacular
year-long 100-event celebration of the
voyages of Leif Eiriksson to North
America. These festivities taking place
throughout Canada are all the more
meaningful because they are also a toast
to the 125th anniversary of the New
Iceland settlement.
As Governor General, I salute the
Icelandic community in this millennium
year, and I encourage Canadians every-
where to take part in the special events
underscoring the historical and cultural
significance of Canada’s heritage.
Be our guest
Svavar
Gestsson
Consul General
of lceland in
Winnipeg and
Speciai Envoy
for Millennium
Affairs
PREPARE FOR a
friendly inva-
sion. This year, a foreign nation is staging
over a hundred cultural events in Canada.
There will be jazz concerts, puppet the-
atres, choirs, stage plays, movies and a
symphony orchestra. This nation is also
giving one million dollars to a Canadian
university this year and many of it’s polit-
ical leaders as well as it’s president will
visit Canada. As if this isn’t enough, this
nation has also opened a Consulate in
Canada, and will be opening an embassy
in the year 2001.
Is this a nation of 3 million people or
30 million? No, not even 300 thousand.
This small giant is Iceland, a great
European island, who’s people wrote the
Sagas, where you find the first ever men-
tioning of Canadian events in writing.
This millennium issue of Lögberg-
Heimskringla is your program for the
Icelandic celebrations in Canada in the year
2000. Dear Canadian! Please enjoy this
offering of the best of Icelandic culture.
uThe reality will far
surpass my dreams”
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
President of lceland
Reykjavík, Iceland
In the year 2000 Iceland and Canada
will celebrate the lOOOth anniversary
of our joint heritage, of the historic
landmark when Icelandic Vikings linked
Canada to Europe for the first time. The
Icelandic discoverers came from the
unique democratic commonwealth
founded in 930 when the Icelandic parlia-
ment, the Althing, became the first
national democratic legislative assembly
in the world. Thus the Icelandic-
Canadian heritage is rooted in the oldest
democratic tradition in Europe, a tradi-
tion which 900 years later became the
backbone of the Icelandic Settlement at
New Iceland founded 1875 in Manitoba
by the Icelandic immigrants.
In modem times these common back-
grounds have made Iceland and Canada
natural partners in the North Atlantic
Alliance and various other intemational
organizations and in recent years joint
initiators of closer cooperation in the
Northem Regions.
Our partnership in the 21st century is
therefore built on strong historical roots
and important modem endeavours and
visions.
When I launched the proposals for
joint Icelandic-Canadian and Icelandic-
American celebrations in the year 2000 in
my inaugural speech on August lst 1996,
and then discussed them with President
Clinton in the White House and with var-
ious Canadian officials in the summer of
1997, I had high hopes of a positive
response. The reality, however, will far
surpass my brightest dreams.
It has given me great pleasure since
assuming the presidential office to see
how our joint heritage will be celebrated
by a great number of important events.
During my visit to Alberta and
Saskatchewan last summer and to
Manitoba in 1997 I was profoundly
impressed by the determination within
the Icelandic-Canadian community to
make these unique historical celebrations
a great success and thus strengthen the
bonds between our countries in the 21st
century.
The President of Iceland has been
invited to attend the Icelandic program in
Winnipeg and Gimli at the beginning of
August, a few days after a new presiden-
tial term begins. It will undoubtedly be
with deep commitment that the holder of
the office will make a visit to Canada the
highlight of the opening of a new presi-
dential tenn.
A new century lifts the spirit and
brings new visions and excitement and I
sense great expectations all around me in
Iceland. The Icelanders entered the 20th
century as a poor nation of farmers and
fishermen without any sovereign rights
among nations. Now we enjoy one of the
highest living standards in the world and
have become respected partners in inter-
national institutions and global coopera-
tion, bringing our culture and knowledge
to enrich mankind’s experience.
It bas been a privilege to participate
during my lifetime in this great journey
and I am grateful to witness now, at the
opening of the new century, that new gen-
erations of Icelanders are determined to
continue in splendid style the tradition of
discovery and exploration created by our
forebears.
What is in the PAPER...?
1: From the Heads of State
2: The Prime Ministers oflceland and Canada
3: The Foreign Ministers of Iceland and Canada and the One Million Dollar
Donation to the University of Manitoba
4: The Icelandic Bishop, the Senator, the Honourary Consul in Bristish Colombia
and the Leifur Eiriksson Commission
5-8: The Calendar: more than one hundred events
9: Icelandic dignitaries visit Canada, The Consul General for Iceland in Gimli
10. The Member of Parliament, Icelandic Literature, and the Puppet Theatre
11. The Return of the Icelander, The Best of Icelandic Theatre, and the Partnership.
12. The Great Canadian Travel Company
For more information, visit our website: www.iceland2000.org