Lögberg-Heimskringla - 14.04.2000, Page 1

Iceland in Canada 2000
A special issue of Lögberg-Heimskringla by Harpa Isfeld and Jón Einars. Gústafsson
Pictures: Jón Einars. Gústafsson
UNVEILING
ICELAND
TO CANADA
The Ottawa Opening
Heather Alda Ireland, consul for Iceland in British
Columbia and David Gislason, chairman of
Millennium 125.
Svavar Gestsson managed the events in Ottawa,
here with Sigurdur Helgason and Atli
Asmundsson.
A prestigious ceremony in the
Museum of Civilization in Ottawa on
April 6th marked the opening of the
Icelandic millennium celebrations in
Canada.
Iceland's Prime Minister David
Oddsson presented Prime Minister
Chretien with a statue by Icelandic artist Asmundur
Sveinsson, a gift from the Icelandic nation to
Canadians.
Oddsson, who was on an official visit to Canada,
used the opportunity to announce for the first time formally that Iceland
would open an embassy in Canada in May 2001.
More than 700 visitors gathered in The Great Hall of the Canadian
Museum of Civilization, among them 350 Ottawa school children
dressed in T-shirts representing the "Iceland naturally" slogan and medal-
lions designed specifically to commemorate the opening.
Prirne Ministers Chretien and Oddsson.
TWO GREAT ROLE MODELS
Senator Janis Johnson barely had time to sit down
at her desk during the celebrations.
Ambassador Hannibalsson, Mari Louise Morin
Ambassador for Canada in Norway and Iceland,
Svavar Gestsson and Gudrun Agustsdottir.
350 Ottawa school children showed up for
Snorri’s 1000 year birthday.
Master chef Hilmar B.Jonsson
and his collegue, David
Macgillwray, the chef of
Chateau Laurier.
The school children wore a medallions depicting two great
role models. On one side was an engraving representing the
statue of Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, the courageous Icelandic
woman who traveled to the East Coast of Canada soon after
1000; on the other side was the emblem of Bjami Tryggvason,
the Iceland born Canadian astronaut. The highlight of the
event for the children was the personal appearance in full gear
by Mr. Tryggvason, whose decent by escalator through smoke
effects and the cameras spotlights likely proved to be the
smoothest of his career.
SINGING IN
ICELANDIC
The children took active part in the pro-
gram, singing the happy birthday song in
Icelandic for Snorri Thorfinsson, the son bom to
Gudridur and the first European child born in the New
World. The children had been prepared by their teach-
ers and by Kathy Arnason and Gudmn Agustsdottir,
who coached the children on their Icelandic. Icelandic
soprano soloist, Diddu, joined the children in the birth-
day song.
Friends of Iceland in Ottawa lead by Gerry
Einarsson were instrumental in planing the cele-
brations.