Lögberg-Heimskringla - 10.09.2004, Side 1

LOGBERG-HEIMSKRIN GL A
Lbgberg stofnatf 14. janúar 1888
Heimskringla stojhað 9. september 1886
Sameinuð 20. ágúst 1959
Friday 10 September 2004 • Number 17 / Númer 17•* Föstudagur 10
Publication Mail Agreement No. 40012014, PAP # 8000
118th year /118. Árgangur
ISSN 0047-4967
In This Issue
Want to build a
Viking ship in Gimli
PHOTO: STEINÞÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
The Gimli Vikings: Robert T. Kristjanson, Bill Barlow,
Harley Sigurdur Jonasson and Chris Krist janson.
Steinþór Guðbjartsson
Gimli, MB
A group of people is look-
ing into building a Viking ship
in Gimli, Manitoba. The idea is
to offer visitors sailing trips on
Lake Winnipeg during the sum-
mer months but exhibit the ship
indoors during the winter.
Bill Barlow, President of the
Board of the New Iceland Her-
itage Museum in Gimli and a
former mayor of Gimli, Harley
Sigurður Jonasson, President of
the Prairie Vikings Corporation
and President of the Gimli chap-
ter of the INL, and fishermen
Chris and Robert T. Kristjanson
have been instrumental in get-
ting the project going. A few
meetings have been held and the
goal is to have a proposal com-
pleted by April next year.
According to Harley Sig-
urður Jonasson the speculation
of having a Viking ship in Gimli
permanently started soon after
the Icelandic Viking ship
Islendingur sailed from Iceland
to North America as a part of the
Millennium Celebration. Interest
was shown in buying the ship,
but when that did not work out a
Viking ship from Newfoundland
was brought to Gimli last sum-
mer. “When the owner retumed
with the ship to Newfoundland
last fall, we started talking about
the idea of building our own
Viking ship and now we are seri-
ously looking into the matter,”
he says.
Fisherman Robert T. Krist-
janson says that the design is one
of the most important things.
The group is going to look into
various designs but wants to
build a ship smaller than
Islendingur or about 56 feet long
(about 18 metres). “This is a
very interesting project,” his son
Chris says.
The public will have access
to the ship while it is being built
and thus it will serve as an edu-
cational tool from the very
beginning, according to Bill
Barlow. “We want to show the
public how a Viking ship is
built, keep it in a viewable stor-
age off-season and sail with
passengers during the summer
season,” he says.
PHOTO: STEINÞÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
Destination:
Montreal
Famed as one of Cana-
da’s most cosmopolitan
cities, Montreal is also
home to many people of
Icelandic descent / pages 2,
5 - 11
PHOTO: STEINÞÖR GUÐBJARTSSON
The genealogy bug
Malcolm Olafson has
discovered a passion for his
family history / page 7
PHOTO: STEINÞÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
A hidden treasure
Susan Stephenson,
President of the Icelandic
Canadian Club of Quebec,
has a new appreciation for
the Icelandic language
/ pages 8 - 9
PHOTO: STEINÞÚR GUÐBJARTSSON
Falcons soar again
After 84 years, the Ice-
landic-blooded Winnipeg
Falcons get their due on the
world stage / page 10
PHOTO: MORGUNBLAÐIÐ / KJARTAN ÞORBJÖRNSSON
Þórey Edda Elísdóttir was happy with her performance at the Olympic Games in Athens in August, where she finished in
fifth place in women’s pole vault. Iceland had 26 athletes competing at the Games / page 15
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