Lögberg-Heimskringla - 14.01.2005, Side 5

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 14. janúar 2005 • 5
On duty for
visitors from
Iceland
Steinþór Guðbjartsson
Lundar, MB
“In the past few years the
Lundar Chapter has organized
annual events like the Farmers’
Day and the Icelandic Heritage
week but now we mainly enter-
tain vistors from Iceland in the
summer,” says Ellen Steinthor-
son, the President of the Lundar
Chapter of the Icelandic Na-
tional League (INL) of North
America.
The INL was established
in 1919 and at that time there
were two registered mem-
bers from Lundar, Manitoba.
The following year the area of
Lundar, Oak Point, Mary Hill,
Markland, Vestfold, Lissesve,
Hove, Otto and Stony Hill,
had 100 members, according
to the book Wagons to Wings:
A History of Lundar and Dis-
tricts 1872- 1980, compiled by
Lundar and District Historical
Society in 1983. However, the
Lundar Chapter was not found-
ed until 1946. The main reason
for establishing the club was
the Lundar Diamond Jubilee
Celebration held July 6, 1947.
The settlement was estab-
lished in 1887. John Sigfus-
son was the first homesteader
in the Lundar district and soon
Icelanders were all over the
area. According to Wagons to
Wings, “by 1892 there were 54
settlers and the total number
of people 238 and from then
PHOTO: STEINÞÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
Cutline
on there was a steady influx of
pioneer settlers, who tumed to
mixed famiing, sheep raising
and planted oats and barley for
domestic purposes.”
PHOTO: EVELYN K. THORVALDSON
Icelandic classes popular in Lundar
Gunnvör Daníelsdóttir (second from left) and Evelyn Thorvaldson, both in Winnipeg, have
been running Icelandic classes in Lundar on Saturdays, in the fall and spring, for four years
of the last íive. The íirst year, they had 27 students and last fall there were a total of 17 in
beginners’ and advanced classes.
About a half a century
ago, on July 17 1955, a memo-
rial monument was unveiled at
Lundar, Manitoba. The monu-
ment was erected in commem-
oration of Icelandic pioneers in
Lundar, Swan Lake and Shoal
Lake districts. On the memorial
plaque is a poem in Icelandic
by Vigfús J. Guttormson, Gut-
tormur Guttormson’s brother:
Hér er þetta minnismerki
mönnum jafnt og konum reist
sem þann manndóm sýndu í
verki
svo þeim allir gátu treyst
aldrei glati orðstí góðum
afkomandi landnemans
frœgðarorð þú fœrð lyá
þjóðum
fetir þú í sporin hans.
The Lundar Chapter has
had a memorial service annu-
ally since then to commemo-
rate the memory of the Icelan-
dic settlers.
For decades, the Lundar
Chapter was very active, but
according to Ellen it is harder
and harder to get individuals
to work for the club. “We have
about 50 members, but very
few participate in meetings and
other activities,” she says.
About l,320people, mostof
them of Icelandic descent, live
in the municipality, with less
than 50% of them in the town
of Lundar. Icelandic names can
be seen everywhere and Icelan-
dic is spoken here and there.
For a long time school board
meetings were held in Icelan-
dic, and church services were
held in Icelandic until 1961.
The last two Icelandic minis-
ters were Bragi Friðriksson and
Jón Bjarman.
The club supports Canadi-
an Icelandic activities and Ice-
landers and others are frequent
guests in Lundar in the sum-
mertime. “People of Icelandic
descent are everywhere in the
area and we need new blood,”
Ellen says.
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Box 111 Lundar, MB R0C 1Y0
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E-mail: petersenagencies@mts.net
Lundar, centreofthe Rural
Municipality of Coldwell isjust
over one hour from Winnipeg on
Highway #6.
The region is a sportsman's paradise offering fishing and excellent
hunting. Lundar Beach,on Lake Manitoba, offers swimming,
boating and waterskiing and a Provincial Campground. Enjoy our
outdoor, solar-heated swimming pool after a round on our 9-hole
golf course. Visit the display of artifacts in the Lundar Museum.
We extend an invitation to you to enjoy our hospitality and the
many services and facilities available.
Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca