Lögberg-Heimskringla - 28.01.2005, Blaðsíða 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 28. janúar 2005 • 3
Icelanders donate over
$9 million to tsunami relief
Icelanders and others of
Icelandic descent are among
the millions worldwide who
are donating to relief efforts for
victims of the recent tsunami in
south Asia.
The Icelandic govemment
agreed to donate $3 million
to the tsunami victims. An ad-
ditional $2 million was raised
from private donations, part of
which was raised during a spe-
cial telethon broadcast on all
Icelandic TV stations on Janu-
ary 15.
In Canada, a similar benefit
concert, broadcast nationally
on CBC Radio 1, CBC TV and
other networks, was spearhead-
ed in part by Tom Cochrane,
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.TOMCOCHRANE.COM
Tom Cochrane
who is of Icelandic descent on
his mother’s side. The benefit
concert was broadcast on Janu-
ary 13 and generated more than
$4 million, according to the Ca-
nadian Press.
Apology to subscribers
Dear Subscribers:
Due to a miscommunication between Dycom and Canada
Post, we understand that some subscribers did not receive
their last issue on time. We apologize for any inconvenience
this may have caused.
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Dycom Direct Mail, Winnipeg, MB
PHOTO: EVAN WISHNEVETSKI
Winter has seen snow hit many parts of North America in record levels from coast to coast.
A blizzard earlier this month helped Manitoba’s capital live up to its nickname of “Winter-
peg,” as this photo taken in the city’s Wolseley neighbourhood shows.
ICCC to 4build on the
momentum’ of meeting
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ICELANDIC MEMORIAL SOCIETY OF NOVA SCOTIA
Eleanor “Dolly” Belmore (left) and Glenda Burrows of the
Icelandic Memorial Society of Nova Scotia present Ambassa-
dor Guðmundur Eiríksson with a copy of Markland: Remem-
brance of the Years 1875 -1881 by Guðbrandur Erlendsson.
INL convention in Vatnabyggd
to feature local history
The second annual meet-
ing of the Icelandic-Canadian
Chamber of Commerce (ICCC)
was held Monday, January 17,
at the Prince George Hotel in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Guð-
mundur Eiríksson, Ambassa-
dor of Iceland, joined approxi-
mately 30 participants and
braved an unexpected Atlantic
blizzard to attend a full day of
events.
The ICCC was founded
September 12, 2003 in Toronto
as a forum to promote trade,
business contacts and eco-
nomic contact between Iceland
and Canada. Members repre-
sent business and commercial
interests from throughout both
countries.
Gordon J. Reykdal, Con-
sul of Iceland in Edmonton,
AB., chaired the meeting and
was re-elected as president of
the Chamber. Johann V. Olafs-
son, vice-president of Eimskip
Canada Inc., was re-elected as
ICCC vice-president.
Participants were greeted to
a speaker list that included Ar-
thur Irving Jr. (vice-president,
Irving Oil Ltd), Neil Belle-
fontaine (Regional Director of
the Department of Oceans and
Fisheries) and Petur Oskarsson
(Commercial Representative
of Iceland to the Americas).
Among the most pressing
issues discussed was the cur-
rent bi-lateral economic rela-
tionship between Iceland and
Canada and a need to develop
the Chamber to reflect the
mandate its members foresee.
The ICCC aims to encourage
trade and business links by
facilitating communication,
information and dialogue of
commercial interests from both
nations. As Gordon Reykdal
emphasized, “the goal now is
to build upon the momentum
generated at this meeting and
structure the Chamber with the
mindset of bringing maximum
benefits to its members.”
For membership applica-
tion, benefits, statutes, news,
events and further informa-
tion please visit the ICCC’s
brand-new website at www.
icelandccc.com or visit the
Embassy of Iceland at www.
iceland.ca.
Joan Eyolfson Cadham
Vatnabyggd, SK
One of the features of the
Icelandic National League con-
vention, slated for Vatnabyggd
from April 29 to May 1, is an
opportunity for delegates to en-
joy some living history. Friday
afternoon sessions will include
a bus tour of the “Icelandic”
Unitarian church in Wynyard,
the monument to Icelandic
pioneers in Elfros, the Leslie
United Church, originally the
Mount Hecla one-room school,
and the east edge of the Foam
Lake marsh, the site of the first
Vatnabyggd lcelandic settle-
rnent. Local Icelanders will fa-
cilitate a history discussion at
each site.
The Vatnabyggd Club is
hosting the convention as part of
their Saskatchewan Centennial
celebrations. The first Iceland-
ers in Saskatchewan came to
Churchbridge in 1885. The first
Icelanders to reach Vatnabyggd
came to Foam Lake in 1892
from Churchbridge, and in
1904, Icelanders from Pembina
County, North Dakota, were the
first to settle around Wynyard.
The theme of the conven-
tion will be “Come Home to
Vatnabyggd.” Seminars and
panels will explore Vatnabyggd
area history, including a general
history of Icelandic settlement
in the area, and an introduction
to some specific Vatnabyggd
Icelandic pioneers. The pres-
ent will include Icelandic writ-
ers and the Quill Lakes Birding
Trails project which commemo-
rates the Icelandic history of the
area. The future includes a lo-
cal BioDiesel project combined
with a discussion of the Icelan-
dic hydrogen fuel project, our
Icelandic legacy of clean air.
An equally important part of
the Icelandic future will also be
thoroughly explored during the
conference. The future direc-
tion of the INL will be the topic
of a three-hour brainstorming
session on Saturday. The ses-
sion will be split into two parts,
before and after lunch.
Conference sessions will
be held in Wynyard with Satur-
day night’s þorrablót in Foam
Lake. There will be concurrent
sessions for those not registered
for the Friday bus tour, includ-
ing a walking tour to the Unitar-
ian Church and a walking tour
to the Quill Lakes Birding Trail
Interpretive Centre. Conference
attendance will be limited to
250. The þorrablót will be open
to 500 attendees, with advance
registration only.
All conference locations are
just off Highway 16, a major
Saskatchewan two-lane high-
way in good condition with lit-
tle traffic. Both Saskatoon and
Regina are about 2 1/4 hours
away by car. There are motels
in Wynyard and Foam Lake as
well as in Wadena, which is half
an hour from either conference
town via good highway.
Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca