Lögberg-Heimskringla - 25.03.2005, Blaðsíða 10

10 * Lögberg-Heimskringla» Friday 25 March 2005
Canada was well received
Kent (above) manned the Canada booth with the help of Vil-
mundur Kristjánsson. Next year he hopes to have two booths.
Kent Lárus Björnsson
Reykjavík, Iceland
Canada was well received
at the recent Festival of Na-
tions, Þjóðahátið, at Perlan
in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the
plan is to have two Canadian
booths there next year.
This time there were 30
booths set up, representing 22
different countries and several
different organizations like
SONI, the Society of New Ice-
landers, and the Alþjóðahús
(The Intemational Centre) to
name a few. Some of the coun-
tries were Angola, Australia,
Greenland, Palestine, Sri Lanka
and Canada.
I had attended this same
event last year and there was
no booth for Canada, so I de-
cided it was time Canada was
represented. Each country was
able to put a presentation on the
stage; I asked David Gislason of
Arborg, Manitoba if he would
read some poetry, as he does it
so well. Except for his being
called on stage a little early, I
think everything went well.
He did admit that following a
belly dancing performance it
was quite difficult to hold the
audience. He did it well and his
assistance was greatly appreci-
ated.
It was busy the whole af-
temoon. I was helped in the
booth by a friend, Vilmun-
dur Kristjánsson, and a num-
ber of people from the Snorri
Program, especially Asta Sól
Kristjánsdóttir. Hopefully next
year I can get a little more ma-
terial from the provinces. I have
already decided to have two
booths next year, one for Can-
ada and the other for Icelandic
communities and organizations
in North America.
Iceland is becoming more
and more multicultural. This
event shows how diverse the
population is in Iceland now.
The Festival of Nations was
held in conjunction with the
Reykjavfk Winter Festival. If
Iceland is on your destination
list, I hope that you please keep
this event in mind in the future.
Too late
to go back
Svavar Tryggvason immi-
grated to Canada from
Iceland in 1953 and vis-
ited his home country about
five years ago. He went to
Dalvík, among other places.
“It was strange coming
back after such a long time,”
he says. “Everything was dif-
ferent. The streets had been
paved and the houses were
new. It looked nice but some-
thing was missing — the
people I knew. When I was
young, people were walking
the streets and the shoreline,
but now nobody has time to
do that. Everybody goes from
place to place in a car. Time is
money. No time to relax and
have fun. I did not see people.
Only cars passing by. That is
not for me. I’m not going back
again.”
Talking about Iceland re-
minds Svavar of one story.
“On June 16, 1944, we had
to sail our trawler to Reykja-
vík because something was
wrong with the engine. While
it was being repaired we went
to Þingvellir and witnessed
the establishment of the Ice-
landic Republic the follow-
ing day, on June 17. We left
for Grimsby, England, on
June 18 and when we were
there an old man came to me
and asked me in Icelandic if I
had the Icelandic newspapers
from June 18. I gave them to
him and asked him why he did
not go home for the occasion
since he could have travelled
free with a trawler both ways.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I’ve been 50
years in England and it is too
late to go back to Iceland.’
When I went to Canada, I re-
membered what this old man
said and said to myself that I
should make sure I would not
be away for such a long time.
Now I have been 51 years,
and wise men say that it is
impossible to go back. If you
go somewhere you have to go
forward.”
Svavar Tryggvason is a
retired fisherman in Vancou-
ver, BC.
PHOTO: CRAIG KOSHYK
Siblings
launch
‘a fine
beginning’
Two artists of Icelandic de-
scent are holding an exhibition
of their work at the University
of Manitoba.
Photographer Craig Ko-
shyk and his sister, artist Fon-
tana Swing (Katrina Ander-
son), have never done a show
together before. The show’s
title, “Ágœtis byrjun” (A fine
beginning), is significant.
“This show marks the be-
ginning of a number of things,”
says Koshyk. “First of all, it is
the beginning of what I hope
will be a long and productive
collaboration with my sister.
We have both been exhibiting
our works for a number of years
now but never together. We are
now making plans for further
projects together. For me, this
show also marks the beginning
IMAGE: FONTANA SWING
of a new way of working. Many
of the pieces I am showing
were created with a hybrid of
traditional photographic tech-
niques and newer digital ways
of creating and manipulating
images. Finally, and I think this
may be at the heart of the mat-
ter, both Fontana and I are just
now beginning to hit our stride
as artists.”
Fontana’s new work re-
flects a progression from earlier
shows such as “GÁK: God of
Silence,” exploring androgy-
nous, faceless figures. Although
inspired by a new human muse
in her life, she says, there re-
main echoes of the familiar rag-
doll figure that has appeared in
her paintings for many years.
For more information, see
the Calendar ofEvents.
86rh ANNUAL INL of NA CONVENTION
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April 28, 29, 30, May 1, 2005
CONFERENCE: Wynyard Civic Centre
ÞORRABLÓT (Sat. evening): Foam Lake Community Hall
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 1, 2005 - $90 cad
Late registration: $125 CAD
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í Registrationformavailableatwww.inlofna.org or www.lh-inc.ca
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