Lögberg-Heimskringla - 03.06.2005, Blaðsíða 7

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 3. júní 2005 • 7
The sisters Bernice Andersen and Shirley
Dye have been involved in the Stephan G.
Stephansson lcelandic Society of Markerville
since their father Johann Halldór Johannson
established it in 1974. Steinþór Guðbjartsson
met them at the Historic Markerville Creamery.
The Creamery has played
a big role in the commu-
nity for more than a cen-
tury. Two cheese factories were
started in 1895 and they paved
the way for the Creamery. Dr.
Christian Marker, the Superin-
tendent of Government Cream-
eries, helped the Icelandic farm-
ers in the area to get it going in
1899 and they named the settle-
ment in his honour in 1903.
The Creamery served the
community for 73 years. In
1978 it was designated a Pro-
vincial Historic Resource by
the Govemment of Alberta. In
1984, the community restored it
and two years later the museum
was opened to the public. Since
then it has been operated by the
Stephan G. Stephansson Icelan-
dic Society. It gives a first-hand
glimpse into the settlers’ lives
and attracts about 15,000 guests
every summer.
Markerville Creamery
School Programs run from
middle of May until the end of
June. Not only do they provide
lessons on the production of the
Creamery in the old days and the
history of the settlement, they
also have a program at the one
room school the Hola School,
down the road from Stephan
G. Stephansson House. There
they offer the students an op-
portunity to recreate lessons and
games of the school children in
the 1920s.
“It’s quite a popular pro-
gram,” Bernice says. “A lot of
kids, mostly from grades three
to seven in central Alberta, par-
ticipate in the programs.” Last
year they had more than 1,200
students at the Creamery and
about 1,350 at the school.
The sisters’ grandparents
moved to Markerville from
Manitoba and North Dakota.
Bemice has lived in Markerville
all here life and Shirley now
lives in Red Deer. “It is kind
of quiet here but nice,” Bemice
says. “People are friendly and
the neighbours are like a fam-
ily.”
The Society was formed at
PHOTO: STEINPÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
The sisters Bernice Andersen and Shirley Dye have been involved in the Stephan G. Stephans-
son Icelandic Society of Markerville since their father got it going in 1974.
the time of the restoration of the
Stephansson House.
The late Johann Halldór
Johannsson, or “Little Joe”
as he was called, worked to-
ward the designation of the
Stephansson homestead as an
historic site and the Society
was instrumental in having the
Creamery designated an his-
toric site. “The restoration of
the Stephansson House was the
reason for forming the Society,”
Bemice says.
“Little Joe” was the first
President of the Society. Shir-
ley is the new President and
Bemice is a former President
of three years. “The family has
been involved for a long time,
just as other members of the
Stephansson
House
Provincial Historic Site
Be our guest at the home
of the'Poet ofthe Rocky
Mountains", a peaceful
homesteadwhereStephan
G. Stephansson, revered
lcelandic poet, farmed by
dayand wroteby night.
Restored to its 1927
appearance, Stephansson Houseoffersa glimpse of Alberta’s lcelandic
heritage and the life of this pioneer-poet. interpretive tours conducted
bycostumedguides.
(403)728-3929 or (780)427-1787
stephansson.house@gov.ab.ca
www.cd.gov.ab.ca/sh
10AM-5:30PM
MONDAYTHRUSArURDAV
NOOtt ■ 5:30 PM SUNDAYS
OPf N UN! IL LA8.0UR BAY
offmoagrMPmmm
(ADMISSIONISÍHARC)tD)
THE MA8KERYILLE CREAMERY (403)728.3006
ITS FÖN HEB£! creamery@touralberta.com
www.touralberta.com/creamery
0WNED AND 0PERATED BY THE STEPHAN G. STEPHANSSON ICELANDIC S0CIETY
Enjoy a traditional lcelandic style lunch in the Kaffistofa, and
stroll across the Medicine River to the picnic grounds, site of
the annual lcelandic Picnic being held this year on June 18.
You won’t want to miss our centennial exhibit,
'Modeling A Century Along the Medicine - Hola to Markerville”
ondisplayall summer.
H0UR5 0F 0PERAT10K: MAY15 T0 LAB0UR DAY
10.00 AM-ÓÆORM
(ADMISSION IStlJASOfD)
A\bcrfa
COMMUNITY OEVELOPMENT
Historic Sites and Cuttural Fadlities
iUJLY Í0 P0ETRY AT STEPHAN'S H0USE
AUGUST28 HARVESTPENNY CARNIVAL
mm4
community have,” Shirley says.
“Everything that has been done
is the result of a huge commu-
nity effort.”
A few years ago they pub-
lished the book From Fire &
Ice, A Markerville History, and
recently they have been working
on the publication of selected
translations from Stephan G.
Stephansson’s Andvökur.
“The Creamery takes up
most of our time and is our big-
gest responsibility, but we have
mainly three responsibilities:
the operation of the museum,
the Icelandic connection and the
community,” Shirley says.
gberg-He
sors
Tke Stk AhauuU tceÍMuiic Opm
AT LINKS ON THE LAKE, GIMLI, MB
WHEN Friday, July 29,2005
TIME 9:30 AMto 10:30 AM
START 11:00 am Shot Gun Start
F0RMAT Texas Scramble /18 holes of golf/ cart provided
C0ST $150.00 per person
Dinnertofollowat Johnson Hall 6 PM
Entry also indudes lunch, tee box gift and prizes for everyone!
C0NTESTS Putting and Driving
EARIY BIRD ENTRY: Rpglstef byJune I to íecureyotjf tearn
and to be eiigiblt' forone free entry to nextyear's2006 Tournament
For registration and sponsorship information please contact Registration Chairman,
Brian Tomasson at the L-H 204-284-5686 or 1-866-564-2374 or e-mail: lh@lh-inc.ca
Vis/t us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca