Lögberg-Heimskringla - 03.06.2005, Side 11

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 3. júní 2005 • 11

lceland & Paris
1659 From Toronto
$1815 From Winnipeg
$2199 From Edmonton
All prices are per person + íaxes for low season travel.
^Great..
Canadian
Traveludm,'uny
..the way it was meant to be.
Iceland & London
$1509 From Toronto
$1785 From Winnipeg
$1965 From Edmonton
Retum airfare.
3 nights accommodation in both
lceland and Paris.
Paris Visite transport pass.
Airport transfers with Blue Lagoon.
• Return airfare.
• 3 nights accommodation in both
Reykjavik and London.
• London Visitor Travelcard.
• Airport transfers with Blue Lagoon.
PhoneToll Free: 1 800 661-3830
iceland@gctc-mst.com
www.iceland-experience.com
‘Scarf Angels’
flying high
over Calgary
Linda Bjamason of the Leif
Eiríksson Icelandic Club (LEIC)
of Calgary recently passed on this
story told by Freda Abrahamson.
“Before having a stroke a
couple of years ago, each winter
I carried some of my hand-made
scarves in my car and would give
them to homeless street people
that I encountered during the day.
After losing a great deal of my
vision following the stroke, my
ability to knit and crochet dimin-
ished greatly.
“Enter the ‘Scarf Angels.’
Word spread to many dear friends
in the Leif Eiriksson Icelandic
Club in Calgaiy and before long,
dozens of scarves began appear-
ing at my door. I have dubbed
these wonderful women the
‘Scarf Angels’; their generous
hearts and hands are warming the
bodies and souls of so many men,
women and children during some
of the bitterly cold days we have
in Calgary.
“LEIC past-President Carol
Blyth mentioned this project in a
craft shop that was going out of
business; the proprietor volun-
teered to donate the yam on hand
at closing to our little Angel bri-
gade.
“I wanted to share this story,
because it illustrates how a small
endeavour can multiply when
hearts are willing, and can tmly
make a difference, one at a time,
Freda Abrahamson lives in
Calgary, AB.
PHOTO: STEINÞÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
From the dedication. Catherine Robertson, development ofíicer for the NIHM,
presents a plaque to Stefan J. Stefanson.
to. let the poor know someone
cared enough to share.
“Each scaii' is individually
packaged, along with a copy of
the poem ‘May You Always Have
an Angel by Your Side’; perhaps
some other clubs might like to
‘fly with the angels’ and do some-
thing similar in their own com-
munities. In the past I have given
the scarves to various homeless
shelters for distribution; this year
we designated the ‘Inn Frotn the
Cold’ program as the new recipi-
ent, because that group helps not
only homeless men, but women
and children too. Our scarves
come in all sizes and colours,
which make them a good íit with
‘Inn From the Cold’ clients.
“I deeply appreciate the car-
ing hearts of all Scarf Angles in
Calgary who embraced tltis idea
and made much more of a differ-
ence than any one could do. Bless
them.”
Steinþór Guðbjartsson
Gimli, MB
Recently the New Iceland
Heritage Museum’s gallery for
temporary exhibits was dedi-
cated to Stefan J. Stefanson in
Gimli. “My children could not
have made a better choice,” he
said about their gift honouring
his 90th birthday.
The dedication took place
during the launching of the
traveling exhibit, “Icelandic
Fisheries: The Past Hundred
Years.” Stefan J. Stefanson re-
called that he, his late wife Olla,
Donny Bjomson, Jack Bjom-
son and Sveinbjorg Bjomson
had, for 26 years, fought hard
to maintain an Icelandic muse-
um in Gimli. In 1973, the Gimli
Development Corporation pur-
chased the old B.C. Packers
fish packing plant, and by 1974
it had been renovated to form a
threefold museum, containing
an Icelandic Room, a Ukrainian
Room, and a Fishing Room.
In 1994, the Icelandic Cul-
tural Corporation turned the
operation of the museum over
to the Town of Gimli and now it
has exhibits in three locations:
Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre,
Gimli Public School 1915 and
the Waterfront Centre.
In his thank-you speech,
Stefan compared the gallery
space to the odd-sized rooms
and the thirteen-step stairway
to reach the second floor in the
old museum. “We were never
able to have more than one ma-
jor exhibit a year, or to say it
better, the same one with a few
modifications.”
For a long time, the muse-
um was govemed by the rural
and urban municipality of Gim-
li. “When we asked for day-to-day supplies, such as
light bulbs, preferably in a three dozen box, we were
told that we should wait until next year, as they had
not been budgeted for that year. We had no recourse
except for the pockets of Don, Jack or Stefan.”
Stefan said that they had carried on for 26 years
and then told the two municipalities that they would
not be back in the coming year, “due tö our advanced
age — we were all in our seventies. The following
year, we were advised that good fortune was coming
our way. The Betel Heritage Board was venturing into
establishing a home for seniors and would give us a
large portion of the first floor in this lovely building
for a museum. They would call it the New Iceland
Heritage Museum.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDA BJARNASON
The best birthday gift
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