Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.09.2006, Page 9

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fashionable commodity.”
Erica lived on a farm 12
km outside of Akureyri, and
worked in the city at the Vifil-
fell Brewery. Iceland’s lack of
a brewing tradition surprised
her. “I thought I was going to
get to drink viking ales by the
fireside from recipes passed
down generation after genera-
tion, while singing traditional
Icelandic beer-drinking songs,”
she says.
“Instead I find out that beer
has only been legal since 1989,
and the brewing industry has
a long way to go to catch up.
The first step would be to make
a beer that is not a lager.”
Of course, it wasn’t only
the younger generation getting
involved.
The Snorri Plus Program
began in 2003 to provide a way
for those older than mid-20s to
experience Iceland. The activi-
ties include a two-week stay in
Iceland, with the emphasis on
learning about the culture and
history of the country as well
as finding relatives. The ages
of participants in Snorri Plus
have ranged from late 20s to
early 80s.
This year’s Snorri Plus par-
ticipants were Sandra Hansen
from Bracebridge, ON; Olivia
Tomasson from Vancouver, BC;
Thomas Gordon McInnis from
Brandon, MB; Freda Olafsson
from Brandon, MB; Jill Tomas-
son Goodwin from Kitchener,
ON; Arnold Page from Winni-
peg, MB; John Haldor Hofteig
from Glenview, IL; Margaret
Holmes (Jonasson) from Stitts-
ville, ON; Peter Holmes from
Stittsville, ON; Lorna Holmes
from Mississauga; ON; Clin-
ton Mooney from Calgary,
AB, Steven Holmes from Van-
couver, BC and Agnes Cooke
from Calgary, AB.
For the Holmes family,
the trip had special meaning.
Margaret Holmes wanted to
take part in Snorri Plus with
members of her family — her
husband Peter, daughter Lorna
and son Steven. Unfortunately
Margaret passed away this
summer prior to the start of the
program. Peter, Lorna and Ste-
ven were faced with a difficult
choice whether to make the trip
to Iceland at all.
“When she passed away I
had mixed feelings about go-
ing on the trip as I felt very
sad about going without her,”
Lorna says. “But we thought it
would be helpful to our heal-
ing if we brought some of her
ashes with us and spread them
at the family farm where our
great-great-grandfather lived
and was buried.
“We spread them on a ridge
overlooking the farm and then
built a cairn out of rocks that
could be seen from the farm-
house and from quite a distance.
We felt our mother would have
been very proud and happy
that we brought her back to her
roots she was so proud of.”
Lorna had herself been to
Iceland 14 years ago and says
she really enjoyed being able to
connect with so many relatives
this time thanks to the efforts of
Program Coordinator Ásta Sól
Kristjánsdóttir.
Many participants in both
programs say they intend to
continue studying Icelandic
and one day return to Iceland.
It’s clear the experience
leaves an impression. Erica
Graholm remarks, “my most
memorable moment on the
trip was atop a mountain, lying
in soft dewy moss, letting the
midnight sun make an indelible
impression on me. It’s one of
those moments when you don’t
say ‘I wish I had my camera,’
because the memory is far
superior than any picture, and
you couldn’t forget it even if
you tried.”
642-5504Ernest Stefanson
Garry Fedorchuk
Claire Gillis
Pat Sedun
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Participants in Snorri Plus at the Reykjavík Marathon on August 19. Missing: Lorna Holmes.
A Snorri West reunion was held in Reykjavík in May. Snorri
Program and Snorri Plus Coordinator Ásta Sól Kristjansdót-
tir (second row, third from left), INL-Iceland President Almar
Grímsson (middle) and Snorri West Coordinator Wanda An-
derso (second row, fourth from right) took part, as did former
Snorri Program participants.
Kristján Þór Kornmayer plays with the children at Engjaskóli.
Visiting family landmarks in Iceland: Agnes Stefánsson Cooke (left) by Reykir in Húnavatns-
sýsla where her father was born and left from when he was two years old. Lorna Holmes (right)
celebrates with her by putting a Canadian flag on the roof.
Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 15. september 2006 • 9