Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.10.2006, Blaðsíða 12

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Theodore R. Beck
Jón Sveinsson, or “Nonni,”
was probably Iceland’s most
popular author in the first half
of the 20th century.
He was born in 1857 at
Möðuvellir in Eyjafjörður but
moved to Akureyri at age seven.
At 12 his father died, and his
mother, unable to care for her
five children, fostered them out.
His brother Friðrik, foster to his
uncle Ólafur Ólafsson who em-
igrate, was well known among
the Icelandic community in
Winnipeg, MB as Fred Swan-
son. He was an artist of some
note, and designed, among
other things, the stained-glass
windows of the First Federated
Unitarian Church on the corner
of Banning and Sargent.
Nonni, after a year in Co-
penhagen, was schooled in
France and became a Jesuit
priest in Denmark and Germa-
ny. In his later years he wrote
12 books about his life, mostly
about his childhood in Iceland
and Denmark. They have been
published in 40 languages but
not heretofore in English.
A nun in California, Sis-
ter Frances de Sales, translated
eight of his books from the
original German into English.
She did not have the means to
publish them and her typewrit-
ten drafts in looseleaf notebooks
were in Nonnahús for over 40
years unpublished. Nonnahús, a
museum honouring Nonni, was
his chidhood home in Akureyri.
The women of the Zonta Club
who manage Nonnahús had
considered publications, but
large press runs in Iceland were
beyond their means. I made
an agreement with the Zonta
Club to publish at least one of
the books in softcover, through
a desktop publisher, if I could
have the eight manuscripts cop-
ied in Akureyri for myself, since
Nonni was a close relative. The
first book, At Skipalón, was pub-
lished in 2003, and the second,
Sunny Days, is now available.
The first book has exciting
stories about an encounter with
polar bears and adventures on
horseback through the beauti-
ful Eyjafjörður countryside. The
newly-published book includes
stories about the travails of a
severe spring snowstorm and
encounters with a wild bull and
with an outlaw in a cave high
in the mountains above Möðru-
vellir.
Both books can be pur-
chased from Nonnahús, Aðal-
stræti 54, Akureyri, Iceland.
See www.nonni.is on the inter-
net.
offices in 14 countries, includ-
ing Switzerland, Luxembourg,
and most recently, Canada.
Landsbanki’s activities
seem to be paying off; the
share price has risen to roughly
27 ISK, with a total of 28,000
shareholders. Its total assets
amount to $29 billion.
The representative office in
Halifax, NS opened in 2005,
and its operations are overseen
by Ólafur Þorsteinsson.
He got involved with
Landsbanki by chance, he
says, having lived in Denmark
and France before moving
to Canada and living here for
eight yars. “I worked for the
bank as an independent con-
sultant in the beginning phas-
es of the preparation for the
representative office,” Ólafur
says. “Basically to understand
and connect to the seafood
industry in Canada.... That is
still our main focus and aim in
Canada, to nurture and develop
that sector.”
Currently Landsbanki is
promoted to Canadian com-
panies and institutions through
the representative office, as
well as serving as a liason for
investment in Iceland.
Ólafur notes that Lands-
banki is in a good location in
Halifax, in order to service the
seafood industry and as a plat-
form to grow.
Inglofur adds that Lands-
banki has also focused on the
UK market, buying compani-
ues in England such as Tither
& Greendwood, The Heritable
Bank and Kepler. They plan to
gradually offer more of Lands-
banki’s services through these
companies.
As a step towards building
partnerships in North America,
Landsbanki Íslands joined the
Icelandic Canadian Chamber
of Commerce this year. At the
ICCC’s recent AGM in Ed-
monton, five representatives
of the company attended and
spoke to the members. Ingólfur
Guðmundsson and Ólafur Þor-
steinsson gave presentations,
as did Jóhann Viðar Ívarsson,
Senior Manager; Viktor Óla-
son, Consultant; and lawyer
Birna Hlín Káradóttir.
Furthermore, at the Leif
Eiríksson Dinner in Edmonton
on September 30, Ólafur an-
nounced Landsbanki’s plans
to pursue a full-service branch.
A timeline had not been set.
“Perhaps we can become your
Icelandic — or Icelandic-Ca-
nadian — bank of choice,” he
said.
12 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15 October 2006
Translation of Sveinsson’s
Sunny Days now available
VANCOUVER, BC — A
special episode of the Ströndin
Internet Radio Show, No. 14,
features coverage of the recent
2006 Íslendingadagurinn, the
Icelandic Festival of Manitoba
in Gimli.
Those who missed the Fes-
tival can visit the Ströndin In-
ternet Radio site to enjoy this
look back at Íslendingadagurinn
2006.
Audio for Monday’s “Tra-
ditional Program” was recorded
by Tinna Gretarsdóttir; pic-
tures were supplied by Linda
Sigurdsson Collette and Dilla
Narfason. The show’s produc-
er thanks these three women
and also festival organizers for
giving permission to cover the
events.
Ströndin Internet Radio
website visitors can choose to
listen to the whole Monday af-
ternoon program, or pick and
choose from the many speakers
and entertainers. Visit http://
www.inlofna.org/SIR/Pgm_14/.
Special SIR
program on
Icelandic
Festival
Minnist
Remember
Í ERFÐASKRÁM YÐAR
Please send Donations to:
Betel Home Foundation
Box 10
96 1st Avenue
Gimli, MB R0C 1B0
BETEL
First Lutheran Church
580 Victor Street
Winnipeg R3G 1R2
204-772-7444
www.mts.net/~flcwin
Worship with us
Sundays 10:30 a.m.
Pastor Michael Kurtz
Landsbanki
continued from page 8
PHOTO COURTESY OF LANDSBANKI ÍSLANDS
Bakarabrekka, or Baker’s Hill. In the late 1800s, Reykjavík only had a few thousand people.