Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.11.2012, Side 10

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10 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • November 15 2012
Three broad subject areas were examined with respect to the designation
of Sigtryggur Jónasson as a
Person of National Significance
by the Historic Sites and
Monuments Board of Canada.
The first area concerns
Sigtryggur’s strong personal
commitment to both Canada
and his fellow Icelanders
and his success as a federally
appointed immigration agent.
As a result of poor
economic conditions in Iceland
in the 1860s, Danish trade
restrictions and an epidemic
that wiped out 200,000 sheep,
there was a growing interest
in life in the New World.
Sigtryggur Jónasson who was
born at Bakki, Iceland in 1852
was inspired by the news from
these new lands and at the age
of 20, by himself, started on a
voyage of discovery. He landed
in Quebec on September 1872,
becoming the first permanent
Icelandic settler in Canada and
then travelled to Ontario where
he settled for a time.
Through his enthusiastic
letters home and his work as
an immigration agent for the
Ontario Government and later
for the Canadian Government,
he encouraged and facilitated
the immigration of many:
The 126 Icelanders who •
settled in the Rousseau
district of Ontario on
homestead lands which
Sigtryggur helped them
locate.
The 350 more Icelanders •
who immigrated and settled
at Kinmount in 1874 under
his guidance.
In 1875, as an agent of the •
Government of Canada
went to Iceland to provide
advice and information to
those wishing to emigrate,
and the following spring he
coordinated the movement
of about 1200 people to
New Iceland.
In total, of the approximately
20,000 Icelanders who
immigrated to North America
between 1870 and 1914,
Sigtryggur was successful in
directing the vast majority of
them to settle in Canada and
facilitating their settlement in
the new land.
Upon reviewing more
detailed accounts of
Sigtryggur’s relationship with
the Canadian Government, his
role in the immigration of the
many thousands of Icelanders
to Canada and the ongoing
assistance, guidance and
leadership the he provided to
settlers, it became very evident
that Sigtryggur’s loyalty and
commitment to both his fellow
Icelanders and to Canada was
clearly demonstrated from the
beginning.
Sigtryggur supervised the
Icelanders’ settlement, acted on
their behalf in representations to
the government, opened a store
that provided generous credit
to the settlers, and undertook
numerous other initiatives that
benefitted both the Icelandic
immigrants and Canada.
The second area relates to
the critical area that Sigtryggur
played in the establishment
of New Iceland and its
constitution.
The Kinmount district in
Ontario, mentioned earlier as
being the destination of the early
Icelandic immigrants, proved
unsuitable for the settlement.
Thus on May 30, 1875 the
Icelanders at Kinmount held
a meeting to discuss a new
location and chose delegates
to visit the Canadian Northwest
and report as to its fitness as a
future home for the Icelanders.
The delegates chosen were
Sigtryggur Jónasson, Einar
Jónassson, Skapti Arason
and Kristján Jónsson. They
were accompanied by John
Taylor and also by Sigurður
Kristofferson who joined them
in Milwaukee on behalf of the
Icelanders in Wisconsin.
The exploration party
arrived in Winnipeg on July
16, 1875 and on July 20 sailed
north on Lake Winnipeg to the
Icelandic River accompanied by
their guide, Joseph Monkman.
They reached the mouth of the
Icelandic River (then called
White Mud River) on July 24.
On Sunday July 26 after two
days of exploration, the group
unanimously agreed that this
land was most suitable for
their New Iceland settlement.
It was there on the banks of the
Icelandic River that they held
the first Sabbath service. John
Taylor, in his journal, recorded
these words spoken by Joseph
Monkman at the service “A
settlement thus begun cannot
fail to be a blessing to this
country”. I think we can
agree that this statement made
137 years ago was indeed a
prophetic one.
The chosen lands were
subsquently reserved and set
aside for the exclusive use of
the Icelanders by Order-in-
Council No. 897 dated October
8, 1875.
While Sigtryggur was
instrumental in choosing the
site, he was not involved in the
actual move of the settlers to
the new land because he was in
Iceland at the time organizing
and assisting other Icelanders
who wished to emigrate.
The new “Large Group” of
Icelandic immigrants arrived in
July and August of 1876. They
settled throughout the length of
New Iceland, from Boundary
Creek at the south end to the
northern tip of Hecla Island.
After the arrival of the
large group, it became clear
that some system of local
government was needed in
the new settlement. Public
meetings were held in January
1877, a provisional constitution
was soon drafted and the final
constitution became law in
1878. The Icelanders continued
to govern themselves under
this constitution until 1887.
Sigtryggur is accepted as being
instrumental in establishing
a unique system of local
government and the drafting
of the constitution of New
Iceland.
The third area relates
to Sigtryggur’s ongoing
involvement as a community
leader, newspaper publisher,
businessman and politician
who helped ensure the financial
and cultural survival of the
Icelanders new settlement.
Upon his return to New
Iceland, Sigtryggur began
construction on his new home
at Móðruvellir. Over the next
several decades he dedicated
his considerable energies and
extraordinary talents toward
the development of the New
Icelandic community:
He served as the first •
governor of New Iceland
upon approval of the
constitution of New Iceland
in 1878.
He founded the com-•
munity’s first newspaper
Framfari (Progress) in 1877
and edited the first eight
issues.
His home, which was used •
for a school, served as prayer
and meetinghouse. Post
Office, stopping place and
editorial base for Framfari.
These are just a few
of his contributions to the
community.
Throughout the 1880s
Sigtryggur partnered with
Friðjón Friðriksson in
establishing a sawmill operation
that also included extensive
logging operations, a store and
steamboat transportation on
Lake Winnipeg. The Jónasson-
Friðriksson operations, which
Harley Jonasson
Winnipeg, MB
Sigtryggur Jónasson
A Person of National
Historic Significance
Unveiling the bronze statue sculpted by Stan Watts of Utah. Together were Harley Jonasson,
Icelandic River Heritage Sites; Jónína (Jónasson) Britton, grand-niece of Sigtryggur
Jónasson; and Rannveig (Jónasson) Foreman, granddaughter of Sigtryggur.
pHoto: keNdra jóNassoN
pHoto: keNt Lárus BjorNssoN