Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.11.2012, Side 11

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. nóvember 2012 • 11
During the commemoration of Sigtryggur Jónasson as a National Historic Person, a plaque from the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada was unveiled
at a ceremony in Riverton. In keeping with the requirements
of the Board, the inscription is in Engish and French. And, in
keeping with Sigtryggur Jónasson himself, the inscription is
also in Icelandic.
The inscription reads:
Sigtryggur Jónasson 1852 – 1942
A community leader strongly committed to Canada and
his compatriots, Sigtryggur Jónasson, worked to ensure that
the majority of the approximately 20,000 Icelanders who came
to North America between 1870 and 1914 settled in Canada.
He played a key role in establishing the self-administered
settlement New Iceland, helped to choose its site and draft its
original constitution, and served as its first elected leader. As an
immigration official, publisher, entrepreneur, politician and public
servant, this Father of New Iceland worked to secure the economic
and cultural viability of the Icelandic-Canadian community.
Leader communautaire profondément attaché au Canada
et à ses compatriotes Jónasson contribua à ce que la majorité
des quelque 20 000 Islandais qui immigrèrent en Amérique du
Nord, entre 1870 et 1914, s’établissent au Canada. Il joua un
rôle clé dans la creation de la Nouvelle-Islande participant au
choix de l’emplacement et à la rédaction de la constitution de
cet établissement auto-administré, dont il devint le premier chef
élu. Agent d’immigration, éditeur, entrepreneur, politicien et
fonctionnaire, ce Père de la Nouvelle-Islande veilla à la viabilité
économique et culturelle de la comminauté islando-canadienne.
Leiðtoginn Sigtryggur Jónasson þjónaði Kanada og
samlöndum sínum af hollustu. Um það bil 20.000 Íslendingar
sigldu til Norður Ameríku á árunum 1870 til 1914. Flestir þeirra
settust að í Kanada, þökk sé Sigtryggi Jónassyni. Hann gegndi
lykilhlutverki í stofnun sjálfstjórnarsvæðisins Nýja Íslands.
Fyrir utan að taka þátt í staðarvali landnámsins og drögum að
stjórnarskrá þess, þjónaði hann þar einning sem fyrsti kjörni
leiðtoginn. Í starfi sínu sem innflytjendafulltrúi, útgefandi,
athafnamaður, stjórnmálamaður og ríkisstarfsmaður, leitaðist
Faðir Nýja Íslands við að tryggja efnahagslega og menningarlega
möguleika hins íslensk-kanadíska samfélags.
The plaque unveiling: left to right, Harley Jonasson,
President of the Icelandic River Heritage Sites Inc.; Joanne
Kristjanson who brought greetings from the New Iceland
Heritage Museum of Gimli; and James Bezan, Member of
Parliament for Selkirk-Interlake.
photo: Kendra Jónasson
i it t t tt :// .l -i .
were launched at a time when
it seemed that New Iceland was
doomed to fail, were largely
responsible for the settlement´s
survival and its eventual revival.
Not only did the sawmill and
logging operations provide
employment and income for
those who stayed, enabling them
to become firmly established,
it also served as proof of
New Iceland’s potential. It
encouraged the return of some
settlers and attracted many new
arivals from Iceland.
Sigtryggur later lived in
Selkirk and Winnipeg working
as the editor of the Icelandic
newspaper Lögberg for which he
had been one of the founders.
In 1896 he became the
first Icelander elected to the
Manitoba Legislative Assembly,
was elected again in 1907 and
continued to be an important
Icelandic voice within the
Liberal party both provincially
and federally until 1910.
Sigtryggur was instrumental
in persuading Federal and CPR
officials to extend the railway
north into the Interlake region,
first to Gimli in 1906, to Arborg
in 1910 and finally to Icelandic
River (Riverton) in 1914.
Following his retirement from
politics, Sigtryggur took up
ranching near Arborg, began a
business in Arborg and undertook
the editing of a periodical Syrpa
and the compiling of a history
of New Iceland. Sigtryggur was
a role model for his countrymen
in that he fully understood the
rights and responsibilities of his
people as new Canadians while
at the same time exemplifying
pride in his heritage and an
understanding of how Icelandic
culture could and should
compliment and contribute to
Canadian culture.
In conclusion this excerpt
from an article by Judge Walter
J. Lindal published in the
Winnipeg Free Press December
1, 1952 shortly after Sigtryggur’s
death read:
“In 1926 the writer asked
Sigtryggur what was to him
the greatest comfort in the
approach of the sunset of a long
and useful life. He replied ‘the
feeling that some of the dreams
of my early days in Canada are
coming true.’ This source of
comfort prolonged the twilight
of his life. He was the dean of
the pioneers. Every visitor to
New Iceland paused at his home
in Arborg.”
Sigtryggur was truly
a visionary and today we
know are thankful that his
dreams of his early days in
Canada have indeed come
true. Sigtryggur Jónasson,
The Father of New Iceland,
died on November 28, 1942.
He was 90. He is buried in the
Riverton Cemetery.
The MC and representative of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada was Rick
Wishart. Seated (left to right) are Colin Bjarnason, Mayor of Riverton; Harley Jonasson,
president, Icelandic River Heritage Sites; Joanne Kristjanson, New Iceland Heritage
Museum; and James Bezan, MP, representing the Government of Canada.
The success of the New Iceland Weekend
was due to the collaborative efforts of these
three alphabet groups, IRHSI, NIHM and GICS.
Working together, they made a heritage weekend
in New Iceland three times what it would have
been if each group had worked in isolation.
However, as much as the people involved in
these three organizations are worthy of our
accolades, we too, must thank ourselves. If you
are reading this, you are supporting our heritage
newspaper, L-H. If you have ever toured the
NIHM you have given them your support. If you
belong to an Icelandic-North American club, you
have strengthened and supported the role of the
Icelandic National League of North America, of
which GICS is a proud member.
Also, as so many of you know the IRHSI
group have been selling coffee. If you have ever
bought Icelandic River Roast coffee beans, you
too, have contributed to that wonderful statue of
Sigtryggur Jónasson on the banks of the Icelandic
River. A quote from Senator Janis Johnson is
worthy of note: “I believe I have bought over a
hundred pounds of your coffee,” she said.
The inscription on the plaque
Weekend crowds ... from page 1
Above: Wanda Anderson dances with Almar
Grímsson at the NIHM Gala Dinner at
Lakeview Resort. At right: (L-R) Gunthora
Gísladóttir,with L-H board members Judy
Wilson and Vi Hilton photos: Kent Lárus BJornsson
photo: Kent Lárus BJornsson