Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.08.2014, Side 2

Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. ágúst 2014 • 3
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2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • August 15 2014
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Kristján Sævald Pétursson summed up his participation
in Snorri West this year as
follows: “I found the Snorri
West program by chance earlier
this year. Decided to send in
an application, and wow, it
was well worth it. The time
spent in North America was
more valuable for me than
anywhere else I’ve travelled.
It was without a doubt the trip
of a lifetime, and all within just
four weeks. So much more than
a vacation, it was a life altering
journey.”
The other three participants,
Anna Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir,
Hilmár Páll Hannesson, and
Signý Æsa Káradóttir, simply
rated the program “fantastic”.
Their program this year
started off in Washington DC
in time to celebrate Iceland’s
National Day at Ambassador
Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson
and his wife Jóna Dóra
Karlsdóttir’s residence, and then
Anna Wahoski took them on a
whirlwind tour of Washington’s
culturally significant museums
and even for a day at the beach.
Hilmár found it different
from the Canadian sites and
was interested in seeing how
Icelanders are still moving
west.
While in Toronto, they
visited our settlement areas of
Kinmount and Hekkla and had a
chance to experience Ontario’s
playground in Muskoka at
the cottage of Marilyn and
Paul White, while canoeing
and swimming. Anna found
Kinmount and Hekkla very
interesting, especially meeting
90-year-old Edith Smith in
costume. Sacha Gudmundsson
took them to Niagara Falls, and
they saw Cabaret at Niagara-
on-the-Lake, the CN Tower
and other tourist sites, as well
as attending Toronto’s National
Day picnic.
Then it was on to Ottawa,
where they were hosted by
Iceland’s Ambassador to
Canada, Þórður Ægir Óskarsson
and his wife Sigurborg
Oddsdóttir, spent Canada Day
on Parliament Hill, saw the
RCMP musical ride, toured the
countryside, visited museums
and had a picnic with Valur
and Daja at their place on the
lake, all orchestrated by Lou
Howard.
You have read in
other articles in Lögberg-
Heimskringla about their
time in L’Anse aux Meadows
(Super group of young people,
great volunteers and volunteer
opportunities, said Signý)
and in Halifax with Marshall
Burgess.
All the participants were
particularly grateful to their
hosts and guides; they found
them to be good people, the
food tasty, the information
educational and culturally
relevant. They also enjoyed
meeting long lost relatives,
some in person and some
by phone, thanks to Sunna
Furstenau and her Icelandic
Roots program.
They and we (the
organizing committee) want to
thank Icelandair for their help,
Parks Canada and Gros Morne
Co-operating Association for
their sponsorship of the time
in the World Heritage Historic
Site at L’Anse aux Meadows,
as well as all those from the
Icelandic National League
of North America and all the
clubs, who organized, hosted,
guided, drove and donated to
make this year’s program such
a good step in building an ever
better relationship between our
people in North America and
Iceland.
Finally, Signý said,
“The people I met and the
places I saw are something I
can't imagine having found
anywhere else. My experiences
on the program allowed me to
explore my culture, not in a trip
but in an adventure.”
Next year, a West Coast
corridor… spread the word.
On a beautiful July afternoon, members of Esjan, the Arborg
Chapter of the Icelandic
National League of North
America, gathered to pay tribute
to one of the community’s
most well-known pioneers and
pioneering families, the Trausti
Vigfússon family. This project,
initiated by the Esjan club last
year and seen to completion in
the fall of 2013, pays tribute
to Trausti Vigfússon, his
wife Rósa Aldís Oddsdóttir,
Trausti’s mother Auðbjörg
Þorsteinsdóttir, and Trausti and
Rósa’s daughter, Þórunn (Tóta)
who were all buried without a
marker.
This undertaking was funded
by Esjan, private donations,
and most significantly by
Rosalind Vigfússon and the
New Iceland Youth Choir, to
whom Esjan is very grateful.
The unveiling ceremony at the
Geysir Cemetery was very well
attended with approximately
40 guests. Some attendees of
note were the 2014 Fjallkona
for Íslendingadagurinn, Mrs.
Hedy Bjornson, as well as
some guests from Iceland.
Greg Palsson, who knew the
Vigfússon family well in his
youth, gave a vivid recount of
Trausti’s life, and some special
memories he has of Tóta and
Rósa. The Esjan club also took
this opportunity to celebrate
an anniversary of their own,
marking 75 years. Esjan
members would like to thank
all of those who contributed to
the Vigfússon memorial stone
and saw this project through to
fruition. I’m sure they would be
very happy.
Vigfússon Memorial unveiled in Geysir
PHOTOS: JOEL FRIÐFINNSSON
Joel Friðfinnsson
Geysir, MB
Left: Greg Palsson spoke to Esjan members and other guests
about the life of the Vigfússon family and the memorial stone
project.
Above: Joel Friðfinnsson, David Gislason and Greg
Palsson, the committee for the project, gather
behind the memorial stone.
On August 5, Samkór uppsveita Árnessýslur, also known as The Golden Circle
Choir, performed at the Ardal-Geysir Lutheran Church in Arborg, MB. Led by
conductor Jon Bjarnasson, the choir thrilled all in attendance. The appreciative
crowd clapped in a standing ovation to prompt three more songs following the
concert. A true delight for all.
Doris Benson
Snorri West 2014 “The trip of a lifetime”
Gail Einarson-McCleery
O.F. Culture and Youth
Director, INL of NA
In the foreground is Kristján, on Canada Day, which the
Snorris celebrated on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
Not all history and culture – the Snorris attend a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game
Kristján, 90-year-old Edith Smith in Icelandic costume,
and Signý
GIMLI
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BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS
Their program started off in Washington DC. Anna and
Signý at the White House
PHOTO: KRISTJÁN SÆVALD PÉTURSSON
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