Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.09.2018, Síða 5

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. september 2018 • 5
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show your
Icelandic
pride
Snorri West is a program
run by the Icelandic National
League of North America under
which four young people from
Iceland (18 to 29) visit a different
corridor of North America each
year, with overall organization
by Jody Arman-Jones. This
year it was the Eastern corridor,
consisting of Washington,
DC, Toronto, Ottawa, L’Anse
aux Meadows, and Halifax,
from June 21 to 28, to learn
about what happened to those
Icelanders who immigrated
here, most of them in the late
1800s ... and hopefully to find
some relatives.
This year, we had one
woman, Dagrún Malmquist
Jónsdóttir from Garðabær,
and three men, Daði Geir
Samuelsson from Flúðir, Ívar
Gautsson from Reykjavík, and
Sigmundur Geir Sigmundsson
(Simbi) from Borgarnes. All
were bright and lively and a
pleasure to be around.
Kathleen Murray and I met
them at the airport and took them
to City Hall for lunch. Kathleen
saw the mayor arriving, so we
went to his office to see if he
could meet with him; alas, he
was in a meeting. Nonetheless,
we were able to show off City
Hall and then the Eaton Centre.
Since Simbi (Sigmundur)
would be representing them on
CTV’s Your Morning show the
next day, we set off to find an
Icelandic soccer jersey for him.
Rumour had it they were being
sold on Yonge Street, but alas,
not the Icelandic one. However,
we had fun trying all the sporting
goods stores. Then, of course,
shopping before Gail delivered
them to their host families.
Because we were in the
middle of soccer-mania with
Iceland in the World Cup for
the first time, CTV asked them
to come to the studio the next
day at 7:00 a.m. to talk soccer
and teach the hosts the Viking
Clap. National coverage!
Niagara Falls was next on the
agenda: Peter Norman and
Richard Eriksson showed them
the tourist sights, after watching
Iceland’s second soccer match
at a local pub. Then Peter’s
sister, Heather, organized a
winery tour and contributed a
dinner for them at the winery.
On Saturday, they had
a chance to sleep in a little
before Sacha Gudmundsson
introduced them to Indigenous
culture at the Fort York Festival
before giving them a chance
to see some of our downtown
neighbourhoods, including
Queen Street, Kensington
Market, and Harbourfront. Then
it was time to attend a barbecue
at Peter and Kari Norman’s
lovely home so they could
get to meet the committee
members and the generous
donors. We also celebrated
Simbi’s birthday, a golden one
– 23 on the 23rd of the month.
After a day off on Sunday,
Meredith MacFarquhar, Kara
Schuster, and I picked them
up to head for the settlement
areas of Kinmount and Hekkla,
where sculptor Guðrún
Sigursteinsdóttir Girgis had
organized a most interesting
tour. Local teacher, historian,
and writer Guy Scott took us
to the site of the railway trestle
where the 251 immigrants had
worked and lived in 1874 before
lack of money ended the supply
of work. Most of these people
then went west and were the
founders of New Iceland at
Gimli. The visitors also enjoyed
touring the local movie theatre,
which hosts a museum full of
artifacts from earlier years. Then
it was on to have a buffet lunch
at the beautiful Casino Rama,
and a visit to a local sawmill
still using the old methods. We
overnighted at the lovely cottage
of Marilyn and Paul White (“It’s
not a cottage, it’s a mansion,”
said Simbi) with many good
discussions of conditions in
Iceland compared to Canada.
And a little swimming.
On Monday, we toured a
wildlife refuge, where among
other animals the coyotes gave
us a chilling concert, and then
met descendants of the settlers
from 1873 at Hekkla Church
and Cemetery near Rosseau.
During lunch, Bruce Crawford
told us about the local history.
Edith Smith, 94 and still going
strong, impressed everyone
with her Icelandic costume and
tales of the olden days, and the
“welcome” cake she had baked.
Then it was time for soccer
once again, which we watched
in a local pub, and then did
another interview for the local
paper. Afterwards, we headed
for some relaxation to Guðrun’s
waterfront home and a chance
to go canoeing. Then another
highlight: Kara Schuster took
them to their first drive-in
movie.
On Wednesday, it was time
for Holly Wirth to show them
the CN Tower, Aquarium,
and have a tour of the Steam
Whistle Brewery with Erika
Graholm. Ivar’s cousin from
Windsor, Kris Browne, joined
them for the day, after which
Meredith MacFarquhar hosted
a farewell dinner before they
were driven to the airport the
next morning by Madeline
Pekary and Kathleen Murray.
What a great opportunity it
was for all of us to meet these
engaging young people. We
extend our thanks to our Number
One donor, Donald K. Johnson,
as well as to our other donors,
Ian and David MacFarquhar,
Consul General Adam
Kalbfleisch, former Consul
General Jon Johnson and his
wife, Pat, Margaret and Doug
Van Hamme, Fran Moscall,
Jenny Amy, and Heather
Norman. Our committee
members, Meredith, Kathleen,
Peter, Madeline, Sacha, Holly,
Kara, and Guðrun did a great
job organizing, hosting, and
fundraising. Home stay hosts
Holly Wirth and Junior Chang
and his wife, Alison, welcomed
them into their homes and took
good care of them. Thanks to
all of them!
The history of Icelanders in North
America matters to these Icelanders
Gail Einarson-McCleery
Toronto, ON
PHOTO: PETER NORMAN
The Snorri West group at Niagara Falls
PHOTO: KARA SCHUSTER
At the memorial to the Icelandic pioneers at Kinmount