Iceland review - 2019, Qupperneq 24

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Iceland Review
it started out with socialist ideals, but it didn't end
that way.” Ensuring employment is however not all
the Socialist Party did, as the town council invested
in facilities such as a quality hospital, schools, and a
community centre under their leadership. The small
town developed infrastructure that far outweighed
its small stature.
Stagnation to innovation
It's maybe understandable that Hákon sees it this
way, as his family were among the founders and
strong supporters of the local co-op Fram, and often
found themselves warring with the socialist town
council. But, nowadays, Hákon is a mediator between
the old lines of the past, connecting the socialists in
SÚN with capitalistic innovation. Hótel Hildibrand
opened in 2014 at the same site as the old co-op, a
much welcome addition to the small Norðfjörður
economy. For a long time, Norðfjörður wasn’t on the
map for travellers, but things are starting to change.
“When we started, there was little focus on tourism.
There was no other town of this size in Iceland that
had nearly no tourism. So, we started from scratch.
There we no guides, no information. But we are
lucky to have all of these luxuries in place, originally
intended for the locals. A good swimming pool, great
museums, as well as a golf course and a ski area,”
Hákon enthuses.
The incentive wasn’t there for townsfolk to build
up tourism as they were employed and content.
But not everyone wants to work for someone else.
Nowadays, Hákon is spearheading the wave of inno-
vation in the community. “The history of employ-
ment and the fact that everybody was always taken
care of means that it will take a long time for new
generations to realise that if you don’t do it yourself,
no one will do it for you. It’s a double-edged sword.
‘Little Moscow’ is a good story, one we tell all our vis-
itors, and it has done a whole lot for the town. But it’s
also left inactivity in people. We have a lot of assets
in the town, but also a special type of society where
everybody expects that someone else will take care
of things for them. People were brought up in a way
where the party rules your opportunities.”
Welcome back
Today, the town is filled to the brim with children,
as young families have moved back to Norðfjörður
following their studies. What’s more, the comeback
of the Little Moscow welcome cairn is in the works.
It’s a sign of the times, as Norðfjörður comes to grips
with its past and welcomes a new era.
“Maybe it started out with socialist ideals,
but it didn’t end that way.”