The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1961, Blaðsíða 22

20
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Winter 1961
A reception was given by the mem-
bers of the Icelandic Canadian Club of
Toronto, at the Granite Club. The
reception was attended by upwards of
one hundred people, mostly of Iceland-
ic descent and wives and husbands.
The President of the Club, Mrs.
Fanney Peacock, on behalf of the mem-
bers, presented President and Mrs. As-
geirsson with two figurines of birds
made of native Canadian Blue Moun-
tain pottery.
Following this reception, the pres-
idential party was entertained by Mr.
and Mrs. John Craig Eaton at the home
of Mr. Eaton’s parents, Mr. and Mrs.
John David Eaton.
On Friday, the men of the party were
guests of De Havilland Aircraft and
were taken on a flight over the envir-
ons of Toronto and as far away as
Niagara Falls.
The sentiments of all who met with
President and Mrs. Asgeirsson on their
Canadian tour were expressed in the
following words from a Toronto
source: “The visit to Toronto was a
memorable one and very much enjoyed,
not only by the visitors but by those
who participated in entertaining the
president and those with him.”
The last stop on Canadian ground
was at Montreal, on Saturday, Sept.
30. The officer in command of the
Guard of Honor drawn up to meet the
presidential party at Dorval Airport
was Squadron Leader Arthur Swain-
son, formerly of Winnipeg. After an
R.C.M.P. escorted tour of the city, a
luncheon was served This was attended
by several Montreal residents of Ice-
landic descent, including Mr. and Mrs.
Thor Stephenson, Mr. and Mrs. Har-
old Stephenson, and Mrs. Baldur Ol-
son. A member of President Asgeirs-
son’s escort on the tour through the
city was Corporal Maurice Swainson,
another former Winnipeg man.
The Montreal stopover marked the
end of the Canadian tour. The presi-
dential party left for Iceland that even-
ing, on an Icelandic Airways plane.
From first to last, the visit was an un-
qualified success and without a doubt
the bonds of friendship between Ice-
land and Canada, and especially the
bonds between the people of Iceland
and the people of Icelandic descent in
Canada were strengthened by the visit.
—W. Kristjanson
PROMINENT IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
Three brothers from Gimli, Man.,
members of a family prominent in
Canadian agriculture, played a major
part in the Resources For Tomorrow
conference held in Montreal, Que., in
October. They are G. A. Kristjanson,
senior rural development specialist
with the Manitoba department of agri-
culture, Dr. Kris Kristjanson, secretary
of the Canadian Commission on Water
Control, and Dr. Baldur Kristjanson,
head of the secretariat which made all
arrangements for the conference. All
have either master’s or doctor’s degrees
in agricultural economics. Three other
brothers are also prominent in the
agricultural field. They are Burbank,
who is assistant deputy minister of
agriculture for Manitoba and now on
leave of absence as an economic adviser
to the government of Iran, Larry who
holds a Ph.D. degree in agricultural
economics and now director of research
for the Canadian Wheat Board, and
Leo, also a holder of a Ph.D. degree
in agricultural economics and now
with the Centre For Community
Studies, University of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon.