The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1964, Page 13

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
11
The Prime Minister was an ambas-
sador of good will. He made a very
favorable impression with his personal
charm, outgoing personality, and his
directness and democratic manner.
During his stay in Winnipeg he and
his wife fru SigriSur, were guests at
Government House, and he was honor-
ed by the City of Winnipeg, and
dinnered by the Icelandic community.
The celebration of 1890 was a source
of inspiration to the Icelandic people
in America at that time and in the
ears since the celebration has been a
factor in promoting community spirit
and in the maintenance of the bond
between kinsmen in America and Ice-
land. The Icelandic Celebration of
1964 was in the best tradition of the
past seventy-five years.—W. Kristjanson
THE FRONT COVER
The Front Cover tells a real and a
true story. But it is more than that.
It epitomizes what will be, not to-
morrow but in the scores of years, and
even centuries that lie ahead.
Behind, but yet on guard, perhaps
more closely watching the more distant
than the immediate future, is fru Sig-
riSur Bjornsdottir, wife of Bjarni
Benediktsson, the Prime Minister of
Iceland. She is the embodiment of Ice-
land’s culture, now in full bloom, a
culture not entirely limited to Iceland.
On the right is Bjarni their son. He
is studying law at the University of
Iceland and eagerly accepted the first
opportunity accorded him to travel to
Canada and see for himself what is
being retained of the heritage the Ice-
landic pioneers brought with them.
Talking to young men and women
of his age, who trace their ancestry
through at least one branch of the
family tree to Iceland and watching
them in action, Bjarni was able to see
how much of the essence of Icelandic
culture is being retained, diffused and
passed on. His interest in the young
people he met is the type of encourage-
ment they need as they perform their
twofold duty in this, their homeland.
On the left is Donald Arni Flatt.
In 1886 a man by the name of Jon
Arnason migrated filom Icejand to
Canada with his wife and six children.
One of them Arni, was then nine years
old. The family settled in Winnipeg
and chose the surname Anderson. Arni,
who studied law and practised in Win-
nipeg married Annie M. MacDonald,
a Canadian girl of Scottish des-
cent. Both of them became strong sup-
porters of the then Methodist Church,
Arni being in his day one of the top
Sunday School teachers in Winnipeg.
Their daughter, Olive, who did not
learn Icelandic, married William D.
Flatt. One of the children of that mar-
riage is Donad Arni Flatt, one-quarter
of Icelandic descent. He has obtained
the B.A. and B. Ed. degrees and this
fall will commence studies for the
Masters degree. He has a definite liter-
ary bent and has become interested in
the Sagas and other Icelandic liter-
ature. Deeply impressed by the samples
of that literature which he has read in
translation and, as he says, appreciative
of his mother’s Icelandic traits, Donald
has decided 'to study Icelandic as part
of his Master of Arts degree.
The present factual picture provides
a glimpse of the widening picture of
the future.
Iceland’s teeming Tree of Life
In tender leaf and flower,
Ever reaching out the roots
Retain their strengthening power.
W. J. L.