The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1964, Blaðsíða 19

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
17
Extracts from address of Hoo< Wm. M. Benidickson
The following are extracts from the remarks of the HON. WILLIAM M. BENIDICK-
SON, Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys at the 75th Anniversary Celebration
of "Islendingadagurinn", the National Icelandic Day in Gimli Park, Gimli, Man.
As Mr. Pearson’s representative here
today, it is my pleasant duty and
honour to welcome you on behalf of
the Government and people of Canada.
It is a sincere and cordial welcome sir
that I now extend to you and your fam-
ily on behalf of the Government of
Canada and on behalf of all Canadians
from sea to sea. Mr. Pearson would
like me as well to convey his personal
regrets on being unable to be here
himself. I have been asked to hand
you his personal letter of welcome to
Canada. Would you also accept his
personally autographed photograph
which is inscribed “To a friend and
esteemed Prime Ministerial Colleague,
Bjarni Benediktsson, from Lester B.
Pearson, Ottawa, July 27, 1964.”
It is well known, ladies and gentle-
men, that one of the outstanding char-
acteristics of the Canadian of Icelandic
descent has been his passionate pursuit
in the preservation of the precious
gems of Icelandic literature. This love
of the language and literature of his
forbears has inspired the Canadian
Icelander to outstanding literary ef-
forts which will be as great and last-
ing as -the old Norse treasures of prose
and verse. I am confident you will
leave here today proud and happy that
your Icelandic family in Canada has
maintained through this annual fes-
tival the great literary tradition of the
Icelandic race. I am confident you
will be pleased that the grand-children
and great-grand-children of the early
Icelandic emigrants to this area, may
still know the beauty of the language,
music and songs of Iceland as we have
heard it here today.
The continuation of this great love
of our cultural and historic heritage
is assured through these festivals and
through the education of our children
who have been itaught respect for the
past while being urged to be, as His
Honour fudge Lindal has so eloquent-
ly said “Pioneers in new and better
human relationships” and “adventur-
ers dedicated to the future” of their
own country.
In his new book Educational Echoes
Mr. Roy H. Ruth has said “literature
and education are basic and funda-
mental in the Icelandic philosophy of
life”. How true this is when one re-
calls that on October 30, 1875, only 9
days after the first Icelanders had
settled in Gimli, and before shelter
had been secured for the winter, an
urgent letter of appeal was sent by
special messenger to the Lieutenant-
Governor of Manitoba. This letter
stated in part ‘‘the Icelanders in the
colony are desirous of having a school
for their children as soon as they can
put up a school house. They have a
teacher with them and wish to be con-
nected with the regular educational
system of Canada”.
. . . Today, as a result of the Iceland-
ic pioneer’s desire for education of his
children, Icelanders in Canada are
known throughout the nation for their
educational achievements, which they