The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1964, Blaðsíða 15

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
13
distinguished visitors.
On Tuesday noon they were the
guests of honour at a luncheon in The
Marl borough Hotel, under the
auspices of the Viking Club. The five
Scandinavian consuls in Winnipeg
were invited and they all accepted and
were head-table guests. Owing to the
illness of J. Landro, the Norwegian
Consul, Mrs. Landro appeared in his
place and read a well phrased note of
appreciation from her husband.
Mr. C. F. Schubert, the President
of the Club was in the chair and wel-
comed the guests of honour. Mr. Sig-
valdason, who was introduced by H.
A. Brodaihl and thanked by Judge Lin-
dal, gave an other of his friendly
chatty talks.
A farewell dinner was tendered to
the Ambassador and Mrs. Sigvaldason
by the Canada-Iceland Foundation,
held at the Fort Garry Hotel on Wed-
nesday evening. The executive of the
Icelandic Canadian Club joined in
the farewell function and Dr. and Mrs.
V. J. Eylands and Consul and Mrs. G.
L. Johannson were invited guests.
Judge W. J. Lindal, chairman of the
Foundation, occupied the chair during
a period of brief addresses of appreci-
ation and of farewell. The following
spoke: W. FI. Finnbogason, President
of the Icelandic Canadian Club, Dr.
V. J. Eylands, Rev. P. M. Petursson,
Consul G. L. Johannson, Arni G. Eg-
gertson, Q.C., Dr. P. H. T. Thorlak-
son, the vice-chairman of the Feder-
ation, and Grettir Eggertson, who
spoke in Icelandic.
The chairman called upon “John
Sigvaldason” to reply. The hominess
and cordiality of the visit of the Am-
bassador was very aptly illustrated
when he corrected the chairman and
referred to his original Icelandic
name of Jon Petur Sigvaldason.
Mrs. Sigvaldason, who wore an
orchid corsage, presented by the Feder-
ation, though of a different national
background, was equally successful in
spreading the feeling of friendliness
all around her. Both were purposely
placed far apart at the long table.
They are equally fitted for positions
of public relations—at all levels.
His Excellency and Mrs. Sigvaldason
left Winnipeg by car on Thursday,
October 1st.
-W.J.L.
The following are extracts from the Address delivered' by Ambassador JOHN P.
SIGVALDASON in the First Lutheran Church, Winnipeg, September 28 1964
PART I
1 have made two visits to Iceland
this year. I became aware that there
are two Icelands—.the Iceland of story
and saga and the modern Iceland. A
few words first about the modern Ice-
land. It is not the Iceland which our
parents and our grandparents aban-
doned because times were hard and
the future looked bleak. This modern
Iceland is a modern state, exercising
sovereign power equally as any other
wholly independent state.
MODERN ICELAND
Iceland is a member of the United
Nations and is one of the fifteen mem-
bers of NATO. It determines its own
foreign policy, which on geographic
and other grounds is of great interest