The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1968, Blaðsíða 14

12
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Spring 1968
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
The following facts seem to indicate
that the time has come for stocktak-
ing-taking stock of the Icelandic
cultural assets in North America.
The Vancouver Icelandic Canadian
Club sold over 85 extra copies of the
Centennial number of this magazine.
Congratulations are in order to Wil-
helm Kristjanson and the Committee
serving under him in the production
of that number.
The Edmonton Icelandic Society
“Solskin” had a centennial project of
its own, as did other districts.
The Icelandic Canadian Club of
Toronto have bought for its members
twenty-four copies of The Icelanders
in Canada iby W. J. Lindal and twenty
have been bought by the Vancouver
Club. Average sales through ordinary
channels in these cities have been
made.
Even though some of the stalwarts
of the Icelandic-American Club of
South California have passed away, the
club continues equally active as be-
fore. The new editor of FelagsblaSiS
is Sveinn Thordarson. Unfortunately
it is still multigraphed.
The Icelandic Society of Northern
California, headquarters, San Fran-
cisco, is active and will gather strength.
The Vestri of Seattle finally had to
fold up but another organization, on
a wider base, is functioning there—The
Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle.
The Icelandic Society of Chicago
has reorganized. The president is Dr.
Valur Egilsson, vice-president, Dr.
Leifur Bjornson, secretary, Paul Svein-
bjorn Johnson, an attorney.
In New York there is a strong Ice-
landic organization. Mrs. Svanhvit
Josie and Miss Anna Marteinsson of
Ottawa are ready to further any Ice-
landic cause; so is Jon Fridriksson of
Montreal.
Very significant evidence comes
from students taking Icelandic in the
University of Manitoba.
Lenore Borgfjord of Arborg, Man-
itoba, in an interview by a correspon-
dent from Iceland, hdrdfs Arnadottir,
last November said:
“This is my first year in the Iceland-
ic Department . . . when I have obtain-
ed my B.A. degree I want to go to
Iceland and study at the university
there.”
Richard Hordal of Lundar, Mani-
toba, is majoring in history at the
University of Manitoba and taking a
minor in Icelandic. To the same re-
porter he said:
“When I graduate this spring I hope
to be able to go to Iceland—I have to
go to Iceland.”
Hermann Palsson, born and raised
in Iceland, is Professor of Old Iceland-
ic and Old Irish in the University of
Edinburgh in Scotland. Through the
grant of a Canada Council Fellowship
he is this year delivering a series of
lectures in the Department of Medi-
eval Studies in the University of Tor-
onto. A short time ago he delivered