The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1979, Qupperneq 15

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
13
CANADA-ICELAND FOUNDATION
The following is a transcript of a portion
of an imaginative and inspirational article
entitled THE SHAPING OF THE NEW
CANADA by Paul H. T. Thorlakson, M.D.
that appeared in the spring issue of THE
ICELANDIC CANADIAN, 1961. The re-
publication of this part of the article is
timely. In the hustle and bustle of the work-
a-day world in which we live, it is easy to
forget that dedicated people, such as the
directors and supporters of the Canada-
Iceland Foundation, are devoting their
time, energy, and money in their endeavor
to preserve and perpetuate the inheritance
that the Icelandic pioneers bequeathed to
us.
The concept of preserving our inherit-
ance and diffusing it into the mosaic of our
common Canadian culture is embodied in
the nine objectives laid down in the Charter
Agreement of the Foundation. Per-
severance and repetition is the price we
must pay to ensure the success of this ven-
ture. Quoting Sir Isaac Newton: “An object
remains in a state of rest unless impelled by
an outside force to change that state.' ’ Who
knows but that the impact of the re-
publication of this portion of the article will
activate an interest and an urge on the part
of the public to change a state of rest into a
state of perpetual motion?
It is our hope that Dr. Thorlakson’s in-
spired rendition of the launching of “THE
VIKING SHIP'' that appears in this article
will stimulate a surge of financial support
for the Foundation. Donors will be issued a
receipt for income tax purposes.
We need not be reminded that the ideals
and traditions that sustained the Icelandic
immigrants in their time of trial and tribu-
lation, and led them to victory over almost
insurmountable obstacles, must have been
built on solid foundations. We, their de-
scendants, can still draw inspiration from
the heritage they cherished. A. V.
The most recent ambitious venture into
the field of cultural interests has been the
formation of the Canada-Iceland
Foundation. This organization has had a
modest but significant beginning.
Eventually it could become a great rallying
point for all those organizations and
individuals who aim to foster an interest in
the great cultural heritage which belongs to
the people of Iceland and which will, for an
unpredictable period, continue to make its
contribution to Canadian life.
His Excellency, The Right Honourable
Vincent Massey C.H., the first Canadian to
represent the Queen of Canada as Governor
General, and His Excellency Asgeir As-
geirsson. President of Iceland, were the first
Grand Patrons of the Canada-Iceland Foun-
dation. In an address delivered at Gimli on
May 21, 1955, Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey
encouraged and stressed many of the ideals
subsequently embodied in the Charter
Agreement of the Canada-Iceland Founda-
tion, He in part said:
“Somehow, Gimli and this region
catches my imagination. Here, some eighty
years ago a small band of settlers arrived
from Iceland. The story of their journey here
and their early privations which included an
epidemic of smallpox that killed over a third
of the group, has all the drama and tragedy
of those magnificent Icelandic Sagas of a
thousand years ago. The ingenuity and
resourcefulness of the first settlers in estab-
lishing themselves, starting farms, organ-
izing the fishing industry on Lake Winnipeg
shows the type of men and women they
were.
“I was most impressed to learn of some
of the things which were given priority in
this new community. As this area was then
in unorganized territory, a constitution to
fill local needs was adopted which provided
for the election, by almost universal suf-
frage of those over 18 years of age, of a