The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1981, Page 10

8
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
AUTUMN, 1981
THE MAGAZINE IS LAUNCHED
by Holmfridur Danielson
This is the first issue of the fortieth year of
the Icelandic Canadian Magazine and the
Editor, Axel Vopnfjord, has asked me to
write a short resume of how the magazine
got started and its progress during the first
few years. Hopefully, in the near future we
will be able to take a breather to recount the
whole story of the magazine, — the story of
the many dedicated people who have given
so generously of their time and talents to
make the magazine the success it is to-day.
In the meantime part of this story will un-
avoidably be a somewhat personal docu-
ment, dealing mainly with the period with
which I am most familiar, — that is — the
period when Hjalmur and I were more or
less solely responsible for the welfare of the
publication.
Fortunately I do not have to rely entirely
on my memory in trying to tell the story of
the launching of the magazine as Hjalmur
had the foresight to copy and keep, the
minutes of the Executive — and general —
meetings of the Icelandic Canadian Club
dealing with this period, and this project.
Not long after the Danielsons moved to
Winnipeg in 1939, I was approached to
serve on the Executive of the Icelandic
Canadian Club. We had not as yet formally
become members of the Club but had at-
tended some meetings at one of which I gave
a humourous talk on my recent trip to Ice-
land, which was later published in Heims-
kringla. I was already involved in a variety
of cultural and community organizations
and I felt I could not take on any more at the
sime. So I suggested that they ask Hjalmur
instead. Was this fate taking a hand in the
affairs of the Club? Who knows? At any rate
it led to the establishment of the Icelandic
Canadian Magazine, the most prestigious
project launched by the Club.
Hjalmur F. Danielson was elected to the
executive of the Icelandic Canadian Club
Jan. 12, 1941. The minutes during 1941 and
1942 give a detailed account of the step-by-
step developments as the Club was strug-
gling with this matter — the idea of a Club
paper.
For some time there had been under dis-
cussion at meetings the idea of starting some
sort of paper for the Club — perhaps a
mimeographed news letter. Starting with
the executive minutes of March 9, 1941, the
minutes give a precise account of the pro-
gress of this idea. Hjalmur, who since his
youth had been an active participant in cul-
tural and community activities, became the
driving force in getting this project launched.
He was always selflessly devoted to good
causes and progressive issues, and plunged
wholeheartedly into the fray.
There were many members who were
forward looking and sincerely wanted to do
something. But WHAT? There were others
who were more pessimistic doubting
Thomases. From the minutes of March 9
“Hjalmur again brought up the subject of a
Club paper and suggested we try to secure
space in the Icelandic weeklies for contri-
butions in English by club members and
others interested”. This would serve our
purpose to start with. After the general
meeting where this idea met with favour a
committee was struck, headed by Hjalmur,
to deal with the papers. He had already
approached the papers and found them
doubtful. Mrs. Laura G. Sal verson said that
“as it was evident that we could not forever
preserve the Icelandic heritage through the
Icelandic language alone, it was imperative
that the younger generation be given this
opportunity to do something constructive.”
At the general meeting, May 18, Hjalmur