The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1984, Blaðsíða 24

22
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER, 1984
“Father of New Iceland” and the first
Icelander elected to a provincial legis-
lature in Canada (1896), operated a
lumber business in 1886/87 after he
moved to Winnipeg from the Riverton
area. Almost next door (at 541 Ross),
Baldwin L. Baldwinsson, Jonasson’s
major political opponent who later re-
placed him as the Member of the Legis-
lative Assembly from the Gimli area,
had established his office as the immi-
gration agent for Icelanders by 1890.
Other businesses, such as A. F. Reyk-
dal’s shoe store (539), T. H. Finney’s
grocery (535), Bennetto Israel’s photo
studio (531) and George Johnson’s dry
goods store (NW comer of Ross and
Isabel), lined the street before the turn
of the century. All eventually sold out
to the Great Northern Railroad, and
disappeared from Icelandic business
history.
21. NORTH WEST HALL (506 Ross
Ave., SW corner at Isabel). This
“hall” was located on the second floor
of Gudmundur Johnson’s clothing and
dry goods store (built cl880), and was
used for many years for a variety of
social, religious and cultural func-
tions. Its importance diminished after
the Progressive Society Hall was built,
although it still played a major social
part in the community for many years
thereafter.
22. HELGI JOHNSON HOUSE (near NW
comer Pacific Ave. and Isabel St.).
In this general location (the exact site
is not known at this time), Helgi John-
son is reputed to have put up the first
house in Winnipeg built by an Icelandic
contractor. The house was built about
1880, and was reported as still stand-
ing in 1947.
23. DR. OLAFUR STEPHENSEN, 1864-
1939 (206 Isabel St.). Dr. Stephensen
was the first Icelandic graduate of the
Manitoba Medical College (1895) and
is shown in the 1896 city directory at
this address on the east side of Isabel
between Ross and Pacific. He later
moved his office to the south side of
Ross between Isabel and Sherbrook.
Turn right (south) from Ross onto Isabel
St., then turn right (west) onto Elgin Ave.
(formerly Jemima) and follow it to Sher-
brook.
24. PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY HALL
(137 Jemima, now 507 Elgin Ave.).
Built by the Icelandic Progressive So-
ciety (a cultural organization est. 1877)
in 1881, this was the central meeting
place for Icelandic activities in the old
Icelandic district for many years. The
Icelandic Good Templars (both lodges)
were formally organized at this loca-
tion, as were many other shorter-lived
Icelandic cultural groups. The hall also
housed the first Icelandic public library
collection in the city. It was the site of
many religious activities, including the
meetings of First Lutheran Church
(Trinity Church) after 1881, the first
meetings of the Icelandic Unitarian
Church (1890), and the first annual
convention of the “Icelandic Evan-
gelical Lutheran Synod of America”
(1885). The hall was later acquired by
the Icelandic Labour Association (est.
1890) in 1891, which operated it until
after 1896. The building presently
standing on this site may very well be
the original hall itself!
25. REV. JON BJARNASON HOUSE
(approx. 588/592 Elgin Ave.). Rev.
Bjamason was the first Icelandic min-
ister to reside permanently in Winni-
peg (although he and other ministers
such as Rev. Pall Thorlaksson had
often visited Winnipeg in previous
years, none had made the city their
regular residence), arriving in Winni-
peg in 1884, his first permanent home