The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2003, Side 7

Vol. 58 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
49
folks , which gather every morning at the
Creamery for coffee, watched as phase 1
took place over the summer. The last addi-
tion(1975) was stripped off and Fensala hall
was moved off it’s original stone founda-
tion, a new cement foundation poured and
then moved back. It was quite a sight to see
the hall rolled into place to stand firm and
serve our community for a second hundred
years. There is a temporary cover over the
leaky roof, soon there will be a new addi-
tion and a new roof. In the future we will
have a unique historic facility with modern
amenities that we will be proud to use on
many occasions. It will be a place where we
can host dignitaries or larger bus tour
groups. We plan to have plays and work-
shops as well as other cultural and commu-
nity events. Fensala will be open again this
fall, although far from completed, for the
annual show and sale “Christmas in
Markerville.”
Note of interest: Stephan G.
Stephansson was the first secretary/trea-
surer for both co-operative ventures, the
Creamery, originally the Tindastoll Butter
and Cheese Manufacturing Association
formed in 1899 and the Fensala Stock
Company formed in 1902.
*Fensala was the home of the Goddess
Frigg in Norse mythology. Frigg was the
wife of Odin and the mother of Thor.
How does this happen? Where does
the money and energy come from? The
answer is dedicated volunteers, members of
the Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic
Society. They have been willing to become
legal owners of the building, hire an archi-
tect, do a feasibility study and move on
from there. The energy seems to come
from what has gone on before. Another
dream is unfolding. Support has come from
private, corporate and other donations, as
well as government grants. The profit from
the play presentations will go to the
Fensala Restoration Fund. Annual
fundraisers, a Cookie Walk and the Viking
Cup Golf Tournament, have been estab-
lished, proceeds to restoration. To realize
our objective three hundred and forty
thousand dollars needs to be raised. A scale
model of the finished hall can be seen at the
Creamery. Thank-you to all groups and
individuals who have supported the start of
this project.
If Johann Haldor Johannson, my
father and our first President, was alive
today he would be very pleased to see the
Stephansson House is still welcoming visi-
tors, the Creamery Museum just completed
it’s 17th successful season and the Stephan
G. Stephansson Icelandic Society is strong
and active after 30 years. It is from him and
my mother, whose first language was also
Icelandic, that my love of Iceland and all
things Icelandic comes.