The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.2005, Qupperneq 23

Vol. 59 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
149
Hofn of Vancouver
by Kristjana Magnusson Clark
It was an emotional day of remember-
ing Hofn and all it had stood for, when
members of the Icelandic Hofn Society
Board, Solskin members, family staff mem-
bers and people in the Icelandic communi-
ty around Vancouver gathered together at
Hofn on May 15, 2005 for an Anniversary
Celebration. With the imminent closure
and demolition of Hofn as an Icelandic
Care Home, to be replaced by a new
Assisted Living facility, all who attended
had many and varied memories of Hofn.
For so many years it had been a gathering
place for the Icelandic community; it had
been the last home for many parents and
loved ones; it had resounded with music
whenever the Solskin Ladies hosted parties
for the residents and it had been the meet-
ing place for the Hofn Society Board mem-
bers whose objective at all time was the
well being of the residents in this haven of
care.
The dream of establishing an Icelandic
Old Folks Home in the Vancouver area
began in 1944 when a group of Icelanders
met to discuss the matter. Twelve people
from this core group were selected to
devise methods of raising money for this
project as well as to approach the Betel
Foundation for financial help. In 1946 a let-
ter was received from the Betel
Foundation, promising $10,000 towards an
Old Folks Home. At this time Solskin
donated $1,000 towards the Home fund, in
addition to the $500 they had the previous
year. All the Icelandic groups in Vancouver
area, among them the Falcon, Strondin and
Ljomalind, held fundraising events such as
tombolas and concerts. The Solskin Ladies
walked the streets of Vancouver with the
battle cry “ Help us to furnish a room for
our Home”.The dream of establishing an
Old Folks Home was shaping up to
become a reality.
In 1946 the first meeting of the
Icelandic Home Society was held at the
home of Carl Frederickson and the first
draft of a Constitution was drawn up by H.
F. Halldorson. Each Icelandic organization
was asked to appoint a delegate to the new
Icelandic Home Board. All meetings would
be conducted in Icelandic. Through
fundraising events the Icelandic Home
Society opened up with a bank account of
$1,164. Negotiations were in place with the
Lutheran Synod who had promised
$10,000 provided the Board could match
that amount. Solskin promised another
$1,000 and a government grant of $3,600
would be available.With these funding
arrangements in place the Constitution for
the Icelandic Home was drawn up on April
29, 1947 and plans were underway to pur-
chase property for a Home for the elderly.
That year a stately mansion at 3498
Osier Street in Vancouver came on the
market and was purchased by the Icelandic
Home Society for $36,000. This residence
had been owned by Mr. Frank Buckley
who had named it the “Iowa” in memory
of his birthplace.lt was a majestic building
that had hosted numerous elegant parties
for diplomats and dignitaries. In 1937 it
had been leased to the Vancouver Hotel
and renamed the Shaughnessy Hotel.
During the second World War it had oper-
ated as an Annex for military and diplo-
matic personnel in Vancouver. In 1947 this
beautiful home became the Icelandic Old
Folks Home and was officially opened as
such on October 5, 1947. The Solskin ladies
hosted an Open House, Tea and Concert
on this auspicious day.
To walk into this stately mansion gave
one a feeling of awe at its beauty; the mag-
nificent reception hall, panelled in white
oak; the charming living room in rich, red
mahogany, with its mahagony fireplace
which had been carved by a Scottish crafts-
man with the words “East-West, Hame’s