The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2008, Page 14

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 61 #4
Arborg Heritage Village Opens
by Pat Eyolfson
“We are committed to providing an interpretive center dedicated to preserving and
showcasing the multicultural history of the area in a working village. ’’
The Arborg & District Multicultural
Heritage Village in Arborg, Manitoba host-
ed a Grand Opening weekend May 23 and
24. People from all across Canada and parts
of the United States attended these opening
ceremonies and weekend events.
The Village thus far consists of six
buildings which have been moved on site,
plus a storage/workshop which was built
(replica of a livery stable which stood on
this site), a 1919 railway caboose, a 22 site
campground, Ukrainian bake oven, and
newest edition two tepees. We have com-
pleted extensive restorations on the
Poplarfield St. Nickolas Ukrainian
Catholic Parish Hall, the St. Demetrius
Ukrainian Church, the Trausti Vigfusson
Home, the Bjorn and Lara Sigvaldason
Home, the Sigrudur and Jodis Brandson
Home, and as of April 10/08 have moved in
the Poplar Heights School.
The weekend’s events started Friday
with 300 school children doing tours of the
village. Seniors and volunteers from the
area were in the different buildings demon-
strating such things as spinning yarn, card-
ing, knitting, making soap, churning but-
ter, quilting, making bannock in the
Ukrainian bake oven, Ukrainian egg paint-
ing, cross stitching Ukrainian dance shirts
and blouses, cross cut sawing demo, bead-
ing demos and dream catcher demos.
Friday also saw the registration of many of
the family of the buildings start arriving.
Three hundred people attended the pig
roast Friday evening and all stayed to enjoy
a hootenanny which followed at 7:30. The
crowd was treated to music by the Fine
Country Folk, Freddie Olson, Broken
Deuce, the Fridfinnson Sisters, Selena
Ribbon cutting at Vigfusson home.