The Icelandic Canadian - 01.08.2009, Síða 26

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 62 #3
116
Undan Snjobreidunni
What Lies Beneath the Snow - Part Two
Revealing the contributions of Icelandic pioneer women
to adult education in Manitoba, 1875 - 1914
by Jo-Anne Weir
Part Two
The historical narrative is a description
of a theme that emerged from the second
area of influence shown on the conceptual
framework: Events. The term, events, in
this framework refers to economic, social,
political and cultural events of the 1875 -
1914 time period. The Icelandic pioneer
women were exposed to a number of
events during this time period because it
was a time of dramatic growth and change
in the history of the province. This event
that caused the largest adult education
response by the women was the establish-
ment of formal post-secondary educational
institutions. Wesley College and the col-
leges of the University of Manitoba were
established in 1877, and the formalized
teacher training through The Normal
School was established in 1882 (Crippen &
McCarthy, 2003, p. 257).
For pioneer women in Manitoba dur-
ing the late nineteenth century and early
twentieth century, it was a fact of life that
women had three career choices: teaching,
nursing or stenography (Shack, 1963).
Nursing training was still being developed
at this time in the province, and both nurs-
ing and stenography programs were seen as
vocational training (Kinnear, 1998, p. 52).
Most women chose teaching as a pursuit
because it offered the only way to achieve
some independence (Shack, 1973). Pioneer
women who wanted that independence and
had ambitions of pursuing post-secondary
education could consider Wesley College
or the colleges of University of Manitoba
as of 1877, or Normal School as of 1882.
There were some limitations for
women at the colleges of University of
Manitoba (U of M). Some of U of M col-
leges would not admit women until 1886
and 1890 (Kinnear, 1998.p.55).
Fortunately, Wesley College admitted
women and men equally when it opened its
doors in 1877. Another limitation was
financial cost. Most women, particularly
those from immigrant minority groups,
could not afford to go to college, most
female students at this time were from
wealthy families. By 1894 there were only
13 female grads from U of M (Kinnear,
1998, p. 56). Given the high cost, it is sur-
prising to note that in 1909- 1912 Wesley
College had six Icelandic women enrolled,
out of a total of twenty-six Icelandic stu-
dents (Kristjanson, 1965, p. 403). One way
the women financed their way through col-
lege is illustrated in the case of Salome
Halldorson from Posen, who taught
school, possibly on Permit, in order to
afford to take courses at Wesley College
and later at University of Manitoba
(Lundar and District Historical Society,
1980, p. 418).
Faced with the high cost of college and
university courses, most Icelandic women
who wanted a career chose teaching rather
than nursing or stenography. Several fac-
tors contributed to the fact that more
Icelandic women became teachers at this
time than did other minority groups of
women in Manitoba. Paramount was the
high value that the Icelandic pioneers
placed on education. This was shown by
their immediate establishment of schools
upon arrival in New Iceland in 1875, well
before school attendance became compul-
sory in the province in 1916 (Kinnear,
1998, p. 47). The Icelandic value of educa-
tion was also commented on by Lord
Dufferin when he visited the settlement of