The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2009, Blaðsíða 6

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 62 #3
Editorial
Icelandic River Heritage Sites
by Harley Sigurdur Jonasson
This editorial is about the historical
and heritage significance of the Icelandic
River area, and thus begins with the deci-
sion of the Icelandic settlers in Ontario to
search for a new colony site in the West.
The delegates elected to visit the
Northwest and report upon its fitness for a
future home for the Icelanders were
Sigtryggur Jonasson and Einar Jonasson.
They were accompanied by John Taylor,
an English missionary who was to act as a
representative of the Canadian govern-
ment. At Moorhead, Minnesota, they were
joined by Skafti Arason, Kristjan Jonsson
and Sigurdur Kristofersson
The following narrative is for the most
part taken from the August 11, 1875 edi-
tion of The Daily Free Press, which
describes the journey of the exploration
party from Fort Garry to the Icelandic
River. The Free Press article quotes direct-
ly from notes made by John Taylor during
the journey.
“The party left Upper Fort Garry on
Tuesday evening, July 20 and reached the
Stone Fort (Lower Fort Garry) the same
night. On Wednesday they were only able
to proceed 12 or 15 miles further and a
strong North wind kept them in camp all
the next day. On Friday they were joined
at 4 a.m. by Monkman, the best guide they
could possibly have with them, and who
fully sustained his high reputation during
the trip. Dr. Schultz accompanied
Monkman to the boat but did not proceed
with the party. Two Metis also accompa-
nied the party, one as the steersman and the
other as cook and bowman. They arrived at
the mouth of the Red River by 9 a.m. and
traveled on to Willow Island, Drunken
Point and finally reached Sandy Bar at 7:30
where they camped for the night near a
number of Indian huts.
After breakfasting on a prodigious
quantity of Lake Winnipeg fish, they
resumed their travels into the fine bay
which sheltered them from the strong
north wind. They agreed that if this was to
become their colony they would name the
bay Kristjan Bay after the youngest of their
party. They proceeded up the river, which
they named Icelandic River, past extensive
hay marshes until they came to higher
banks with poplars about four miles from
the mouth. At about eight miles upriver the
river narrowed and an Indian dam placed
across the river for fishing purposes
stopped their progress for the day. At that
point they decided to postpone operations
until Monday.
The country was exactly what they
wanted as far as they had come, and their
first Sabbath was fervent and solemn. After
their closing hymn (O God of Bethel) had
been sung, Monkman gave free expression
to his emotion, “A settlement thus began,”
he said, “can not fail to be a blessing to this
country.”
After further exploration during the
next two days, they were entirely satisfied
that this was the very place where an
Icelandic settlement could be made with
every reasonable prospect of success. On
Wednesday they began their return trip,
making their last lake camp on a sandy
beach. A heavy north wind sprang up the
next morning, and they started at 6:00 a.m.
to look at the country to the south.
However, the wind increased, making it
inadvisable to attempt to land their boat. In
six hours they ran 50 miles through a heavy
sea, entering the mouth of the Red River
and reaching the Stone Fort that evening.
They reached Fort Garry the next day, July