The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.2000, Síða 41

Vol. 55 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
339
The Gimli chapter of the Icelandic
National League eventually took on a kind of
sponsorship of the walk, and many of its
members participated through the years. As it
became more formalized, the walk ended at
the old Gimli museum located in a former fish
shed on the waterfront, and a snack of coffee
and cookies were made available to those who
took part. In later years, after the museum was
moved to the renovated school building in
central Gimli, that became the place where
walkers took refreshment and reminded one
another of the stories of the first night on
Willow Point Island over a century past. The
New Iceland Heritage Museum has now
become a second sponsor, and when it moves
into its new quarters in the Betel complex in
the fall of 2000, it will likely host the event.
In 1995 the Walk to the Rock's organiz-
ers decided to invite local school children to
participate, and their teachers agreed. For
some time before the event each year, the stu-
dents who will take part are given lectures on
the history of their community, and the sym-
bolic meaning of the White Rock. They do
not make the trek, as that would take too
much time away from classes, but they are
taken by bus to the rock, where a short cere-
mony is held, and then returned to the town to
be feasted with hot chocolate and cookies. A
second ceremony is then held, at which, for
example, abbreviated stories of the Sagas are
recounted before the children are taken back
to school.
In 1999 - the year before the 125th
anniversary of the first arrival of Icelandic
immigrants to New Iceland - a poem about the
first October 21 written by Gimli artist Don
Martin was read at the rock by Icelandic
Consul for Gimli Neil Bardal. Those who had
made the trek - some of them in their 80's -
listened with the school children and thought
on the past. Back at the school, a second poem
was read by Donna Skardal of Baldur,
Manitoba. Donna wrote the poem to com-
memorate the memory of her forebears who
were among the early settlers in New Iceland.
Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce
Don’s poem here because of a magazine poli-
cy which prohibits us from publishing any-
thing which has been published before. Don’s
poem appeared in the Islendingadagurinn pro-
gramme for 1999. It is with pleasure, howev-
er, that we present Donna Skardal's Willow
Roots.
Connie Magnusson continues to make
the walk every year. The entire western
Icelandic community owes Connie, her moth-
er and aunt a real debt of gratitude for their
successful efforts to keep alive a part of our
history, and to help us remember the White
Rock, a true symbol of New Iceland.
GIMLI
AUTO LTD.
Your Ford, Mercury,
Lincoln Dealer
Covering the Interlake
Phone
642-5137
2^'*maim
IcUd'l LOUNGE
FAMILY DINING
FULLY LICENSED
• Steak • Seafood * Ribs • Pizza
•Chicken »Veal‘Children's Menu
We deliver all our menu items
Lounge4 Big Screen TV • VLT's
Ichabod's Lounge 889-7887
wwm
* Facilities
ter pup
‘Dine in‘Takeout
• Home delivery
3354 Portage Ave.