The Icelandic connection - 01.12.2020, Side 49

Vol. 71 #4
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
191
Contributors ....■■■■■—.......
KAREN BOTTING. Of Icelandic heritage, Karen Borgford Botting grew up in Winnipeg's West
End and continues to spend lots of summer time at her family’s homestead property at Arnes,
Manitoba. She is very active in both the Icelandic Canadian Fron, as was her father Skapti Borgford,
and the Jon Sigurdsson Chapter IODE, following in the footsteps of her amma, Gudrun Borgford.
VALA HAFSTAD is the author of two poetry books in English — one of them bilingual.She lives in
Iceland, where she works as a translator and journalist.
BRIAN JOHANNESSON Born in Winnipeg, Brian Johannesson grew up with hockey memorabilia
all around him but found it only of curiosity value at the time. His father Konnie had played defence
for the 223rd Battalion hockey team and for the Winnipeg Falcons for several years, including 1920,
the Olympic year.
After graduating from the University of Manitoba in 1958 Brian moved to Montreal and then with
his family to Waterloo, Ontario in 1967. By 1999 he had enough documents, diaries and artefacts
to create his first Winnipeg Falcons website. Then he rewrote it entirely in 2006 after acquiring
his mother’s scrapbook, a treasure trove of several hundred newspaper clippings about the 223rd
Battalion and Falcons teams.
Brian now lives in Kitchener, Ontario, culturally a very long way from Icelandic Winnipeg; his
Falcons’website is atwww.winnipegfalcons.com
KEITH KRISTOFFERSON was a Regional Fisheries Manager for the Province of Manitoba and
a District Manager for Fish Habitat for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Keith obtained a
B.A., BSc. and Master’s Degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Manitoba.
Keith has a great interest in military history on land, sea, and air in Canada, Great Britain and the
United States of America. Keith has also been a long time member of the Royal Canadian Legion,
Gimli Branch 182.
OLI NARFASON. Proud to have come from Minerva, Oli Narfason is well known for his strong
commitment to community work and charity. He was known for developing his pedigree Holstein
Friesan herd, both in milk production and then showing animals across Canada, winning the Master
Breeding Shield twice.
SVAVA SIMUNDSSON. After living six years in Iceland, two of which were spent studying
Icelandic at the University of Iceland, returned to Geysir Manitoba with her two young daughters.
She now lives in Arborg and works in Early Chidhood Education.
ELIN THORDARSON, the editor-in-chief of the Icelandic Connection, is a writer, translator and
mother from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
EINAR VIGFUSSON was born in 1933 on the family farm Drangey just outside Arborg in
Manitoba’s Interlake. He was a natural born storyteller and could recall so many interesting incidents
that happened during his life. A few years ago he started writing down his memories, intending this
collection for his children and grandchildren. The world and our way of life has changed so much
since 1933, so there is ample subject matter! He was a farmer, an keen observer and lover of nature,
an artist and realistic wildfowl carver. He passed away in the fall of 2019.