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April 1998 Fálkinn, the ICCT Newsletter
38th Year, Number 5
ICCT PRESENTS "RECREATING VINLAND - WHAT CAN THE ARTIFACTS TELL US?"This presentation features Darrell Markewitz, Interpretive Program Designer, Norse Encampment at L'Anse aux Meadows, site of the first Viking settlement in North America. Darrell will have actual artifacts for us to see. The Norse Encampment provides a unique educational resource within the larger framework of the L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. It portrays an ethnographical study of the Norse in North America, circa 1000 AD. The re-enactment represents aspects of daily life as it would have been carried out at the Vinland outpost and provides insight into the larger framework of Norse culture in general. The presentation is centred within the recreated turf buildings and adjacent compound. A number of reproduction artifacts have been introduced: cooking gear, tools, navigation equipment and household goods like beds and chests. The staff is made up of costumed interpreters who portray historic characters. Small scale physical demonstrations of domestic and craft skills are undertaken throughout the day. The intent of this re-enactment is to provide the public with an opportunity to learn in an interactive atmosphere about an early phase of Canadian history, i.e. the Norse presence in Eastern Canada. The objects that make up the camp are all based on artifacts from Norse Northern Europe, dating from 800 - 1000 AD. The picture shown was taken on the reproduction longship 'the Viking Saga' just off the beach at L'Anse aux Meadows. Darrell will also be updating us on some of the Year 2000 preparations planned for the Encampment. Additional information is at the following website: http://www.pipcom.com/wareham_forge/ Tuesday, April 21 Location:
JUST IN FROM ICELAND...A report from a committee on the future of Iceland's Foreign Affairs proposes the opening of two new embassies, in Ottawa, Canada and Tokyo, Japan. Foreign Minister Halldor Asgrimson made these comments in his annual address to parliament. Increased internationalization is the impetus for the proposed expansion.UPCOMING EVENTSMay 8, 9 & 10 - INL Convention, Brandon, Manitoba May 19, 8:00 pm - ICCT Annual General Meeting and election of officers.
June 9 - ICCT Luncheon for Vigdis Finnbogadottir, who will receive an honorary doctorate from University of Guelph on June 10th Guelph June 11 - Symposium, "Iceland and Canada, One Thousand Years - Culture and Technology, Agriculture to Astronauts".
July 29 to 31 - Icelandic Connections Conference II, focussing on the work of poet Guttormur J. Guttormsson
and life at Icelandic River. Gimli, Manitoba.
WILL YOU WIN THE TRIP TO ICELAND?
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On February 8, 1998, Iceland's
Nobel laureate Halldór Kiljan Laxness passed away at the age of
95. He was considered the foremost contemporary writer of Iceland. He was
born Halldór Gudjonsson in Reykjavik in 1902 - then just a small
town with only one tenth of the country's population - he moved with his
family at an early age to the farm Laxnes in Mosfellsbaer, from where he
drew his surname. In the following decades between 60-70 of his works were
published.
| Item and Donor | Buyer |
| Original design blanket from Linda Lundström | Jean Moore |
| Table Cover woven by Brenda Sarazin | Sigga Moore |
| 1 mo. Pass for SuperFitness | Frances Hogg, G. Morgan Derry, Gail McCleery |
| Hamrahlid Choir 2 CD'S (Jim & Irene Gibson) | Mark Derry |
| Iceland-Europe's Wild Gem (Denise Wilkins & John Wilson) | Harold Olafson |
| Native Art Print by Jesse Agawa (Rayner Family) | Nancy Morgan |
| Athletic Heart Rate Monitor (Joanne & Evelyn Hamilton) | Trites Shawn |
| Guatemalan Shirt (Einarson-McCleerys) | Marion Johnson |
| 'The Write Stuff' by Betty Jane Wylie (Betty Jane) | Karen Hurst |
| 1 Time House Cleaning by Molly Maid | Juli Cuthbert |
| Original Watercolour by Thorsteinn Helf | Elaine Swainson |
| Return Airfare for 2 Halifax-Reykjavik (Icelandair) | Rick Lindal |
| Woven Wall Hanging by Brenda Sarazin | Vern Austman |
| Door Harp by Ron Odegard (Odegard Family) | Nancy Morgan |
| Original Artwork by Tom Bjarnason | John Simmons |
| Rustic Birdhouse from Moose Crossing (Bill & Karen Hurst) | Sharon Johnson |
| 2 yr Subscription Logberg-Heimskringla (Garry Oddleifson) | Margret Jackson |
| Islandsklukkar CD (Denice Wilkins & John Wilson) | Jeff Johnson |
| Sweater from Nellie's Knitters (Fran Moscall) | Runa Margetts |
| Blanket Cloth Mittens from the Grenfell Foundation | Runa Margetts |
| "The Underpainter" | Karen Hurst |
| Butternut Candleholders (Garretts) | Irene Gibson |
The not-so-silent auction was a lot of fun too! At times it was difficult to keep up with who was bidding what. But in the end, the beautiful blanket box was bought by a very happy Gail Einarson-McCleery. This year's edition, hand-crafted and donated by Ben Einarson and painted by Becky Clemens, was a masterpiece.
Thank you to everyone who contributed food and helped in other ways, the Steve Koven Trio, artist Leslie Cochrane, and especially the committee: Lorelie Mitchell (Chair), Georgina Rayner, Garry Oddleifson, Pat Odegard and Peter Fox.
Everyone enjoyed the Viking Plays; kudos to our director, Thorsteinn Helf.
The players: Peter Fox, Katrin Jonsdottir, Hildegard & Thorsteinn Helf, Jim Garrett, Lisbet Gunnarsdottir,
with an introduction by Dan Bjarnason.
(Thanks to photographers George Albert & Ed Johnson)
THE ICELANDERS OF KINMOUNT, ONTARIO
Our newsletter of February/March 1998 featured un article about the "Kinmount Memorial" project. To this end, further adventures of those 1874 immigrants to Ontario will appear in subsequent issues. Their passage was on the S.S. St. Patrick.
What happened to those poor immigrants reads like a series of unusual mishaps and government blundering. They struggled their way from hard times in Iceland, to sickness, unemployment and disaster in Ontario, and then, after a bitterly cold winter in Manitoba, into a smallpox epidemic which was waiting for them around the corner.
This hardened lot were among the "1875 founding fathers" of
New Iceland, along the shores of Lake Winnipeg. In spite of their
personal trials in the New World, they endured, and gave themselves to
the Canada we know today. Large numbers of their descendants can
also be found scattered across the United States.
For this reason, the Icelandic National League has proposed that a
memorial be erected at Kinmount, to commemorate this ill-fated
attempt to settle in North America. The town itself is in full agreement with the memorial, as part of its own history.
It all started in early September 1874, along the Arctic shores of Iceland. Whether they could have imagined their destiny or not, 351 souls, on the edge of survival, were heading for hardship and tragedy on the fringes of settlement in Ontario.
Mass migration from Iceland during the 1870's was fuelled by deplorable conditions there. By 1874, life had become very harsh for the labouring class in northern areas, most of whom were landless. Two years earlier a powerful earthquake had caused major damage to several districts, especially in and around the port of Husavik. As well, there were the unusual warning of volcanic eruptions on the horizon.
The climate had been deteriorating for a long time and the local economy was suffering due to poor fishing for several years.
The previous winter had been unusually severe, arriving a month early, with blizzards and bitter cold throughout, and into late spring. This was accompanied by pack ice from the Arctic which lowered summer temperatures, resulting in insufficient pasture for livestock. The sheep industry was dealt a terrible blow.
Therefore, many people already struggling for a living, lost their means of support. Widespread unemployment was on the rise, and through no fault of their own, more and more were being thrown into poverty and dependence. In turn, this created a burden for independent farmers, and in order to curtail the practice of begging, new legislation was passed.
The poor who couldn't provide for themselves became wards of the state, and at district council meetings they were put up for bids. The one who wished to take the pauper for the lowest cost to the district would be given custody of the individual. To worsen matters, families that became public wards were usually split up, and their numbers were increasing. The government of the time had neither the means nor the know-how to deal with these problems. Therefore, for many, the only way out of a growing cycle of poverty was to emigrate.
Such conditions encouraged the prospective Kinmount settlers to abandon their beloved island in September of 1874. They had already prepaid a Danish ship to take them away. When it failed to arrive, fate took a turn for the worse. No one could have guessed that the events which followed would ripple into a series of misadventures and loss. After weeks of anxious waiting many of those who had assembled in a couple of seaports returned to their homes disappointed, weary, and poorer for the experience. At this point, due to the large number of desperate people, an Icelandic emigration agent, Guđmundur Lambertsen, himself almost in despair, chartered a British ship to sail directly from Iceland to Canada. As a result, the Allan Lines steamer S.S. St. Patrick was quickly dispatched from Glasgow. The following report was made by Peter Byrne, Ontario emigration agent for Scotland to Canadian authorities in Toronto:
"The steamer St. Patrick was got ready in a few days and started her novel voyage. When she arrived in Iceland it was found that the people had nearly all dispersed to their homes, having come to the conclusion after long waiting that no vessel would come to take them away. No time, however, was lost in dispatching mounted men in all directions over the island to notify the disappointed emigrants that the long-looked-for steamer had at last arrived, and after considerable trouble though remarkably little delay, considering the circumstances, they were again got together and all safely embarked."
As numbers of their countrymen had gone earlier to Milwaukee (via Copenhagen), and to the Muskoka District north of Toronto, they may have planned rejoining them there. News of these places had reached home via letters and also through encouraging stories in newspapers. Most of them probably had Wisconsin in mind. But, circumstances and chance proved otherwise, when their fate was sealed by their new contract with the Allan Lines and the promise to settle in Canada:
"We the passengers of the S.S. St. Patrick to Quebec whose names are given in the foregoing list, do hereby declare our intention of proceeding to the Dominion of Canada and settling there such as of us are married declaring for our wives and families who accompany us and in witness therefore, we do affix our signatures to the same having had explanation to us in our language the business of what we are signing - with translation in both Danish and Icelandic."
The emigrants were divided into two groups for processing and boarding. The smaller group of 146 made their way to Akureyri while the remaining 205 gathered at Sauđarkrókur, both well established northern ports. They had already disposed of their property at unfair prices, such as livestock, furniture and other items of modest value that couldn't be taken along as baggage. If they had any land, it realized very little or simply had to be given away or abandoned.
Yet, their travelling trunks included important family mementos and valued books, Unfortunately, most of them had spent their meagre savings while waiting for the Danish boat. Yet, in spite the circumstances, the Allan Lines were able to collect from all sources over £2000 for the journey. In addition to payment from the passengers, travel bonuses were remitted to the steamship company by the Dominion and Ontario governments. Business correspondence between James & Alexander Allan and Canadian authorities in London reveals interesting transactions.
Dear Don:
I was delighted to hear about the important role you have played in getting the proposed memorial commemoration marker at Kinmount. It is indeed a worthy project.
With the assumption that funding and donations will soon be forthcoming enclosed is my contribution. My recommendation: Memorial plaques placed in remote places are at greater risk of being vandalized. Therefore, a site close to the old railway station would be a more favorable setting. John Einarson Broad Run, Virginia
If you would like to contribute to the memorial or have suggestions, please contact Don Gislason.
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