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May/June 1998 Fálkinn, the ICCT Newsletter
38th Year, Number 6
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Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland,
will be receiving an honourary doctorate from the University of Guelph,
on June 10th, 1998.| Officers: | |
| President:
Vice-President: Past President/Program: Recording Secretary: Corresponding Secretary: Treasurer: |
Gail Einarson-McCleery
Chris Morden Carry Oddleifson Jim Gibson Pat Odegard John & Ellen Gilmore |
| Directors: | |
| Membership Outreach:
Membership Records: Librarian: Youth Coordinator: Merchandising: Social Convener: Website: Falkinn Newsletter Editor: Falkinn Mailings: INL Conference Coordinator: Director-at-Large: Director-at-Large: Director-at-Large: Director-at-Large: Director-at-Large: INL Representative: |
Don Gislason
John Briem Kathleen McDermott Leah Salt Holly Garrett Irene Gibson Arthur Wendover Darla E. McKay Lorna Woods Fran Moscall Vern Austman Tom Einarson Peter Fox Evelyn Trites Katrin Jonsdottir Eric Einarson-McCleery |
CLUB NEWS
THANK YOU
To the following members for donations:
Vern Austman and Sylvia Hough (library books), Bill Johnson, Vince & Ruth Eastman, Everton & Helen Paul (library book), Evelyn & Mike Trites (Icelandic flag), Art Zeiler (Logberg), Glen & Paula Thordarson (Icelandic Review subscription), Eric & Evelyn Sigvaldson (library book), Michael & Laura Briem (library book), Ed & Margaret Eggertson, Loralie Mitchell..
Welcome to new members
Thomas & Sandra Oleson (Whitby), Michael Bildfell (Richmond Hill)
Birthdays
Sigga (Johannson) Moore celebrated her 86th birthday in April. A large party was held in her honour and was attended by many family and friends. Sigga also received birthday wishes from the Prime Minister!
Deaths
James Calder Strang, peacefully following a short illness, in Mississauga on Tuesday, March 31, 1998, at the age of 76. James, beloved husband of Ethel, and much loved father of Susan and her husband Cameron Stuart, Donald and his wife Judy, and Barbara and her fiance Guy Smagghe. Much loved son of Mrs. Catherine Strang. Cherished Grandfather to Alexander, lain, Mary, James and Emma. James will also be sadly missed by his many other family and friends.
Jim was a great supporter of our club, always there to help his wife Ethel in her role as Social Convener. He also was very active in the Masons, and it was heart-warming to see their support of the family in the special service they performed at his funeral.
Aldis Marjorie (Peterson) Carson, of Moffat, Ontario, passed away on April 16, 1998 after a long and brave struggle following a tragic car accident. She was born Dec. 4, 1922 in Wynyard, Sask. to Benedikt Peterson, b. Hensel, North Dakota and Ragnheidur (Ranka) Olafsdottir, from the Eyjajfordur district, Iceland. Ben and Ranka were married in the U.S. and made their home in Cavalier, ND before immigrating to Elfros, Sask. in 1911.
Aldis was deeply committed to her family, friends and community. She graduated in Physical Education from the University of Saskatchewan in 1945, won the "Spirit of Youth Trophy" for leadership, and is commemorated on the Sask. Athletic Wall of Fame there. In the same year she married Fred G.(Bud) Carson in Saskatoon, after which they moved to Montreal.
As a life long volunteer, she founded such organizations as "Creative Grandparenting", "United Generations Ontario", and "Knitting Generations Together". Aldis was a lively raconteur, volunteering as a reader in elementary schools.
Her loving friendship, will be especially remembered by her husband Bud of 53 years, as well as her 11 children and their families:
Michael (Lise), Joanne (Buck) MacDonald, Barbara (David) Doherty, Karen (Brian) Cairns, Robert (Peggy), Tom (Denise), Teresa (Alf) Beale, Deborah Carson, David (Lynne), James (Allyson), and John (Jessi), as well as 19 grandchildren.
Margaret Goucher passed away in late April. Born January 6, 1910 in Brandon, Manitoba of a family who came from the Lundar area. She moved to Toronto at a young age; worked as a teacher, secretary, and then in the library at the University of Toronto. Margaret was very bright, alert, and active - loved going out to events, including our picnics, bringing along all her friends. Sister of James Goucher and his wife Mary, Doris Sullivan (Winnipeg), Ruth Taylor (Brandon) and the late Charles, Stanley, Roy and Jock. Very special friend of Paul Werbicki. Will be missed by her many nieces and nephews
ICELANDIC FOOD
Those of you who attended our recent Thorrablót will probably have fond memories of the food; the skyr was very popular. When the "Delegates's Dining Room" of the United Nations recently opened their Icelandic Weeks, skyr was also a "smashing hit". It was served with blueberries at the opening.
Thorrablot Skyr
Take 2 litres of buttermilk, heat it in the oven in a bowl at 3OOF, leave in the oven overnight, strain the whey out, add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup whipping cream (or to taste) and beat until smooth. "This will make a little less than I litre of skyr.
Hardfish and Rullapylsa for Sale
We have limited quantities of rullapylsa and hardfish available -
$1O for rullapylsa and $8 for hardfish.
Call Pat Odegard at (905) 337-2621 if you'd like some of these Icelandic goodies!
THE ICELANDERS OF KINMOUNT, ONTARIO
Business correspondence between James & Alexander Allan and Canadian authorities in London reveals interesting transactions;
The Allans expressed dissatisfaction with the business. They had somehow been 'guaranteed' adult bonuses from the age of 8 and upwards, but the Ontario authorities calculated from 12 and up, lowering government payments to the company by about £29. Also, they weren't pleased with the total amount collected. It was considered too low and hardly worth the effort of sending a ship as it wasn't possible, due to Danish trade restrictions, to obtain cargo in Iceland in the usual way. Both the Ontario immigration authorities in London and the steamship company were upset with the agent Gudmundur Lambertsen. He had pleaded for government help so that a steamer could be sent, and then dared questioned business matters between the provincial government and the Allan Lines. In response, Sydney Robjohn of the Ontario Immigration Office in London wrote to its office in Toronto, to the Allan brothers, and to Peter Byrne, the Ontario agent in Glasgow as follows:
Canada Government Building
King Street, Westminster, S. W.
I...must express my great indignation that Mr. Lambertsen should have dared to cast an imputation on my integrity by saying that to his "knowledge such payment" (that of the Ontario bonus) had not been made to the Company (the Allans)... .and I beg you to bring this matter under the notice of the Hon. Mr. Commissioner, who will I am sure resent an insult offered to an official in his Department."
Again, with his integrity still in shambles, he writes a further letter:
Sydney Robjohn
The Allans were informed that some of the passengers believed that the government bonuses were to go directly to them, and they [the Icelanders] "fancied that the exceedingly small sum in money which was collected from them should have sufficed for their passage". The Allans made it clear that the trip would not have been undertaken for the small amount of money received, and besides the company wasn't under any obligation. Rather, they did it knowing that a party of passengers were waiting, in the expectation that their agent [Lamberts] would somehow provide a steamer, and the company didn't want to see him beat! Their parting shot was that they [the Allans] "wouldn't care to repeat the operation" unless there were many more passengers, as ships going to Iceland incurred serious risk on the high seas. The ship was, though undoubtedly slow, '"perfectly sound and seaworthy", but wasn't insured when she went to Iceland. Like others of her vintage, she probably had a single stack and three auxiliary masts.
When the St. Patrick arrived in Akureyri on September 4th, she took on those who had gathered there. On the 8th she docked in Saudarkrokur, where the rest of the group was loaded. Then, on the 11th of September (a Thursday) she finally sailed, carrying the lot to an uncertain future. More passengers may have been expected, and undoubtedly some had planned on leaving but changed their minds. Certainly, not all who emigrated in 1874 were on that fateful trip. Altogether, about 390 left for North America that year, with the bulk of them on the St. Patrick. The others were destined mostly for Utah, Wisconsin, Nova Scotia and elsewhere in Ontario.
According to a journal kept by one of the passengers, they reached Isafjordur on the northwest coast of the country by Friday. From there they set a course straight west. About 11:00 o'clock that day their homeland disappeared forever over the horizon. They had sailed about 202 miles since leaving Saudarkrokur.
By Saturday the 12th, they were on the open seas on a west south-west course, but met with high winds which set the ship rolling. As expected, many people got seasick and braced themselves for more. It was, after all, a time of year when storms at sea were frequent. Speed was reduced as they logged 181 miles. By the next day, all thirteen sails of the ship were in full use. The ship was rolling and sea sickness and nausea was widespread. One of the women passengers was immanently expecting her baby. How that night went can only be guessed, but as the ship ploughed through high waves on Monday the 14th, a daughter was born to Gudrun Jonasdottir and Johannes Sigurdsson from Kleiffarm in Eyjafjord district. Four of their children were on board, but two of them died shortly after landing in Canada. The ship covered only 89 miles that day.
On Tuesday the 15th, the St. Patrick increased her speed slightly, covering 115 miles. But strong headwinds from the west and heavy seas continued to roll against the ship. Walking on deck was very difficult, so most of the passengers had little chance to move about, and probably lay in their bunks waiting for time to pass. By Wednesday the 16th, head winds continued from the west, hut only four sails were in use. Again, the distance covered was 115 miles.
On Thursday the 17th, things changed. Heavy fog descended upon them with strong winds lashing at the twelve unfurled sails. A snow storm blew across the wide expanse of ocean and over the deck. Even so, the distance covered that day was a record 250 miles. By Friday morning the 18th, after a week on the high seas, icebergs loomed from the north and they met two outgoing ships, a steamship and a small sailing vessel. By evening, they sighted a lighthouse on the coast of Newfoundland. Sailing conditions allowed for 75 miles that day.
By Saturday morning the 19th, they reached the strait between Newfoundland and Labrador, and the land appeared rocky and barren. One hundred and fifty miles were covered that day. On the next day they traversed the Gulf of St. Lawrence, over 180 miles with no land visible, encountering fog and strong prevailing west winds. It wasn't until Monday night that they could see the coast of Quebec dotted with lovely farm houses, fishing boats and larger ships of all sorts. The distance covered that day was 160 miles. On Tuesday, September 22nd, they encountered a great many outgoing vessels coming from the St. Lawrence, As the bay narrowed towards the mouth of the river, a pilot came aboard to notify customs of their arrival, and guide them towards the harbour. They travelled 150 miles that day. On Wednesday the 23rd, the last day of their voyage, they docked in Quebec City alongside many other ships. They had travelled 168 miles that day.
After thirteen days and nearly 2000 miles on the high seas, with no deaths reported, they finally completed the first leg of their journey. They were met by Sigtryggur Jonasson, who acted as interpreter and agent for the Ontario government. After a long wait and clearing customs, he took them to the Immigration Hall where they were fed bread and apples. As most of them hadn't seen apples before and had no idea how to eat them, they decided they didn't like them anyway!
When the St. Patrick passengers arrived in Quebec, Jonasson found many of them suffering from intestinal disorders, with diarrhea and vomiting. The close quarters and sea sickness endured on the journey, as well as the weeks they languished in public housing waiting for a ship that didn't arrive, may have set the stage for what was yet to come.... (To be continued in next issue.)
If you would like to contribute to the memorial or have suggestions, please contact:
Don Gislason, 442 Castlefield Ave., Toronto, M5N IL5,
(416) 489-7737, e-mail: fractal@globalserve.net
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