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September/October 2001 Fálkinn, the ICCT Newsletter
42nd Year, Number 2
Special Event - Our Season Opener
Date: Tuesday, October 9, 2001 An important event - the Icelandic ambassador to Canada, Hjálmar W. Hannesson, and his wife Anna Birgisdóttir, will meet with us for the first time. The embassy in Ottawa was opened in May this year, the first Icelandic embassy in Canada. We are excited at this long awaited development, and look forward to saying "Velkominn til Kanada" to the ambassador and his wife. Hjálmar W. Hannesson, (b. 5, April 1946 in Reykjavik), graduated from Icelandic Teachers College and went on to complete his BA and MA in Political Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC in 1969. He taught at the Icelandic Teachers College, the Reykjavik College and at the University of Iceland, 1969-1976. Hannesson joined the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976, and has served his country in numerous positions, and in many locations. He has served in an ambassadorial capacity to the Federal Republic of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Greece, with residence in Bonn. Also ambassador to GDR, Hungary, and Liechtenstein. Appointed Ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China in 1995, simultaneously to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Democratic Republic of Korea. In March of '98, he was promoted to Ambassador, Political Director, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as Deputy Permanent Secretary of State in March of '99. In April of this year, Mr. Hannesson became the Icelandic Ambassador to Canada.
Carol McGirr is a member of the ICCT, and is a well-known storyteller. Carol is the founder and Director of Fireside Epic. Earlier this year she was a winner of the Alice Kane Award given in support of story telling efforts. Music will be provided by violinist Sig Martin from London, Ontario. Sigmar 'Sig' Martin is a violinist who was born in Hnausa, Manitoba, and comes from a musical family. He is principal second violin with the London (Ontario) Symphony Orchestra, plays in a chamber group, and has a jazz ensemble. We look forward to meeting him. Another performer lines up for this event is Lindy, who many of you will remember from the Viking Gala, and from our Thorrablót in March. He is from a musical family also. His parents were a folk duo back in the '70s. They later formed a family group with their children. Lindy is now an entertaining solo performer. And the artistic artwork of some talented ICCT members will be on display. We will be able to view examples of the work of Katrina Koven, Tom Bjarnason, and Thorsteinn Helf. Katrina has had gallery shows this year in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Gimli. Tom is very familiar to us as a talented illustrator of postage stamps and magazine articles. His studio is part of the Northumberland Studio Tour that has just taken place. Thorsteinn is our resident Viking, and often appears in costume. His artwork is usually a style of folk art that reflects his 'Vikingness' Afterwards, join us for a dessert and coffee reception. Members: $4.00/Guests: $5.00 South of the Border
The Ontario Icelandic Horse Associationwill hold its Fall Show at Tralee, 19933 Mountainview Rd., Caledon East on Saturday, October 20. Icelandic Horses from across Ontario and beyond will be competing in the one day Fun Fall Show. The first class will start at 9:00. Bring your folding chair, unless you like to stand. Coffee, soft drinks and hot dogs will be available on site. For more information, call Lynda Helgason at (905) 355-1041 or gimli@eagle.ca.Icelandair Specials:The airline has a lot of variety in Fall and Winter packages. Contact Icelandair at 1-800-779-2899; e-mail: holidays@icelandair.is; and check the website: www.icelandair.com. Then, if you decide you're interested in a trip to Iceland, you can help the Icelandic National League by booking with the Great Canadian Travel Co. If you book your trip with the GCTC agent, tell them you are INL, and the INL will receive a commission. GCTC toll-free number is 1-800-661-3830. Bravo.Watch Bravo TV on Sept 25th at 8pm for an item that will feature Pearl Palmason. Pearl was a career violinist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, beginning when the conductor was Sir Ernest McMillan. The programme is titled 'Pearl's Passion for the Fiddle.' Watch for it. Congratulations!To John and Ellen (Sigurdson) Gilmore on their 50th wedding anniversary. Three cheers! And congratulations to Betty Jane Wylie on her appointment as Writer in Residence - North York Public Library. Icelandic Heritage CalendarsWe have received the INL Heritage Calendars for 2002. The theme is 'Poets, Authors & Playwrights' and our area is well represented by the appearance of Maja Ardal, Katrina Koven, and Betty-Jane Wylie. You'll recognize other friends in this issue, too. We'll have them at the Oct. 9 event - $10.00 each. For mail orders, watch your next Falkinn for order forms. The Snorri Sturluson Icelandic FellowshipsThe Sigurdur Nordal Institute invites applicants for the Snorri Sturluson Icelandic Fellowships for 2002. The Fellowships are granted to writers, translators and scholars (not to university students) in the field of humanities from outside Iceland, to enable them to stay in Iceland for a period of at least three months, in order to improve their knowledge of the Icelandic language, culture and society. The amount of the Fellowships is based in principle on travel expenses to and from Iceland, plus living expenses while in the country. Should two equally-qualified candidates be under consideration, preference will, as a rule, be given to a candidate from Eastern or Southern Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, or Oceania. The Sigurdur Nordal Institute assists Fellows during their stay in Iceland, at the conclusion of which Fellows are expected to submit a report to the Institute on how the grant was spent. There is no special application form for the Fellowships. Applicants should submit a brief but thorough account of the purpose of their stay in Iceland, specifying period of stay, as well as details of education and publications. Applications should be sent no later than October 31st 2001 to: The Sigurdur Nordal Institute INTERNATIONAL VISITS PROGRAM - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS TO TOUR IN BOTH ICELAND AND NORTH AMERICAHave you heard about the International Visits Program of the Icelandic National League? This is a cultural exchange program that brings Icelandic artists to North America and sends North American artists to Iceland. Initially, the program focussed mainly on the visual arts, starting with the cross-Canada tour of Ađalsteinn Ingólfsson in 1997, during which he showed landscape art from the National Gallery. In 1998 artist Patricia Guttormson Peacock from Vancouver showed her Norse-themed paintings at the Emigration Centre in Hofsós. Two visits took place in 1999 - bird carver Einar Vigfusson displayed his Icelandic and Canadian birds in Iceland during the summer, and photographer Páll Stefánsson toured Canada from Halifax to Victoria in the fall. This year soprano Sigrid Carole Thorsteinson Davis and her accompanist Harold Brown toured Iceland in May, and Icelandic National Dress expert Friđur Ólafsdóttir went coast to coast in Canada in June as well as presenting her workshop in Seattle and Minneapolis. Now, we are inviting an applicant of Icelandic descent in any field of the arts (such as writing, photography, music, visual arts, dance, etc.) from North America to apply to tour Iceland in March or April of 2003. The contest is open to either a single artist or a duo. Organizational help and some financial support will be provided. The deadline for receipt of applications by the Director of the International Visits Program, Gail Einarson-McCleery, has been extended to November 15th, 2001. IN ADDITION, a new component is being added - that of North American artists touring North America in the summer of 2003. This new cultural exchange is focussing on youth - ages 12 to 30 can apply. The deadline for this facet of the program is November 15th also. Application Forms for both programs can be downloaded from the INL Website. Go to http://users.imag.net/~sry.rasgeirs/ Click on the News Link and look for the story; from there you can click on the Application Form. Applications should be made through your local chapter of the Icelandic National League, in this case the ICCT, so please contact Darla McKay at demckay to request sponsorship of your application. Good luck to everyone! Gail Einarson-McCleery
CLUB MEMBERSHIPNew Members:William Donaldson (Toronto) Solveig Geirsdottir (Peterborough) Finnbogi & Hronn Haraldsson Patricia Pidoux (Stouffville) Lorna & Charlotte Day (Toronto) The Bolahoods: Wayne & Cathy, Jessica, Leila, Paige & Barry (Oshawa) Donations:Donna Henrikson & Andrew Spence Robert & Lillian Sparkes (Kinmount) Dr.l Steven Cronshaw. Member MilestonesHappy 75th Birthday to Eric McCleery, a committed member and good friend of the ICCT. Eric, you don't look 75. Are you sure you haven't made an error? Daily News from Iceland Features ICCT MemberA group of archaeologists are researching links between Scotland and Iceland and are presently in Seljaland, west Eyjafjallahreppur, south Iceland. Working on this project to date and exploring the history of these caves are: Canadian (and ICCT member), Kristján Ahronson, Icelander Gudmundur Helgi Jónsson, German, Florian Huber and Scot, Alan Macniven. This project is of particular interest to Iceland since it will help elucidate some of the history following pre-settlement by Irish monks ('papar') around the year 800. The archaeologists will be comparing the results of research done on caves in south Iceland to caves on the west coast of Scotland and to cave shelters in the Westman Islands. Canadian archaeologist, Kristján Ahronson, is currently studying at the University of Edinburgh and this research forms part of his course there. In the Icelandic daily 'Morgunbladid', Ahronson commented that he will be returning next summer to explore more of these caves on the island's south coast. SIGGA CATHERINE (JOHANNSON) MOORE
Sigga devoted her life to serving others in the communities in which she lived; Langruth, Flin Flon, Montreal, Galt, Falconbridge, Toronto and Cambridge. She was a proud member of the Timothy Eaton Memorial Community Service Group, especially the mending group; the Women's Mining Association; and the IODE. When she moved to Toronto, she rediscovered her Icelandic roots at a coffee party at Fanny Peacock's home and she soon became very active in the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto. She was one of those who got the Scholarship program off the ground and served on the Scholarship Committee for many years. In addition, 17 young people benefited from her generosity; they received free room and board with Sigga while attending University. Her Icelandic was very good, and she helped others with theirs by teaching Icelandic classes. Through the years, she was always supportive, helping with organizing, billeting visiting Icelanders, and baking her famous kleinar. Books meant a great deal to her and she often read to us at club meetings, as well as acting as Assistant Librarian. She was an honorary member of both the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto and of the Icelandic National League of North America. Having learned to drive at the age of 11, she made many driving trips, and was still driving across the country alone while well into her 80's. She also travelled overseas, sometimes taking along one of her beloved grandchildren, to Australia, Ireland, other parts of Europe and of course to Iceland - seven times. Her other interests included bridge, handwork of all kinds and baking bread on her wood stove at her camp on the lake. She was a woman who had incredible energy all her life; she will be sorely missed by ICCT members. Sigga was the beloved wife of the late Robert H. Moore (1973). She is survived by her children David Moore and his wife Gerd of Kitchener, JoAnn Collins of Kitchener, Loreen Rymes and her husband Donald of Edmonton, her grandchildren Robert and Kenneth Moore, Barbara Jane and Jeffrey Collins, and Christopher and Andrew Rymes; her brothers Tom (Baltimore), John (North Vancouver), Francis (Calgary) and Robert (Sorrento, B.C.) Johannson, and her sisters Blanche McLeod (Macdonald, MB), Rena Arskey (Langruth) and Louise Groom (Winnipeg); and many other treasured friends and relatives. HAPPY THANKSGIVING
to all of you from the ICCT Executive |
Another auspicious event to take place at this event is the presentation of gift sets of the Icelandic Sagas to local universities and libraries. These English translations of the sagas have been exquisitely published by Leifur Eiriksson Publishing Ltd. They are produced in five beautifully bound volumes, complete with slipcase. To commemorate the millennium the people of Iceland - governments, corporations, and individuals - donated 500 sets of these very valuable and important sets to the people of North America. We have invited universities and libraries in Ontario to accept this gift.
And, for your entertainment, saga teller Carol McGirr will treat us to a saga telling from the Laxdaela saga. She will tell of Olaf the Peacock, so called because of his manner of dress. A grandson of an Irish king, he returns to Ireland to claim his heritage.
The ICCT, as part of the Icelandic National League of North America, wishes to extend condolences to all our American friends following the recent tragedy. In particular, we send our sympathy to members of the Icelandic community who reside in the New York area, and to anyone who had friends or relatives who were affected. Our thoughts have been with you in these troubling times.
Sigga was born at Big Point on the western shore of Lake Manitoba; her parents, Arni Johannson and Guđlaug Ingimundson were born in Churchbridge, Saskatchewan. At the age of 3, she lost her mother and was raised by her maternal grandparents, Bjarni and Guđrun Ingimundson. Because they only spoke Icelandic, she didn't learn English until she was 8 or 9 years old. She grew up to be a schoolteacher and taught near Gladstone, at Asham and at Flin Flon, where she met and married her husband Bob.
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