LÖGBERG HEIMSKRINGLA The Icelandic Community Newspaper • 15 July 2014 • Number 14/ Númer 14 • 15. júlí 2014

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INSIDE Senator, amma, and now Honourary Chair of Women for Nature TWO BIRDS / RÚNAR RÚNARSSON PHOTO COURTESY OF GIMLI FILM FESTIVAL Jodi Joy, Director of Development, Nature Canada Upcoming Ottawa, ON celebrations he Board and staff of Nature Canada are honoured to have Senator Janis Johnson as the Honourary Chair of Gimli Film Festival, Manitoba Nature Canada’s Women for Nature Initiative. Senator Icelandic Festival, Hecla T Johnson has dedicated her career to serving Canadians in Island and August the Deuce politics, business and arts and has served in many prominent / pages 5 and 7 positions in her community and her country. Her passion for social justice and equality for women led her to study political science, graduate to a career working in politics, and run her own business. In the 1980s, Senator Johnson became the first woman to establish and chair the federal Progressive Conservative Women’s Caucus. Subsequently, she became the first female National Director of the PC Party of Canada in 1983. She was called to the Senate of Canada in 1990 and in addition to June 17 and this eminent role, has also been an active volunteer on social advocacy campaigns. Johnson served on the boards of two Kvennahlaup universities, the YM/YWCA, Special Olympics Manitoba and Canada, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and currently, the Royal More photos, more stories / Winnipeg Ballet’s National Advisory Council. pages 8 to 11 Senator Johnson raised a family, is an amma now and her greatest joy is taking her young grandsons on walks along Gimli Beach, where she has a home. Nature and the outdoors, especially Lake Winnipeg, have played a huge role in her life. ... continued on page 2 PHOTO COURTESY OF NATURE CANADA

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIIMEDIA COMMONS THE RISE, FALL AND RISE OF ICELANDIC BANKING Björk Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson On a rappers’ album and in the New York City Museum Elisabeth I. Ward, Director of the Scandinavian Cultural of Fine Art / page 13 Center, Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA

ver the last five years, and even before that, Iceland has been making international news in regard to its banking Osector: first for how impressively it was growing, then for how fantastically it collapsed, and now recently for how well it is recovering. This dizzying unfolding of events is the result of a peculiar set of economic decisions, public policies, and international politics. One scholar who is especially qualified to comment on all this is Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson, Professor at the University of Akureyri, School of Business and Science, who is a macro-economist with an emphasis on domestic public policy, and how that plays out in international arenas. PHOTO: HILMAR ÞÓR HILMARSSON Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson, macro-economist, spoke at ... continued on page 2 universities across the USA August 1, 2014 Links at the Lake Golf Course Gimli, MB Register online at www.lh-inc.ca In Support of Lögberg-Heimskringla or by phone 1-866-564-2374

Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca 2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • July 15 2014 Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. júlí 2014 • 3 Icelandic banking ... continued from page 1 University of Alberta Kimberly Irwin awarded scholarship to study in Iceland I had the pleasure of meeting Hilmar Alicyn Goodman the coordinator Ásta Sól, and later by her cousins, the In 2006, Kimberly began studying Icelandic through while he was a Visiting Scholar at the Scandinavian program and Kimberly Irwin descendants of Hlödver’s sisters. During her stay in Háskóli Íslands Distance Learning program Icelandic University of Washington, in Seattle, Reykjavík, there were about 30 cousins who gathered Online Plus. In 2007, she returned to Iceland again to during Spring 2014. It was actually quite Winnipeg MB to meet Kimberly. They had many questions about visit her cousins, but still had a long way to go before a relief to meet a real specialist in this flourishing he Icelandic National League of North America who her family was, how many of them there are, what she could understand this man’s babble about food and field, someone who truly understood is pleased to announce that Kimberly K. Irwin they do and where they lived. However, Kimberly had boys. She wanted to be able to communicate beyond what had happened, since I have been has been awarded an Icelandic Government only known her first cousins, and realized that she the basic level of comprehension, so later set off to asked from time to time to comment Dr. Natalie M. Van Deusen, Chair, Canadian Initiative for T Scholarship in Icelandic Studies at the University of had a lot of research to do on her family. One cousin Winnipeg, MB in 2009 with the intent to study Icelandic on the banking crisis in Iceland. As a PHOTO: ELISABETH WARD Nordic Studies (CINS) Iceland. She is a most worthy recipient, but the Icelandic offered Kimberly sheep and potatoes to fatten her up, at the University of Manitoba. Kimberly has since then specialist in the Icelandic sagas and the Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson, guest lecturer at Pacific Canadian community will miss her many contributions and insisted that she should learn Icelandic, he was obtained a B.A. in Icelandic Language and Literature Viking Age, all I could ever comment espite the financial wrote my doctoral dissertation Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA to organizations such as the Sólskríkjan choir, Icelandic even certain he could find a boy her age if she stayed. in 2013, and has recently been awarded the Icelandic on was the mis-use of the term Viking difficulties facing on the Old Norse-Icelandic Canadian Frón and the Lögberg-Heimskringla Kimberly laughed and kindly declined these gifts, Government Scholarship in Icelandic Studies at the as it had been applied to Icelandic Canadian universities in legend of Martha and Mary D newspaper to name a few. We look forward to hearing but promised she would learn Icelandic and return. University of Iceland. bankers during the boom of the early EU, Iceland has focused on bilateral relationships recent years, the Scandinavian Magdalen. I have published of her adventures in Iceland. Since moving to Manitoba, Kimberly has been an 2000s. Hilmar’s far more in-depth analysis looks and then even acted unilaterally during times of program at the University of several articles related to this active member in the Icelandic Community. She is a board at how a small nation operates in the international crisis. Hilmar stated during his talk at the Nordic Alberta continues to grow and legend, and have also written on Kimberly’s Saga (so far) member for the Snorri Alumni Association, and helps banking sector. Though it is not unusual for a Heritage Museum, “During the 2008 economic thrive. This is due in no small medieval and modern Icelandic There was a man called Hlöðver Águst Árnason, promote the program each year at Íslendingadagurinn. small nation to have an oversized banking system and financial crisis the government of Iceland part to the tremendous support literature more generally. I son of the farmer Árni Sveinbjörnsson and Arndís This year she gave a presentation for the Snorri Program in comparison to its GDP, Hilmar notes what is contacted major central banks bilaterally to rescue we have received from the spent a year doing research at Jónsdóttir of Oddstaðir in the Lundarreykjadalur Valley at the INL of NA convention. She also assists Brad unusual is how unilaterally Iceland acted, in both its banking system but found itself isolated and Scandinavian community in the Arnamagneean Collection at of Borgarfjörður. Hlöðver went to Canada and lived Hirst in organizing the Annual Snorri BBQ and other building up that system, but more especially in without friends. Then a unilateral action was taken Edmonton and elsewhere in the University of Copenhagen in Riverton, Manitoba. He married Anna Halldora gatherings, and has worked with Julie Summers to how it has responded to the crisis since then. with an Emergency Act. Its three largest banks fell Alberta. The position I occupy in 2009-10, and also studied in Thorvaldson, daughter of Sveinn Thorvaldson, a man of put out the Snorri Alumni Association newsletter. In During his visit to the United States, he and its currency depreciated sharply. After the fall was made possible by the Iceland for two summers. I am good family and his first wife Margret Sólmundsdóttir addition, Kimberly is a board member of the Icelandic was primarily occupied with writing several of the banking system Iceland had a dispute with many generous donations to currently working on turning of Riverton. They had six children: their eldest was Arni Canadian Frón, a member of the Sólskríkjan Kór and has articles and making contacts with colleagues the Netherlands and the UK over the so-called the Scandinavian Professorship my dissertation into a book, and Gregg Arnason, an accomplished musician, teacher, volunteered at the Scandinavian Pavilian at Folklorama. in North America. But he also devoted a great ICESAVE accounts, and again ended up acting Endowment Fund established am collaborating with Professor pilot, and Captain. Arni married an Irish woman, In 2013, Kimberly became a volunteer at the amount of time to speaking about his research unilaterally. Although the government of Iceland by the Scandinavian Studies Kirsten Wolf of the University Marjorie Gleason and eventually settled in British Lögberg-Heimskringla, cataloguing and organizing on the economic and financial crisis in Iceland at twice reached a settlement on ICESAVE, in both Association-and in particular, of Wisconsin-Madison on a Columbia. They had three children: their daughter their Icelandic Library Collection. She has participated universities across the United States. He presented cases the President of Iceland refused to sign the the contribution made by its guide to the saints in Old Norse Carol Ann Arnason, a musician and teacher, married in the annual festival parades of Mountain, ND, Hecla at the University of California, Berkeley’s legislation, and in the two national referendums president, Mrs. Linnea Lodge. and early modern Icelandic Dr. David Irwin and settled in Dawson Creek, BC. They Island, and Gimli, MB on behalf of L-H. Kimberly has prestigious European Roundtable on the subject that then took place, the nation rejected the The association's continued poetry. have four children, one of which is Kimberly Kathleen also become a member of the Social Media Team and “Iceland in an Era of Shadow Banking: A Model deal. In retrospect Iceland was fortunate that its and the story now turns to her. is a co-editor for the new Lögberg-Heimskringla online for Crash and Recovery?”, a talk which was banking system fell and the nation rejected the Kimberly’s afi, Arni, was a proud Icelandic- magazine heimskringlog.com with Leif Norman. co-sponsored by the European Union Center of ICESAVE deal. Rescuing the banks or accepting Canadian, with a keen interest in the literature, language Moving to Winnipeg allowed Kimberly to Excellence; Institute of European Studies; and the ICESAVE deal could have brought Iceland’s and culture of Iceland. He often told stories of his time rediscover her Icelandic-Canadian roots, and develop a Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian national debt to an unsustainable level. But it was in Riverton, and shared knowledge on family history greater appreciation for the importance of strengthening Studies. He also made invited presentations on a risky strategy.” and genealogy. When Kimberly was 14, he connected the bonds between the descendants of Iceland and the crisis issues at the University of California Los Hilmar points to the history of the Cold War her with a cousin over the internet, and it was that Icelanders. She hopes to contribute to the Icelandic Angeles (UCLA) and at Cornell University’s and the Cod War to show that this is a recurring friendship which really sparked her interest in learning community by helping to promote opportunities for Global Finance Initiative. Drawing on a long- strategy in Iceland’s brief 70-year history, and not about the country and language. Arni gave Kimberly younger generations to appreciate their heritage. Upon term research project, Hilmar also presented at an anomaly of the banking crisis. In the Cod War, books from Iceland, and she promised to one day learn completion of the Icelandic as a second language an Earth Energy IGERT Seminar at the Cornell Iceland unilaterally expanded its fisheries zone Icelandic, and so Arni sent her on her way to Iceland. program, she would like to pursue a Masters in Icelandic Earth Energy Institute, where he discussed, and took on the British navy to defend that move. Kimberly first made land in Iceland in 2005 through studies, but for now, her saga will continue in Iceland in with some of the leading scholars in geothermal Likewise, in the 2008 financial crisis Iceland the Snorri Program, where she was well received by late August. energy, Iceland’s transition to clean energy and unilaterally enacted an Emergency Act to protect PHOTO: TERI HOFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY how it could assist emerging countries. domestic funds, which resulted in the UK listing In addition to his research on Iceland, Hilmar the Icelandic government on its terrorist state Scandinavian program Senator Janis Johnson for one’s mental health and well-being. has also recently been focusing on Latvia’s post- Senator Johnson proudly partners watch list. ... continued from page 3 ... continued from page 1 crisis economic recovery and comparing it with During his time in the U.S., Hilmar has also with Nature Canada and her fellow the post-crisis situation in Iceland. He worked guest-taught in a number of classes, including at She has worked on issues affecting the members of Women for Nature. She for the World Bank in Latvia for four years and American University, School of Public Affairs I look forward to teaching the above courses again, as well as a new health of the lake and it is the place believes, as we do, in “women and the was a Visiting Professor at the Stockholm School in Washington DC; Georgetown University’s course, SCAND 399: Scandinavian Crime Fiction. where she feels closest to nature. Indeed, power we bring to doing this important of Economics during Fall 2013, so he knows the McDonough School of Business Administration; Our program will see some changes this year after the retirements of both her love of nature was spawned there. work with our children and families Latvian situation well. He made an academic the Scandinavian Area Studies Program at Professor Chris Hale and Contract Instructor Marianne Lindvall, after 44 She founded the Gimli Film Festival 13 across this country we love so much.” presentation comparing these two small nations at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma; and at and 41 years respectively at the University of Alberta. Along with Adjunct years ago, which features a large screen the Yale Conference on Baltic and Scandinavian the University of Washington. The students at Professor of Scandinavian Studies and Danish Marina Allemano, Chris and planted in the lake allowing people to If you or a woman you know is Studies, where I met him, and then convinced him PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. NATALIE M. VAN DEUSEN Marianne were instrumental in building the Scandinavian program at the watch movies under the stars and observe interested in taking a leadership role to Pacific Lutheran University, where I teach, were Natalie Van Deusen checks manuscripts in Denmark to do a public presentation on this same topic at fascinated to hear about the ins-and-outs of the University of Alberta, and in establishing a BA in Scandinavian Studies, the marvel of the Northern Lights. save wildlife, protect your NatureHood the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, focusing behind-the-scene politics that went into building which is the only such degree in Canada. During their careers, Chris She spoke at our recent Women for and connect children to nature, please on the financial crisis and also the human crisis. up the banking sector and the machinations to try successful efforts to raise money Since coming to Alberta, I taught a wide range of courses on Scandinavian language, literature, and Nature celebration on Parliament Hill contact Jodi at 1-800-267-4088 ext. 239 His talk at the Nordic Heritage Museum was to keep it afloat just before the collapse. Indeed, for the fund demonstrates a have had the opportunity to teach culture, and Marianne taught Norwegian and Swedish language courses. and expressed her delight at partnering or [email protected]. You can also very well received. Hilmar emphasized there, this modern economic story is turning out to be commitment by individuals several interesting courses, We are excited to be welcoming Dr. John Eason as the new instructor of with our organization to celebrate visit womenfornature.ca to learn more more so than he had for the academics at Yale, a fascinating saga, one I am sure Njáll himself beyond the university to which have drawn students Norwegian and Swedish language, and look forward to the energy he will nature’s profound impact on Canadians. about Women for Nature and get to know the difference between Iceland and other small would have appreciated. the academic discipline of from a variety of backgrounds bring to the program. She is “attracted to the work that Nature the amazing women involved. We look nations. While other countries, like Latvia and We hope Hilmar will have occasion to return Scandinavian Studies, and and academic disciplines. In Canada does to offer thousands of kids forward to inviting more women with a Ireland, work to integrate themselves into complex to North America soon. His sabbatical term ensures its continued existence the Fall 2012 term, I taught For more information on our program, including opportunities for giving, each year the opportunity to interact with deep personal connection to nature to multi-national systems, and welcome help from expires in June and he will be returning to Iceland at the University of Alberta. SCAND 341: Old Norse visit our website (http://www.mlcs.ualberta.ca/UndergraduatePrograms/ their outdoor environment and to better also become involved with the Women such international organizations, especially the in late July. I recently joined the Mythology and Legends, and Scandinavian.aspx) or e-mail [email protected]. understand it” and how it is so beneficial for Nature initiative. Department of Modem in Winter 2013, SCAND 342: Languages and Cultural Studies Vikings and Sagas and SCAND Betel Home Foundation at the University of Alberta as 356: Women in Scandinavian the inaugural Henry Cabot and Literature and Popular Culture. Linnea Lodge Scandinavian All of these courses had

Betel Home Foundation will continue to be a leader Professor. I came to the excellent enrollments, which GIMLI University of Alberta from speaks to the general appeal of and innovator in providing the highest quality of life for SELKIRK Tax receipts available the University of Wisconsin- our program's courses. I was on each individual in our care. Betel Home Foundation for donations of either Madison, where I received my maternity leave for the 2013-14 is an integral part of the community recognizing our money or stock. PhD in Scandinavian Studies academic year, but will resume Icelandic roots and respecting others cultures. in 2012. My area of research teaching again the fall. expertise is Old Norse literature GIMLI 96-1ST AVENUE • 204-642-5556 SELKIRK 212 MANCHESTER AVENUE • 204-482-4651 and manuscript studies, and I ... continued on page 3 Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca