The Icelandic Canadian Club of British Columbia

N E W S L E T T E R November 2014 XLVI:ix

Children’s Christmas Party Saturday, November 29th, 1–3 p.m.

Confederation Centre, Seniors Building 4595 Albert Street, Burnaby, 604-297-4812 (one block north of Hastings, x-street Willingdon)

Please submit children’s names to Jana 604-943-6027 email: [email protected]

No later than Wednesday, November 26th.

There is a charge of $1000 to offset costs and

please bring something for the food table.

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(Note:—the children’s party is NOT at the Scandinavian Centre.) Our own Santa

Icelandic BAKE Sale, Sunday, November 30th Scandinavian Community Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, 604-294-2777

Hard Fisk Café: Open at 9 a.m. Kaffi and Icelandic treats: Vínarterta, kleinur, pönnukökur, and rúllupylsa or hangikjöt on brown bread or flatkökur

Bake and Craft Sale: 10 a.m.—1 p.m. For Sale: Vínarterta, kleinur, pönnukökur, lifrarpylsa, rúllupylsa, hangikjöt, brown bread, harðfiskur

Pre-orders are accepted and recommended Contact: Naomi Dyer 604-465-9471 Credit Cards are no longer accepted. Payment by Cash or Cheque only.

Christmas Gifts: Choose special Scandinavian Christmas gifts from tables including items from the club, such as, INL calendars, coffee mugs, T-shirts, etc. ------For your attention: The Bake and Craft Sale and pre-orders will not be open before 10 a.m. BUT The Hard Fisk Café opens at 9 a.m. Come and have your morning coffee and Icelandic treats.

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VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON Cross Canada Recital Tour Vancouver, Friday, November 7th, 7:30 pm Pyatt hall, 843 Seymour Street, Vancouver Presented by the Consulate General of Tickets: Free Reservations are Mandatory: [email protected]

Knitting classes: Classes begin Begin February 3, 2015 in early 2015. and the following five Dates will be announced Tuesday’s, six classes in well in advance. all, 7-9 pm, $50 total.

Hard

Fisk BAKE SALE last year Café

Café

The cutest guy Crafts

Pönnukökur—made fresh 2 November 2014

OLOF BERTRAM – FJALKONA FOR THE MID EYJA CLUB 2014 The club is based in Nanaimo and Extended Area

Olof Bertram was born at Lundar, MB in 1919, the sixth of seven children, to Skuli Sigfusson and Gudrun ‘Runa’ Arnason. With only one older sister she grew up on the farm in a household of brothers who loved to tease her.

Her father, Skuli Sigfusson was an original pioneer who became a rancher, farmer, businessman, and Liberal MLA for the Interlake Area for over 20 years. He was born in 1870 at Nesi, Nordfjordur, on the East Coast of Iceland and home-schooled. He became a fisherman at the age of 14, and immigrated to Canada at the age of 17. Skuli began as a fish inspector on Lake Manitoba, then took up farming and later operated farm machinery agencies in Lundar, Eriksdale and Ashern.

Olof’s mother, Runa Arnason immigrated in1894 at the age of five from Reykjavik to Chicago, Illinois, with her mother Margret and sister Kristin. She was raised in the big city, but the family often visited Margret’s brother in Brandon, MB. On one visit, sixteen year old Runa decided to stay and took a position teaching In Somerset she met her husband, Gerry McMahon. school at Siglunes, near The Narrows of Lake They had five children – Christine, Wayne, Brenda, Manitoba. She married Skuli Sigfusson in 1909; he Jamie, and Janet and lived in Boissevain, MB. where was eighteen years her senior. Runa was a good they were active in many community organizations. singer, educated and well-spoken in both Icelandic and They moved to Brandon in 1966 when Gerry became English. She often gave speeches for her husband Area Manager of Manitoba Hydro. Skuli when he was campaigning. Their children were Arthur, Maria (Loa), Sveinn, Skuli, Sigridur (Sigi), Olaf Gerry passed away suddenly in 1967, leaving Olof and Thomas. with five children to support. She decided, at the age

th of 48, to return to University to get her BA in Olof just celebrated her 95 Birthday and is the only Psychology, and her B.Ed. She taught happily at the remaining sibling. Her brothers were well-known for Assiniboine Community College in Brandon until she founding the Sigfusson Transportation Co., road retired and inspired all of her children and building in summer and hauling freight to northern grandchildren to complete university degrees and Manitoba and Ontario by ice roads in winter. seek professional careers. While teaching at the College she met and married her second husband, Olof’s ties to Iceland have remained strong through her Don Bertram, a widower with five sons. They retired many trips there to visit her sister, Loa, over the years. to Nanaimo, BC in 1986, and Don passed away there Loa met and married an Icelander on a visit there in 1993. when she was twenty-one, and raised her family of three in Akureyri. Olof remains an active, outgoing person who enjoys teaching Icelandic, singing in a choir, swimming and Olof graduated as a psychiatric nurse from the exercise classes, attending Unity Church, and Brandon Mental Health Centre in 1940, and then dabbling in watercolour painting. worked in a doctor’s office in Winnipeg. During the war years there was a shortage of teachers and many of Still the matriarch of the family, Olof embodies many the country schools had to be closed. Olof stepped in of the qualities of the Icelandic people: hard-working, as teacher at Maryhill School for a year, so that her independent, self-sufficient, thrifty, stubborn, younger brother, Tom, could complete his schooling. hospitable and generous. She spends her summers Subsequently she did her teacher’s training at Normal with her family at Lake Forrest Estates on Lake School, and taught in Somerset and in Winnipeg. Winnipeg near Gimli. By Linda Bjarnason

3 November 2014

Remembrance: World War II in Gimli, from a Child’s Point of View

The war began in September 1939. I had just turned due to the war. Rationing was the only way to make three and was the oldest child in a family that would sure everyone got their fair share of these products. eventually become five children so my memories are People could no longer walk into the store and buy those of a child and how the war affected us. the quantities they wanted. It became a once a

My first memories are of the radio news broadcasts. Dad and mom used to listen to CBC news every night and war news always predominated. The announcer was Lorne Greene who after a few years of reporting war news became known as the ‘Voice of Doom’; and Matthew Halton, a reporter who travelled with armies in North Africa and Europe, reporting nightly on their movements and battles. These two voices became so familiar I can still hear them today and I remember them well.

We received the Winnipeg Free Press every day and as the war carried on there were pages and pages listing those who had died; most of them were young men and some of them we knew. Many joined the Forces and many were lost. Even as a very young girl, I can My Stamp Girls: Elín Arnason, Nina Bjarnason, Doreen Torfason remember hearing about family and friends dying in the war. I remember dad coming home early month job to glue all the ration coupons dad had one afternoon and telling mom that James Drysdale collected into official books so he could send them off had been killed. James was a tail gunner in the to the government, a control factor of some sort. So, RCAF and my Aunt Mary’s 21 year old son. In later guess who did all the licking and sticking of these years I lived with Aunt Mary for awhile and every time coupons - the kids of course. Being really young we she thought or talked about her son, she became tried using water but usually would flood the page so very sad – she never really got over losing him. Jack we frequently licked the coupons with our tongue and Swanson, dads’ cousin, lost his son during the war. onto the page – it wasn’t tasty, and there were books My uncle Einar Finnson served in WWI surviving the and books each month. I also remember triangular front lines then later served again in WWII stationed flags strung across the store advertising War Bonds. in Manitoba supervising German prisoners of war in The War Bonds, of course, were government bonds the Riding Mountain area. sold to pay for the war effort and, hopefully, to be repaid after the war was over. Dad owned a General Store at 3rd & Centre Street from the late 1920s to early 1960s. During the war An RCAF Flight Training School was established in years the Canadian government (and other Gimli in September 1943 and ceased operation on countries) introduced rationing where people were May 30, 1945. We never really saw anyone in issued ration coupons to purchase staples like sugar, uniform in Gimli. They either were restricted to the gas, coffee, generally things that were in short supply base or had to wear ‘civvies’ when coming to town.

COMING EVENTS

November 7 (Fri) Víkingur Ólafsson, Pianist, 7:30pm Pyatt Hall, 843 Seymour Street, Vancouver November 29 (Sat) Children’s Christmas Party, 1-3pm Confederation Centre, Seniors Bldg November 30 (Sun) Bake Sale, 10am-1pm Scandinavian Centre February 3 (Tues) Knitting Classes Scandinavian Centre TBA Language Classes Scandinavian Centre March 7 (Sat) Þorrablót Scandinavian Centre

4 November 2014 However, all of us remember the first time we ever saw a Lancaster bomber. We lived Victory in Europe on 5th Avenue just off Centre Street and across our street, in front of the houses, were a row of very tall spruce trees, 60-100 feet high. One day, two Lancaster bombers came in from the north, down 5th avenue, buzzing the spruce trees across the road. The Lancaster was a huge four engine, propeller driven, heavy bomber and the noise was unbelievable. At the time, all of us were out playing in the front yard with our friends. My little sisters Carol and Linda ran and hid under our front porch stairs. I clapped my hands over my ears because of the massive noise and watched them pass. We heard later that the pilots were severely chastised for this but war pilots were frequently around 21 years old, quite capable of thinking that this stunt was fun. school on a certain day and they would be packaged There is no record of the Lancaster bomber being and sent somewhere for the war effort. These items stationed for training at the Gimli base so it must have were then recycled into tanks, newspaper, packing, been there for other reasons and basically passing etc. Kids used to work together and pile what was through. It was the main heavy bomber used by the collected into kids’ wagons and bring them to school; I RAF and Commonwealth countries in the later war remember mostly tin cans and paper. This eventually years. However, this day is embedded in the minds of became a competition to see who could collect the our whole family. most. This went on for most of the war but I only remember the one occasion.

May 8, 1945, was an overcast day when the war ended in Europe and I remember that day clearly. I was wearing a wine coloured button down sweater that Mom had knit for me, worn over my dress. The whole school lined up and paraded down Main Street led by a high school student holding the Canadian flag. We walked right by my dad’s store and I recall my little brother Harold standing outside watching us.

Considering our ages at the time, we as kids remember quite a lot, but these were dramatic days. When I started school, the school had us collect metals and paper of all sorts and bring them to the Margaret Bjarnason Amirault

IcelandiAir names all of its planes after Icelandic volcanoes stating, ‘The ’s volcanoes have close ties with the country’s heritage and history.’ The names are (there may be more):

Askja [ASK-ya]; Búrfell [BOOR-fetl]; Eldborg [ELD-borg]; Eldfell [ELD-fetl]; Eyjafjallajökull [AY-ya-fyat-la-yeu-kutl] (good luck!); Grábrók [GRAU-broke]; Grímsvötn [GREEMZ-vutn]; Hekla [HEK-la]; Helgafell [HEL-gah-fetl]; Hengill [HEN-gitl]; Herðubreið [HARE-theu-braith]; Katla [KAT-la]; Keilir [KAY-leer]; Krafla [KRAB-la]; Laki [LAH-kih]; Magni [MAG-nih]; Skjaldbreiður [SKYALD-bray-ther]; Snæfell [SNEYE-fetl]; Snæfellsjökull [SNeye-fetls-yuh-kutl]; Surtsey [SEURT-say]; Öræfajökull [EU-rye-va-yeu-kutl]

Ironically, there is one named Surtsey, which is a volcanic island/volcano created in 1963. Surtsey means ‘Devil’s Island’ which is a little odd for an aircraft

5 November 2014 Icelandic Naming Committee Rejects Clinton Jim Anderson lives and writes in Winnipeg. Found poem based on item in Icelandic Canadian Club of BC Newsletter, October 2014

The Icelandic Naming Committee rejected the name Clinton at its recent meeting the committee made several rulings most of which were positive, but Clinton was rejected as a middle name on the basis that it is not considered derived from local roots. Diamond as a first name was also rejected on the basis that according to rules on written Icelandic, ‘i’ does not come before ‘a.’ Meanwhile, the first names Hrafnfífa, Hjaltalín, Lótus, Amil and Ermenrekur were approved.

By Jim Anderson-October 9-2014

Review of the presentation by Dr. Guðrún very nasal 'voice' rather than the melodic voice that Ingimundardóttir, ‘Icelandic Traditional Music: we use now, partly Rímur and Tvísöngur’ because that voice carries much further. To revive About 25 people attended the workshop hosted by the the songs and to bring Icelandic Club of BC and led by Dr. Gudrun (Runa) them back to some kind Ingimundardottir. It was a great evening of singing and of popularity, they don't learning about traditional chants and singing that is use that nasal voice almost lost in Iceland but being revived by groups all because our 21st century over Iceland in an effort to bring the tradition forward to ears just don't want to the 21st century. listen to it. An English Runa is totally bilingual and so all instructions and translation of Dr. Runa's website is available at info were in English, but all the songs (printed out on www.rha.is/folk/moya/page/gudrun-ingimundardottir. worksheets) were in Icelandic. She taught the tune The songs we sang with the aid of song sheets and then we all sang in Icelandic. It was quite fun. were very melodic and the words mostly about either Apparently this traditional singing has almost been the weather; or drinking (not coffee); or love. Some of lost in Iceland and she and her husband (who also the songs had internal rhymes traditional in Icelandic sings) are part of a number of Icelanders who are . We sang the songs - all in Icelandic with reviving the old songs and chants, learning and varying degrees of correct pronunciation, but all with singing them. She demonstrated that the old people enthusiasm. By Anna Bjarnason who chanted the songs rather than sang them used a

Reykjavik in the Year 1926, by Benedikt Jóhannesson of ‘.’ The video is four minutes, without sound. http://icelandreview.com/news/2014/09/23/reykjavik-year-1926-high-quality-video

We highly recommend watching this wonderful old travel film about Reykjavík taken in 1926 by Mr Burton Holmes and his assistant Franklin Lavarre. The two From the corner of Austurstræti and filmmakers came to the city as passengers of the SS Pósthússtræti in downtown Reykjavík. Carinthia during a sub-Arctic cruise and filmed the city and its inhabitants. The video features people riding Icelandic horses in the streets, women wearing national costumes and lots of gorgeous Icelandic children.

Elias Burton Holmes (1870-1958) was born in Chicago, the son of a banker, and the grandson of a wealthy builder and importer of French wines and gourmet foods. He bought his first camera at 13, and soon became a serious camera enthusiast, setting up his own darkroom facilities and joining the Chicago Camera Club. He dropped out of private school at the age of 16, and went with his grandmother on a trip to Europe, which he found every bit as romantic and fascinating as he had imagined. Yes, in fact, he took pictures there and brought them back to show. Photo by Elias Burton Holmes.

6 November 2014

From Daily News from Iceland – October 2014 Compiled by Iceland Review Editorial Staff

October 23, 2014—The Icelandic man used a flashlight to trick the weapons have been renewed, Georg national team in men’s football sensors in the street lights, ruv.is says he does not expect that it will continues to climb the FIFA World reports. need more weapons for decades to Ranking and has never been listed The local police said that the action come. higher, now in 28th place between had put the travelers, who were on The will get the Ecuador and Austria, up by six spots the road admiring the northern lights, remaining 150 guns, visir.is reports. from number 34 last month. at risk. The police added that tourists The revelation that Iceland received There are no changes to the top sometimes stop their cars in the submachine guns from has three seats. World Champion middle of the road to watch the caused widespread debate in Iceland Germany remains firmly at number 1, northern lights, posing a danger to over the past week. Officials in followed by Argentina and Columbia. other drivers. Iceland have claimed that the guns, Iceland has surpassed its Nordic The man reportedly told police that or most of the guns, were presented neighbors Denmark (number 32) and the lights were only off for half an to Iceland as a gift. Sweden (number 39)—the countries hour and that he had made sure that However, Colonel Dag Aamoth, plummeted by five and seven spots, the tourists were not on the road but press spokesman for the Norwegian respectively—and is now the highest that he won’t try turning the lights off Armed Forces, released a statement -ranking Nordic nation. again. saying that the Norwegian Armed places 63rd and Norway 68th, ruv.is Forced had sold the Icelandic Coast reports. A Red Fox in Iceland? Guard 250 MP5 submachine guns Iceland has climbed 103 spots An experienced fox hunter, Reynir for NOK 625,000 (ISK 11.5 million, since April 2012 when it placed Bergsveinsson, has seen footprints USD 94,000). The contract was 131rd, 13 spots below another by an unusually large fox in signed December 17, 2013. Nordic neighbor, The Faroe Islands, Þingvellir. He thinks this may be DV reported that Icelandic police now at number 187. either a red fox or a silver fox. cars would start carrying guns. Iceland attributes its newfound “The Icelandic fox jumps when it As reported, Snorri Magnússon, success to a new generation of runs, but this one walks. These chair of the Police Federation of talented footballers and Swedish footprints are much larger than by an Iceland, stated that the police force coach Lars Lagerbäck, who took Icelandic fox”, Reynir told mbl.is. “Of in Iceland has had machine guns for over in the autumn of 2011. The all the foxes I have shot in 60 years many years but needed to renew its team’s latest achievement was only three were so large that I could stock of weapons. He has stressed beating The Netherlands, the bronze say they were like newborn calves, 5 that there has been no fundamental medalist from this year’s World Cup, to 8 kilograms (11 to 18 pounds). I change in the police’s policy on 2-0 at home court earlier this month. recognize the fox by the way he carrying weapons. The Icelandic women’s team ranks walks. This one walks in a straight Around 200 people gathered outside even higher than the men’s team, line and the distance between his the police station on Hverfisgata, number 20 in the latest FIFA World footsteps is equal. He does not downtown Reykjavík, to protest any Ranking, down three spots from last jump.” changes to the policy on police in month Iceland carrying weapons. Coast Guard Ship to Carry 100 If you plan to get married in Guns, Police to Get 150 Nineteen Icelanders 95 or Older Iceland, the first thing you need to The Icelandic Coast Guard plans to with Driver’s License do is contact the District use 100 of the 250 submachine guns Nineteen Icelanders 95 or older have Commissioner (Sýslumaðurinn) in sent from Norway over the last year valid driver’s licenses, 17 of whom the region of Iceland in which you on board its ships and in spare parts. are men and two women, according plan to get married. If you plan to According to Georg Lárusson, to the administrator of the Facebook hold your wedding in Reykjavík, then director of the Coast Guard, the guns page Langlífi (‘Longevity’). After 80 you should contact the commissioner are smaller than the ones it used years of age, driver’s licenses are in the capital (tel. +354 569 2480, previously, weapons which have now only valid for one year at a time. email: [email protected]). become obsolete. “It is a basic Iceland has one of the highest life requirement that we can have expectancies in the world. A new Man Turns off Street Lights to See something on board the ships to report from Statistics Iceland shows Northern Lights protect us,” he told visir.is. that Icelandic men on average live A man turned off the street lights in Georg said he does not expect to the longest of all European men, or the rural community of have to pay for the guns as the to the age of 81.6 years. This is an Kleppjárnsreykir in Borgarfjörður Norwegian military has not charged increase of roughly two years since recently so that tourists could get a for similar shipments to Iceland in the 2000. better view of the northern lights. The past. Now that the Coast Guard’s

7 November 2014 SCANDINAVIAN CENTRE ACTIVITIES Website: www.scandinaviancentre.org (for more details) E-mail address: [email protected], Telephone: 604-294-2777

Nov 12 (Wed) Scandinavian Business Club’s Dinnner— Call Paul Andreassen 604-484-5345 Nov 14 (Fri) Scandinavian Seniors Lunch, 12 noon. $3 fee with sandwiches/cakes or cookies to share, or $8 otherwise.

Nov 21 (Fri) Youth Club Night , 7pm-1am. www.facebook.com/Splendub

Nov 22 (Sat) Genealogy meeting, 1 pm

Craft Fairs Nov 2 (Sun) - Norway Craft Fair , 12 noon to 4 pm Nov 5 (Sat) - Swedish Christmas Market, 11 am—4 pm Nov 23 (Sun) - Scandinavian Craft Fair, Northern Lights in Reykjavik Nov 30, Sun) - Icelandic Christmas Bake Sale

Choirs: Danish Tivoli Singers; Runeberg—contact the office. Icelandic Online Club; email: [email protected]

Dancers, Language classes—contact the office. Facebook: www.facebook.com/IcelandicOnlineClub

Viking Boat Munin—for information, contact Marian Hammond 604-782-0639 CDs or Tapes

Get acquainted with the language or brush up on your pronunciation with lessons 1 & 2, each one hour long. Typed

The 8-page newsletter is published at the beginning of each lessons are included so that you can learn to read Icelandic month, ten months of the year. A newsletter is not printed in as well. July or August. Material is gratefully received by the 20th of  Canadian Orders: CDs, 2 lesson sets $30 CAD/ USD; each month. tapes are also available. Postage & handling included.  US and Foreign Orders: International money order only. Editor & Publisher: Margrét Bjarnason Amirault, Tel: 604-688-9082 Send your cheque or money order made out to: Icelandic Canadian Club of B.C. ICCBC Mail: 6540 Thomas Street 3776 Arbor Street, Burnaby, BC V5J 1T4 Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-433-6329 E-mail: [email protected] www.inlofna.org/ICCBC/Tape_Lessons.htm Distribution: Ruth and Norm Sigurdson Labels: Elfa Reykdal Oakridge Lutheran Church Courier: Naomi Dyer st 585 West 41 Avenue, Vancouver ICCBC INFORMATION LINE & ANSWERING MACHINE, Tel: 604-294-2777 (Scandinavian Centre line) 9:30 a.m., Sunday Morning Service English Joint Services Website: Icelandic Canadian Club of B.C. Coffee served every Sunday www.inlofna.org/ICCBC/Welcome.html Everyone is welcome! Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Icelandic- Canadian-Club-of-British-Columbia/190426084338925 LIBRARY & GENEALOGY Website: Icelandic National League: www.inlofna.org The sorting of books in the Sólskin Library is Icelandic Archives of BC: www.inlofna.org/IABC/Welcome.html progressing. Books written by Icelanders in English Icelandic Radio (6 stations): www.xnet.is or translation are available in the Scandinavian Morgunblaðið: http://mbl.is library upstairs. Ströndin Internet Radio: www.inlofna.org/SIR Honorary Consul General of Iceland for BC & Yukon, Information regarding the Genealogy Centre can be Heather Alda Ireland: [email protected] obtained from Gerri McDonald at 604-279-0420.

8 November 2014