Town & Country

C M Y K 2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY JULY 20, 2019 GIMLI There are countless treasures in the Interlake, and summer is a good time to explore them. As the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba celebrates the 130th Islendingadagurinn this August, what better time to learn more about Icelandic culture? T he New Iceland Heritage Museum (NIHM), located on the main floor of Gimli's Wa- terfront Centre, is a popular attraction, rich in history and stories. The museum tells the story of the settle- ment of New Iceland, with the help of a rock collection from Iceland, a room dedicated to volcanos, a Viking dress-up corner, and the Viking's Purse Gift Shop, stocked with chocolate, sweaters, hard fish, jewelry and more. NIHM executive director Julianna (Gudbjartson) Roberts grew up in an Ice- landic home with a strong cultural identity. She loves meeting people from around the world and sees first-hand the impact the museum has when they visit. "When I started working here, I knew that a lot of the Icelandic population in Canada travelled to Iceland to see where their relatives came from to find home- steads. There was a strong connection with Iceland. What I didn't realize until I started working here was that this was reciprocal: Icelanders come from Iceland to Canada to see where their relatives emigrated to," she says. "They often are very emotional after they have toured the museum, realizing that their relatives had a very difficult time when they first arrived." The John Ramsay Project is the newest permanent exhibit, added to the museum as part of a Canada 150 initiative. In the spirit of inclusivity, the museum wanted to honour the long-standing relation- ship between Icelanders and Indigenous people. JUNO-award winner William Prince, who hails from Peguis First Na- tion, was enlisted to write original music and a video was produced. Roberts says the Project tells the story of how the Indigenous people befriended the Icelanders on the shores of Lake Winnipeg in the late 1800s. "Ramsay was and remains a larger- than-life figure. A member of the Indig- enous community at Sandy Bar, he was a highly skilled hunter, fisherman, fur trader and bushmaster. The historical accounts show that Ramsay owned a well-kept log home in this prosperous community on the lake, which is close to what is now the town of Riverton. In I875, the first Icelandic settlers arrived in the area to take up land given to them by the Canadian government. The Iceland- ers had few supplies and little knowledge of how to survive the hardships of the Manitoba wilderness. It was Ramsay and other Indigenous people who helped them get through their first seasons on the land. That kindness has never been forgotten." Ramsay lost his wife Betsey and three of their children to a smallpox epidemic and following his death, a local carpenter repaired Betsey's grave after he was visited by Ramsay in a dream. Temporary exhibits change up to four times per year, and visitors are often surprised at the museum's spaciousness, ex- hibit quality and opportunities for learning. "It is not a typical small-town museum," Roberts says. "Tourists to the area say that it helps to understand all the Icelandic or cultural influences in the area; place names, and why it is called New Iceland. Immi- grant families often relate to their family's stories, and can often piece together the similarities." The museum has a second site at the Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre, located at No. 1 Centre Street. The Centre, which welcomed almost 12,000 visitors in 2018, highlights the history of fishing on Lake Winnipeg and the relationship between the people and the lake. It includes the top portion of the original lighthouse that was in Gimli Harbour, as well as a large freshwater aquarium which houses species native to Lake Winnipeg. The museum offers educational tours to schools and groups. To learn more, visit the NIMH website at www.nihm.ca. PEOPLE OF THE LAKE Explore history at the New Iceland Heritage Museum BY JANINE LEGAL PHOTOS BY GLEN MARTIN Temporary exhibits change up to four times per year, and visitors are often surprised at the museum's spaciousness, exhibit quality and opportunities for learning. G rant Stefanson relishes the chance to both embrace and promote his culture at Gimli's Islendingadagurinn every August long weekend. "I'm 52 and I've been to 52 of them," the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba president proudly boasts. In fact, Stefanson is a third-generation festival president. Both his grandfather and father served in the same capacity before him and he's hoping his kids will continue that family tradition. While Stefanson will celebrate his 53rd festival, Islendingadagurinn — the second-longest running continuous ethnic festival in North America — will mark its 130th anniversary Aug. 2-5. "I think it's meaningful every time to celebrate a milestone, to stop and reflect on what we've done and how we keep these cultural aspects alive," he says. "We're extremely proud of the festival because it's a way we get to celebrate our culture and heritage and share them with others." There are a few changes for the 130th anniversary. The locals have taken over organizing the 10-mile run from a Winnipeg committee and have introduced a five-kilometre run through the resort town of about 3,500 people on the western shores of Lake Winnipeg. The 28th annual Jan's Memorial One Mile Fun Run is on the schedule, as well. This year's theme is Take a Viking Voyage, but that does not mean you can board a replica Viking ship as has been done at times in the past. "We're all on a figurative and literal voyage," says Stefanson. You can actually get "dinged" to become an honourary Icelander for the weekend. To do so, you need to wear a traditional costume and helmet, eat a piece of Harofiskur (dried fish), take a shot of Brennevin (schnapps), chant Islendingadagurinn three times really fast, then roar like a true Viking. Some of the more popular events include playing Fris-Nok, sandcastle building, beach volleyball, attending the midway, music on the rooftop and, of course, the ever-popular parade. The Festival committee is also bringing back the fashion show of traditional Icelandic costuming. "We are the largest settlement of Icelanders outside of Iceland," says Festival executive director Kristine Sigurdson. "Over the years, there's been lots of ebbs and flows of people coming here from Iceland. Often, we have choirs from Iceland who come here to sing. And any musician we can get from Iceland is welcome, but we can't pay them to come because we're a non-profit organization." With more than 31,000, Manitoba also has bragging rights for the most people with Icelandic ancestry in Canada. Some of the more well-known Icelandic Canadians reportedly are singers Tom Cochrane and k.d. lang, author W.D. Valgardson, filmmaker Guy Maddin and author David Arnason. About 105 volunteers help run the festival, which usually attracts about 30,000 people over three days. Stefanson could not decide which of the 52 he has attended is his favourite Festival. "They have all had their moments, really. I look back fondly on my summers as a lad enjoying the road racing, the family races, the beach volleyball," he says. "And any time the Prime Minister of Iceland came to give the toast to Canada was very memorable." Lilja Alfredsdottr, Iceland's Minister of Education and Culture, will be this year's special guest. For the 125th anniversary, the Festival committee established a legacy to finish the Viking Park project. Now that it is finished, Phase 2 is underway to connect the park to the harbour. Of course, the success of Islendingadagurinn depends on the weather. "Weather can be a factor, but we've never had a weekend wiped out," Stefanson says. "Last year, a storm on the Friday night blew our tents down. But we just roll with it. "We plan for tough situations. The show almost always goes on." Check out all the Festival news at www.icelandicfestival.com. BY JIM BENDER MARKING A MILESTONE Gimli celebrates 130th anniversary of Islendingadagurinn Serving locations in Eriksdale and Arborg Arborg Grocery/Admin 204.376.5245 Gas Bar 204.376.2349 Cardlock 204.376.5201 Eriksdale Hardware 204.739.2634 Eriksdale Grocery 204.739.2116 Join Us At Our New LocaƟon! Selkirk Town Plaza 200-366 Main Street SELKIRK ���.E��������D����.�� Jazz Ballet Tap Hip Hop Lyrical Twos & You Creative Movement Adult Dance Adult Fitness Follow us on D D

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