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September 2019 LI:vii

The Icelandic Canadian Club of BC will be hosting

A Tour Group from Iceland, Sunday, September 8, 2019, 3-5 pm, Scandinavian Centre

Halldór Árnason, former and long-term President of the Icelandic National League, Iceland, is the group leader. The tour group would like to meet people of Icelandic descent and

the members of The Icelandic Canadian Club of British Columbia. Mark your calendars to arrive at the Centre around 2:30 p.m.

We had such a good time last year that we look forward to seeing you there for an enjoyable afternoon.

LANGUAGE LESSONS September 19—November 7, 2018 (8 Weeks), Thursdays, 7-9 pm

Scandinavian Cultural Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9

Language Instructors: Gunnar Ólafur Hansson, Edda Langworth

A new set of Icelandic language classes will start on

Thursday, September 19, 7-9 pm

See page 3

Vinarterta Class, September 28, 2019, Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Scandinavian Cultural Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9

A one-day class to teach you how to make a complete vinarterta: the prune filling, the ‘cookie’ rounds,

how to bake them, and put it all together, and, you will take home the vinarterta you make.

See page 3

The Icelandic Care Home Höfn Society, 72nd Annual General Meeting Sunday, September 22, 2019, 2 pm,

Location: Icelandic Harbour,

2020 Harrison Drive, Vancouver, BC

Höfn Society welcomes new members.

And, there will be coffee afterwards.

The Icelandic Canadian Club of British Columbia

N E W S L E T T E R

2 September 2019

PASSINGS

Naomi Dyer passed away peacefully on July 25, 2019.

She leaves behind her sons Daniel (Carlene), Patrick, Andrew (France) and her

daughter Mekkin (Robert d-2007), three very close nephews, Kirk, Russell and

Tom and their respective families and her 6 grandchildren and 8 great

grandchildren. Her obituary will be in the October 2019 newsletter.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, September 5, 2019, 2 pm,

at the Scandinavian Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9.

Hőfn Icelandic Harbour 2020 Harrison Drive, Vancouver

Assisted Living & Affordable

Housing

The facility is only 10 years old, open and bright; very inviting—a friendly

and caring place for Seniors.

We have been providing care for Seniors since 1947.

Find us at:

info@icelandicharbour.org or 604-321-3812

Fall Cultural Classes at the Scandinavian Centre Register with Sonja Busch at sonjabusch@hotmail.com or 604 522 4567

Fees payable to the office by Friday, Oct 18th at the latest Beginners welcome. Space limited.

Danish Open-faced Sandwich Design - taught by Tina Taylor Sunday, Oct 27th at 1 p.m. Fee: $20

Two-Day Rosemaling Workshop - taught by Aaslaug Boulier Saturday & Sunday, Oct 26 & 27th Fee: $25

Nordic Woodcarving - taught by Anita Jacobsen Fee: $20 Date: TBA

We need help from our Membership. Naomi Dyer, who subscribed and read two newspapers every day, was this newsletter’s correspondent regarding those who had passed away in the Icelandic community. We now need help from you. Could you please inform the newsletter editor regarding those you know who have passed away; firstly, for information and secondly, as a genealogy record. They need not be members, just of Icelandic descent. Thank you in advance.

Margaret Bjarnason Amirault, Editor, gusta1@telus.net (preferred) or 604-688-9082.

3 September 2019

Vinarterta Class, September 28, 2019, Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Scandinavian Cultural Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9

A one-day class to teach you how to make a complete vinarterta: the prune filling, the ‘cookie’ rounds,

how to bake them, and put it all together, and, you will take home the vinarterta you make.

We will follow the old recipe from the 1800s. We hope to provide one teacher per two students.

The cost will be $25 per person which covers the cost of the ingredients. Please send in your fee

to tammy_e@telus.net through PayPal; or send a cheque to the Icelandic Club of BC, Scandinavian

Centre (address above).

There is no return of your fee on cancellation within two days prior (September 26) to class date

(September 28). Reason: We have a Waiting List and must have time to contact those on it.

For those who want to attend, we will ask you to bring some of your utensils with you which, of course,

you will take home. Coffee, of course, will be in abundance.

Email: Margaret Bjarnason Amirault at: gusta1@telus.net (preferred) or phone 604-688-9082

LANGUAGE LESSONS

September 19—November 7, 2018 (8 Weeks),

Thursdays, 7-9 pm

Scandinavian Cultural Centre

6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC

Language Instructors: Gunnar Ólafur Hansson, Edda Langworth

A new set of Icelandic language classes will start on

Thursday, September 19, 7-9 pm

and will run for eight weeks in total, every Thursday until November 7, 2018.

As in recent years, classes will be run jointly by Gunnar Ólafur Hansson and Edda Langworth.

The class will break into two groups, 'Level 2 - continuing beginners' (for those who have taken the

'Level 1 - beginners' classes before), and ‘Level 3 - intermediate' (for those who were in the Level 2

group last year, or in a previous year).

Note that due to high demand and staffing constraints, there will NOT be a Level 1 group this time

around. The plan is to offer a Level 1 set of classes in the new year, starting in January.

The fee for participating is $60 per person for the full set of eight classes.

The Icelandic film ‘WOMAN AT WAR’ will be shown this Fall at the Scandinavian Centre.

It is part of the Donald K. Johnson Icelandic National League FILM SCREENING Series.

This film is considered by many to be the best that has come out of Iceland.

4 September 2019

COMING EVENTS Sept 8, Sunday Tour group from Iceland, 3-5 pm Scandinavian Centre Sept 19, Thursday Icelandic language Class, 7 pm, 8 weeks Scandinavian Centre Sept 22, Sunday Höfn, Annual General Meeting, 2 pm 2020 Harrison Drive, Vancouver Sept 28, Saturday Vinarterta Class, 9 am– 1 pm Scandinavian Centre

Daughter of last Hecla lighthouse keeper reflects on its history - The job of operating the lighthouse turned to automation in the 1960s CBC News · Posted: Aug 07, 2019, Manitoba

It's been decades since Charlynne Grimolfson lived by the Gull Harbour lighthouse her father operated, but she says her heart and soul are still there. "It's the memories of my mom and dad when they were happy, when we were all content, the type of life we lived — it was so peaceful," she said.

Though the Prairies are not usually associated with lighthouses, the Gull Harbour lighthouse on Hecla Island has stood for more than a century, and is part of the Icelandic heritage of the island. Its origin dates back to 1898, when the first lighthouse was built, equipped with a foghorn and kerosene lamp operated manually by a lighthouse keeper who lived next door. A second, taller lighthouse was added 30 years later.

Grimolfson's father, Oli, was the last keeper of the Gull Harbour lighthouse, between 1950 and 1960. Every night, perched at the top of the 23-metre structure, he guided the kerosene lamp, whose beam was used to lead boats through the darkness of Lake Winnipeg. Charlynne lived in a small house without electricity, built on the shore of the lake with her four siblings. There were many nights where she says her father would ride on his boat into difficult conditions, and her family never knew if he was coming back alive.

On one occasion, Oli nearly drowned when his boat sank. He only survived by holding onto a piece of his boat until he was picked up, Charlynne recalled. Once, the family's home was even threatened when a boat came barrelling toward it, before making a sharp turn and narrowly avoiding slamming into the shore. Still, Charlynne says her father took pride in the job. "He was proud of his work, proud of so many friends from the boats, proud that he did save lives … by being there and making sure the lights were on, by doing the foghorn for hours," she said.

In 1961, an electric lamp was installed and the system was fully automated, making Oli Grimolfson's job obsolete. "It was terrible for us, because we wanted to live there the rest of our lives," she said. "We were just told 'you have to leave,' and we didn't have any choice." The lighthouses are now designated heritage sites, after being at risk of being torn down for years. The older lighthouse came under the responsibility of the province of Manitoba, which classified it as a historic building and began work to restore the structure. The newer lighthouse is still operated and maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard, and continues to guide fishermen and boaters on Lake Winnipeg.

When these lighthouses were built, the island was mainly inhabited by settlers of Icelandic origin. Maxine

Ingalls, who was raised on Hecla Island, was part of the campaign to save the lighthouses. She says she thinks it is critical to preserve them because they bore witness to the history of the island. "To me, I'm fighting for something that really has some significance, and I would hate to think that this would be gone," she said. "It's just part of my heritage, my own personal heritage. I would just think that there's many families here who feel that same way."

The original lighthouse at Gull Harbour on Hecla Island. (Pierre Verriere/CBC )

5 September 2019

FlyOver Iceland

FlyOver Iceland is running from August 29 until October 20. It is being shown here in Vancouver, in celebration of the second FlyOver location opening in Reykjavík, Iceland.

There are group rates available at 15+ guests. Spots are limited for FlyOver Iceland so please reach out to Judy Lin, at JLin@flyovercanada.com, or tel 604.620.8489 or cell 236.985.1502 if you have any questions or inquiries.

Not booking as a group? There are BC resident discounts available online, coming soon.

FLYOVERCANADA.COM

Richard and Margaret Beck Lecture Series, Fall Schedule

As the host of the Beck Lecture Series while Helga Thorson is on leave this year, it’s my pleasure to announce the schedule for fall 2019. The lectures will take place at Clearihue A212, University of Victoria.

Our Beck lecturer is Dr. Jón Karl Helgason, professor in the Department of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Iceland.

Lecture 1: September 22, 2019, at 2:00 pm - “Henrik Ibsen and the Icelandic Sagas”

Lecture 2: October 20, 2019, at 2:00 pm - “The Questionable Authorship of Snorri Sturluson”

Lecture 3: December 1, 2019, at 2:00 pm - “Icelandic Medieval Literature and American Popular Culture 1928-1962”

Also, please mark your calendars for this upcoming event in February 2020: Lansdowne speaker: Torfi Tulinius (University of Iceland) - Title: Vikings in the Mirror When: February, 1st (Saturday) at 3:00, as part of the Viking Life and Lore Conference. https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/medieval/workshop/index.php

Description: Why did the Icelanders of the 13th century produce such a vivid image of the lives and times of their Viking Age ancestors? This is the question I will try to answer in my lecture. I will discuss the origins of saga writing in the context of Iceland’s relationship with the rest of the Viking Diaspora and the production of sagas about legendary and historical Scandinavian kings. Then I will ask why there was a sudden inward turn in the first half of the 13th century with the advent of Sagas about early Icelanders and Contemporary Sagas. Approaching the sagas from the perspective of genre theory, I will attempt to show that they fulfilled a need in Icelandic society to understand its identity in a dialectical questioning of social and historical realities, ideology and identity. The greatest Sagas about early Icelanders, such as Egils saga, Njáls saga and Grettis saga are products of this questioning of the identity of the Icelandic dominant class in the mirror of the Viking Age.

The conference information can be found on: https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/medieval/workshop/index.php or contact medi@uvic.ca. If you have any questions about the Beck lectures, please get in touch with me.

Megan Swift, Associate Professor of Russian Studies, Undergraduate Coordinator 2019-20 Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, University of Victoria, PO Box 3045 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 3P4

6 September 2019

before Ingólfur’s voyage and who stayed there over the winter. One of these was Flóki Vilgerðarson, also known as “Hrafna-Flóki” or Raven Flóki. He was a Norwegian Viking who used the raven as his sailing guide, on account of which he acquired this nickname. He had intended to settle in Iceland but returned to Norway after a difficult winter. It was Hrafna-Flóki who gave Iceland its name.

According to the Book of Settlements (Landnámabók), Ingólfur Arnarson established himself in Iceland in 874. However, it is the Irish monks who are thought to have been the first men to settle the country in the eighth and ninth centuries, although there are few remains or remnants of their settlement. Most indications are that the majority of settlers came from Norway, but there is also talk of the mixing of Norse and Celtic blood when the Norsemen went on Viking raids.

Place names throughout the country bear witness to the Norse origins of the Icelandic people, and some places are named after the Norse gods, such as Þórshöfn (Thor’s Harbour) and Þórsmörk (Thor’s Pasture), while other place names point to the nation’s Celtic origins, for instance, Bekansstaðiir (Beccan’s place), Njálsstaðir (Nial’s place) and Írafell (Mount Irish).

The Viking Age (800-1066) is the most famous period of Scandinavian history. At that time, the Norse seafarers took control of all the sea passages around northern and western Europe, as well the water trade routes in the east and southwards to Russia. They even went as far south as the Mediterranean Sea. On their voyages around the oceans, they discovered and settled uninhabited islands, among them Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Norse Origins In the Book of the Icelanders (Íslendingabók), the first Icelandic Historian, Ari Þorgilsson the Wise (1068-1148), relates the following: Iceland was first settled out of Norway, at the time when Ivar Ragnarsson Shaggy Breek killed the English King Edmund the Holy. That was seventy winters into the nine hundredth year after the birth of Christ, as described in his saga. There was a Norseman called Íngólfr, who can truly be said to have first travelled to Iceland when Haraldr the Fairhaired was sixteen winters old and a second time a few winters later. He settled in the south, in Reykjavík. (The Icelandic version of Íslendingabók which can be found in Volume 1 of the Íslenzk Fornrit series, this excerpt on pages 4-5.) There are reports of seafarers who came to the island

The Origins of the Icelanders From website: www.arnastofnun.is

Not everyone is as convinced of the supposed Norse origins of the Icelandic people, and some believe that recent research into the genetics of men on the one hand and women on the other lends support to their doubts. The research has concentrated on genetic mitochondria which are inherited in the female line alone, from mother to child. Since almost all of the inherited genetic mitochondrion of Icelanders has been passed directly from women of the settlement period, it is possible through comparative research to work out their origins. The first results to come out of the research, which is

one of the most extensive genetic research projects ever conducted in one country in order to investigate its origins, and done by DeCode in collaboration with the University of Oxford, indicate that 63% of Icelandic female settlers were of Celtic origin and had ancestral lines traceable to the British Isles. On the other hand, only about 37% of them were of Nordic origins. However, the research into male Y-chromosomes (inherited via the male line) revealed that a much greater percentage of male settlers were of Nordic origins, or 80%, and 20% have origins which can be traced to the British Isles.

Genetic Research into Icelandic Origins Website: www.arnastofnun.is

UNESCO APPROVES VATNAJÖKULL AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE!

UNESCO has approved Iceland's application to include the newly-expanded Vatnajökull National Park as a World Heritage Site. Vatnajökull National park will become Iceland's third UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the first that

receives the accolade for its unique nature. It joins Þingvellir National Park, a cultural site, and Surtsey island, a unique geographical/ geological wonder.

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Permanent Closure of East End of Reynisfjara Beach Authorities are now working to permanently block off the eastern section of Reynisfjara black sand beach, where a large rockfall from Reynisfjall mountain recently showered the area below, Vísir reports. Experts at the Icelandic Met Office expect another section of the mountain will break off in the near future. The beach is a popular tourist site in South Iceland, known for its basalt rock formations and stunning views. Mýrdalshreppur Local Council Director Þorbjörg Gísladóttir says the decision has been made to close of the eastern side of the beach permanently, although the council is still examining whether or not that is in fact possible. It may prove difficult to design barriers that can withstand the beach’s strong currents, sneaker waves, and winds. Authorities have discussed installing signs and chains that make it clear to visitors who enter the closed area do so at their own risk. Two tourists were injured on the beach on August 19 by a smaller rockfall from the mountain. The large rock slide occurred one day later, on August 20. Police taped off the area impacted by the rockfall, though some tourists were recorded on video climbing up the impacted area despite the closure. Main area unaffected Þorbjörg points out that the area authorities plan to close off is not the part of Reynisfjara most visited by tourists. Most of the beach’s visitors stick to the cave and rock formations on its west end. The closure would therefore have little to no impact on the experience of tourists at the site.

Sneaker waves cause fatal accidents Apart from the danger posed by crumbling cliffs, Reynisfjara’s “sneaker waves,” have caused fatal accidents at the beach over the years. An American woman died in May 2007 when caught by a wave, and a Chinese man lost his life when he was swept out to sea in February 2016. There have been many close calls besides, as tourists often disbelieve or choose to ignore the posted signage which states, among other things, “Very Dangerous Sea Currents,” “Deadly Sneaker Waves,” and “Never Turn Your Back On the Ocean.”

Less Downturn But Slower Recovery for Iceland’s Economy The Central Bank has lowered its interest rates by 0.25%, making the bank’s key interest rate now 3.5%. The decision is in line with the bank’s economic forecast, which projects less of a downturn in the near future than expected, but a slower recovery for the hard-hit tourism industry throughout next year. “According to the [Central] Bank’s new macroeconomic forecast, published in the August Monetary Bulletin, this year’s economic contraction will measure 0.2%, slightly less than was forecast in May,” a press release from the Central Bank reads. The bank cites several reasons for this change, including private consumption growth, and net foreign trade which have offset a contraction in tourism. The long-term economic outlook, on the other hand, is slightly less positive, according to the bank’s projections. “The GDP growth outlook for 2020 has deteriorated, however, as it now appears that it

will take longer for tourism to recover after this year’s setbacks,” the press release states. Tourists spending more and staying longer Arionbanki analysts say the newest import and export figures from Statistics Iceland paint a better economic picture than many dared to expect following WOW air’s bankruptcy in March. Though tourist numbers have lowered significantly compared to last year, in general, figures from the tourism industry have turned out better than expected, partly due to the fact that foreign tourists are on average spending more per capita during their stay. “In light of the high card turnover growth per tourist compared to 2018, longer stays, and a weaker króna, it was expected that travel, or total tourist consumption, would contract less than the number of tourists,” the report states. “That became the case, and even more so, as tourist consumption grew by 0.1% year-on-year, despite a 19.2% reduction in tourists.” Icelandair’s grounded jets outlast WOW’s effects Central Bank Chief Economist Þórarinn G. Pétursson stated that the worsened long-term outlook is influenced by Icelandiar’s three Boeing 737 Max 8 planes which were grounded due to safety concerns. Icelandair announced on August 16 that the planes would remain grounded at least until next year, not until the end of October as previously expected. Þórarinn states that neither WOW air’s bankruptcy nor that of Primera Air had affected the revisions to the outlook.

From Iceland Review Online–June/July/August 2019 Compiled by Iceland Review Editorial Staff

September 2019

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The 8-page newsletter is published at the beginning of each month, ten months of the year. A newsletter is not printed in July or August. Material is gratefully received by the 20th of each month. Editor & Publisher:

Margrét Bjarnason Amirault, Tel: 604-688-9082

Distribution: Heather Johnson, Nina Jobin

Membership: Norman Eyford

ICCBC Mail: 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9

Printer: Prism Printing, New Westminster

Website of the Icelandic Canadian Club of BC:

www.icelandicclubbc.ca

Email: icc_of_bc@hotmail.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/icelandicclubbc

Icelandic National League Website: www.inlofna.org

Icelandic Radio (6 stations): www.xnet.is

Morgunblaðið: http://mbl.is

Ströndin Internet Radio: www.inlofna.org/SIR Honorary Consul General of Iceland for British Columbia,

Glenn Sigurdson, www.glennsigurdson.com

Library & Genealogy

Books written by Icelanders in English or translation are available in the Scandinavian library upstairs. Books in Icelandic are located in the Iceland Room. Information regarding the Genealogy Centre can be obtained from Gerri McDonald, email: gerrimcdonald@shaw.ca

September 2019

Oakridge Lutheran Church

is engaging in a major redevelopment The new worship space is: Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1499 Laurier Ave.,

Vancouver. Sunday worship time 1 pm.

SCANDINAVIAN CENTRE Website: www.scandinaviancentre.org (for more details)

E-mail: info@scandinaviancentre.org, Telephone: 604-294-2777

Sept 11 (Wed) - Scandinavian Business .Club Dinner. 6-7pm: Networking and socializing hour, 7–8:15pm Dinner, Early Bird Price,: Member $35; Non-member $40; Regular Price: Member $45; Non-member $50 www.sbc-bc.ca Do join us for this fun.

Sept 13 (Fri) - 12 noon—Scandinavian Seniors Lunch, $3 if you bring a plate of sandwiches, cakes or cookies to share, OR $8 if you prefer not to bring food. Contact: Tor Olufsen (604) 294‑0749 or by tolufsen@shaw.ca

Sept 19 (Thurs) - Bridge tournament, 9 am

Sept 20 (Fri) - 7th Annual Fundraiser Golf Tournament! To promote youth and sports within and around the community. Format: Texas Scramble (Best Ball). Limited to the first 32 fully paid registered golfers. Contact: Karina or Daniel Linder scansports@gmail.com

Sept 21 (Sat)—Genealogy, 1 pm

Icelandic Language CDs or Tapes

Get acquainted with the language or brush up on your pronunciation with lessons 1 & 2, each one hour long. Print lessons are included so that you can learn to read Icelandic as well. Canadian Orders: CDs, 2 lesson sets $30 CAD/ USD; tapes are also available. Postage & handling included. US & Foreign Orders: International money order only.

Send your cheque or money order made out to: Icelandic Canadian Club of B.C.

Icelandic Online Club; email: ioc@inlofna.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ IcelandicOnlineClub