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Góðan dag! Please see attached the Embassy's January Newsletter (Vol.3 No.1) This year again, the Icelandic National League of North America collected money to send to Iceland to aid them in their time of need. Here is the report from Almar Grímsson President of INL of Iceland. It was a pleasure and great privilege to visit 3 mæðrstyrks committees today. We handed over the certificate as approved by you (with correct spelling of your name !!). They were all deeply moved by the generosity of INL of North America and its member clubs and the individuals behind this outstanding gift. They all report a considerable increase of allocations to families in need. Estimate is around 50 % increase so the "kreppa" is still there. Ásta Sól and I visited Reykjavík, Kópavogur and Hafnarfjordur today and our board member in Akureyri Jón Hlöðver Áskelsson visited the committee there. Tomorrow I will go to Akranes to visit the Mæðrastyrksnefnd Vesturlands. Our treasurer has instructions to transfer the funds according to the agreed instructions for allocation to each.
Article in the Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine: http://bit.ly/icelandshardroad ![]() Virtual Museum Gimli, the Evolution of a Community: i.e. Map showing New Iceland (in red) as it was from 1875 to 1881, outside of Manitoba's boundaries. Click here to go to the Virtual Museum site. Associated Press REYKJAVIK, Iceland - Blasts of lava and ash shot out of a volcano in southern Iceland on Monday and small tremors rocked the ground, a surge in activity that raised fears of a larger explosion at the nearby Katla volcano. Scientists say history has proven that when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupts, Katla follows - the only question is how soon. And Katla, located under the massive Myrdalsjokull icecap, threatens disastrous flooding and explosive blasts when it blows. Saturday's eruption at Eyjafjallajokull - dormant for nearly 200 years - forced at least 500 people to evacuate. Most have returned to their homes, but authorities were waiting for scientific assessments to determine whether they were safe to stay. Residents of 14 farms nearest to the eruption site were told to stay away. Several small tremors were felt early Monday, followed by spurts of lava and steam rocketing into the air. Iceland sits on a large volcanic hot spot in the Atlantic's mid-oceanic ridge. Eruptions, common throughout Iceland's history, are often triggered by seismic activity when the Earth's plates move and when magma from deep underground pushes its way to the surface. Like earthquakes, predicting the timing of volcanic eruptions is an imprecise science. An eruption at the Katla volcano could be disastrous, however - both for Iceland and other nations. Iceland's Laki volcano erupted in 1783, freeing gases that turned into smog. The smog floated across the Jet Stream, changing weather patterns. Many died from gas poisoning in the British Isles. Crop production fell in western Europe. Famine spread. Some even linked the eruption, which helped fuel famine, to the French Revolution. Painters in the 18th century illustrated fiery sunsets in their works. The winter of 1784 was also one of the longest and coldest on record in North America. New England reported a record stretch of below-zero temperatures and New Jersey reported record snow accumulation. The Mississippi River also reportedly froze in New Orleans. "These are Hollywood-sort of scenarios but possible," said Colin Macpherson, a geologist with the University of Durham. "As the melt rises, it's a little like taking a cork out of a champagne bottle." There are three main places where volcanoes normally occur - along strike-slip faults such as California's San Andreas fault line, along areas where plates overlap one another such as in the Philippines and the Pacific Rim, and in areas like Iceland, where two of the Earth's plates are moving apart from each other in a so-called spreading system. Unlike the powerful volcanos along the Pacific Rim where the slow rise of magma gives scientists early seismic warnings that an eruption is imminent, Iceland's volcanos are unique in that many erupt under ice sheets with little warning. Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, a geologist at the University of Iceland who flew over the site Monday, said the beginning of Saturday's eruption was so indistinct that it initially went undetected by geological instruments. Many of the tremors were below magnitude 2.6. Using thermal cameras and radar to map the lava flow, Gudmundsson and other scientists were able to determine that the lava from Eyjafjallajokull was flowing down a gorge and not moving toward the ice caps - reducing any threat of floods. He said he and other scientists were watching Katla but Monday's trip was meant to assess immediate risk. "A general expectation is that because of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption, the fissure would widen and in that sense, there's a greater risk of extending into or underneath the glaciers and prompting an eruption at Katla," said Andy Russell with Newcastle University's Earth Surface Processes Research Group, who went with a team to Iceland before the eruption. "From records, we know that every time Eyjafjallajokull erupts, Katla has also erupted." Russell said past Katla eruptions have caused floods the size of the Amazon and sent boulders as big as houses tumbling down valleys and roads. The last major eruption took place in 1918. Floods followed in as little as an hour. Those eruptions have posed risks to residents nearby, but most of Iceland's current population of 320,000 live in the capital of Reykjavik on the western part of the island. Southern Iceland is sparely populated but has both glaciers and unstable volcanoes - a destructive combination. The last time there was an eruption near the 100-square-mile (160 square-kilometre) Eyjafjallajokull glacier was in 1821, and that was a "lazy" eruption that lasted slowly and continuously for two years. Iceland is one of the few places in the world where a mid-ocean ridge actually rises above sea level. Many volcanic eruptions along the ocean basin often go undetected because they can't be easily seen. First settled by Vikings in the 9th century, Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice because of its volcanos and glaciers. During the Middle Ages, Icelanders called the Hekla volcano, the country's most active, the "Gateway to Hell," believing that souls were dragged into the fire below. The last major volcanic eruption in Iceland occurred in 2004 with the Grimsvotn volcano. I am sending this information on the eruption at Fimmvörðuháls to all who receive our electronic Embassy Newsletter. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8578576.stm An Icelandic volcano, dormant for 200 years, has erupted, ripping a 1km-long fissure in a field of ice. The volcano near Eyjafjallajoekull glacier began to erupt just after midnight, sending lava a hundred metres high. Icelandic airspace has been closed, flights diverted and roads closed. The eruption was about 120km (75 miles) east of the capital, Reykjavik. About 500 people were moved from the area, a civil protection officer said. "We estimate that no-one is in danger in the area, but we have started an evacuation plan and between 500 and 600 people are being evacuated," Sigurgeir Gudmundsson of the Icelandic civil protections department told the Agence France-Presse news agency. The area is sparsely populated, but the knock-on effects from the eruption have been considerable. A state of emergency is in force in southern Iceland and transport connections have been severely disrupted, including the main east-west road. "Ash has already begun to fall in Fljotshlid and people in the surrounding area have reported seeing bright lights emanating from the glacier," RUV public radio said on its website. "It was a bit scary, but still amazing to see," Katrin Moller Eiriksdottir, who lives in Fljotshlid, told the BBC News website. "The ash had started falling and we couldn't leave the car." Three Icelandair flights, bound for Reykjavik from the United States, were ordered to return to Boston, RUV radio reported. Domestic flights were suspended indefinitely, but some international flights were scheduled to depart on Sunday. There had initially been fears that the volcano could cause flooding, as it causes ice to melt on the glacier above it, but that scenario appears to have been avoided. However, it could cause more activity nearby, scientists say. "This was a rather small and peaceful eruption but we are concerned that it could trigger an eruption at the nearby Katla volcano, a vicious volcano that could cause both local and global damage," said Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland's Institute of Earth Science, Associated Press news agency reported. As the eruption is taking place in an area that is relatively ice free, there is little chance of a destructive glacier burst like the one that washed away part of the east-west highway four years ago, after an eruption under the vast Vattnajoekull glacier. Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the highly volatile boundary between the Eurasian and North American continental plates, with quakes and eruptions. The last volcanic eruption in the Eyjafjallajoekull area occurred in 1821. Credit: BBC news Congratulations to the Snorri Participants 2010: SNORRI PARTICIPANTS FOR 2010 – as per Asta Sol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For your information - and delight.............. The book, Passion, by Neil O. Bardal and Fay D. Cassidy will soon be printed. As the first run is limited, contact Fay to reserve your copies. Fay D. Cassidy or phone 1-204-651-1281. Check for this website when it becomes operational at the end of January. www.bardalcassidy.com
Iceland was one of the first to deploy a search and rescue team to Haiti, following the earthquake there this week. CNN covered a successful rescue effort carried out by their emergency team, you can find the clip through this link. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/01/15/ac.tuchman.market.rescue.cnn
It is with great Icelandic pride that I announce a wonderful gift from very amazing people. Dr Ken and Lorna Thorlakson have recently donated $1000.00 towards the 2010 Icelandic Camp. This gift goes to show Dr. Ken and Lorna's love of preserving our Icelandic heritage within our youth. These two people are a shining example of generosity that the Icelandic people posses. A very big thank you goes out to them both.
As well we have received word that the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto will be sponsoring a camper for $500. This is a great opportunity for Icelandic - Canadian youth from in and around that area to travel to Manitoba to experience Icelandic Camp.
Once again a big thank you to all people who are helping Icelandic Camp 2010 continue to grow and prosper.
--
Cheers,
Brad Hirst
Icelandic Camp President
204-485-5455
www.icelandiccamp2010.com
Christmas Greeting (Jólakveðja) 2009 from INL
To all our friends in Canada
May you all enjoy peace and happiness over the holidays and the New Year.
We thank you for making our stay in Canada on of the most rewarding time of our lives
and look forward to sharing more good times with you in the new year.
God bless you.
Thrudur and Atli
p.s. Thrudur shot this wonderful picture of Reykjavik

Icelandic River Roast
A Unique Christmas Gift
Enjoy Delicious Coffee While Supporting Local Heritage Projects
(see attachment)...
Every pound purchased supports the work of
Icelandic River Heritage Sites
(project details at: www.icelandicriver.com)
To order, contact: eyrarbakki@hotmail.com or phone 204 378 2758 for special Christmas pricing...
Icesave Negotiations Concluded - Outcome Presented
Press Release:
http://eng.forsaetisraduneyti.is/news-and-articles/nr/4008To order this book contact dhepburn@telus.net
The Embassy of Iceland would like to draw your attention to the following articles.
Leiðari Financial Times
Leiðari Independent
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/05/iceland-president-blocks-icesave-compensation
Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Finance of Iceland, the UK and Netherlands::
http://eng.fjarmalaraduneyti.is/news/nr/12601
More information on the Icesave matters:
http://www.island.is/endurreisn/stjornvold/adgerdir-stjornvalda/samantekt-adgerda/icesave-samningurinn/skjol-vegna-icesave-samningsins/
More News Links:
Interesting article on the long and complicated investigation of financiers, Icelandic and others.
Iceland searches for Banking Crime Suspects beyond its border:.
Well we have another outlet at our disposal for getting the word out about our camp. A brand new website has been created!
www.icelandiccamp2010.com is now up and running. You can get details on the camp, download a Microsoft word version of the registration form, view photos from past camps, meet the staff at the camp, leave a message and much more.
Over the next month or so I will be updating and tweaking things, as well as, adding more to it. Any comments or suggestions please feel free to let me know. I am new to website creation so this is a learning experience for me.
Cheers,
Brad Hirst
Icelandic Camp President
204-485-5455
Dear INL members,
As I have finally finished up the last of camp business for this year I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone and every club that helped make this summers Icelandic Camp a huge success. This year we had 32 campers with 4 counsellors, 2 cooks and 1 director plus a few volunteers. Campers were able to enjoy Electronic language lessons, saga and crafts, 2 trips into Gimli where they took part in the Gimli Film festival. Campers watched Kraftur...the final ride, a tour of city hall, pictures with te Viking statue, a chance to play in the water park, a tour through the Icelandic museum and even a taste of Rullapylsa from Amma'a kitchen. While back at camp they played games, swam, got to know each other and enjoyed all that Icelandic Camp had to offer. We even watched a film about Jon Pall Sigmarsson the world's strongest man....Thetta er Ekkert Mal.
All of this would never be possible without the support that you have shown to this camp. I would like to personally thank the following clubs for their monetary support and sponsorship of a camper....Calgary, Toronto, Selkirk, Gimli, Vancouver,Fron plus I would like to acknowldege Gary Odleifsson for his persoanl sponsorship of one of our campers. Because of your contributions our camp was a massive success.
I would like to challenge the Icelandic Community to help us achieve our goal of 50 + campers for next year. Our camp will run from July 25th, 2010 to July 30th, 2010. I look forward to working with you all in building this camp back up to the huge camp it once was.
Thank you again.
Brad Hirst
SETTLEMENT TALES OF WEST CENTRAL ALBERTA: THE MARKERVILLE STORY
By Carl Morkerberg
A series of weekly article by the manager of the Markerville creamery originally published in the Innisfail Province between 1967 and 1972. These entertaining and informative front page articles recount the colorful history of the Markerville area from 1888 to the late 1960s. Included here are family histories, comical anecdotes and inspiring stories drawn from the
country west of Innisfail.
This is history telling by the people who lived it
First published under the title Markerville Story in 1980; now reprinted by the Central Alberta Historical Society with a foreword by Don Johnson, Carl Morkeberg’s nephew and drawings by Markerville artist Marie Sveinson. Illustrations, historical photographs, footnotes and sidebars have been added to clarify obscure concepts to a new generation. A new index allows for easy searching for names and places.
Dedicated to all the hardy pioneers who settled in the Markerville district. Also to all heirs and successors, to them and to everyone who has ever called Markerville “HOME”.
Central Alberta Historical Publications
4525 - 47A Avenue, Red Deer, AB, T4N 6Z6
Shirley Dye - 403 - 346-5218
The book costs $39.95. plus actual cost of shipping and handling.
Bless Gwen Mann
INL Historian
Christina Sunley is an American author of Icelandic heritage; her novel The Tricking of Freya has just been published in the United States and in Canada. I recently had a chance to speak with Christina regarding her new book and her interest in her Icelandic heritage.
Christina was born in New York and brought up on Long Island. Of Icelandic heritage on her mother’s side, Christina heard stories of her mother’s early years in the West End of Winnipeg and of her Icelandic relatives, although she knew none. The story of her grandfather’s experience as a little boy not being able to see his hand in front of his face due to the air blackened with volcanic ash was a very vivid image for young Christina. She would come to learn that even her own destiny was shaped by the power of nature in Iceland. Like many others, the explosion of Askja in 1875 determined her grandfather’s fate. Had that not happened, perhaps he would not have left Iceland.
Some of the family tales were hard for Christina to believe, growing up on Long Island without an “Icelandic” presence other than her Mom. By her mid-thirties Christina’s inquisitiveness about her heritage drove her to explore those stories. She discovered her history and the experience of the Icelandic immigrants in the late 1800s.
Equipped with a Masters Degree in English/Creative writing and curiosity about the Icelanders’ stories, Christina was strongly motivated to create a novel out of this immigrant world and the experiences of the descendants. Poets, writers, historians, family history- such a rich trove to uncover. She found an abundance to learn and much to tell. Her unwavering enthusiasm led her to spend 8 years researching and writing her novel. Her devotion to the family of characters she created included cashing in her 401K and quitting work to be able to tell their story. Christina is now able to share her fictitious family and their saga, in the form of The Tricking of Freya, which is not only published in the US and Canada but also has been translated into Icelandic for a fall ’09 publication.
The Tricking of Freya has been very well received. Critics and book reviewers have high praise for Christina’s writing and insight. You can read the first chapter on-line at her website: www.christinasunley.com . Once you do, you’ll want more.
Upcoming appearances in Canada: Christina will be discussing her book at the Aspire Theatre in Gimli on April 30 and at McNally Robinson in Winnipeg on May 4. Click here for more details.
Just a note to let you know about the three new blends of 'Icelandic River Roast'...
Pioneer Blend, Nýja Ísland Blend, and Earl of Dufferin Blend - delicious, organic, fair trade coffee.
This is a fund raiser for Icelandic River Heritage Sites (see: www.icelandicriver.com), and the response to our first blend, 'Tíu Dropar', was so positive that we have added these new varieties, including a dark roast (Earl of Dufferin, in honour of Lord Dufferin, who championed the cause of Icelandic settlement in Canada).
You can contact us directly at 204 378 2758 or at eyrarbakki@hotmail.com - or you can find the coffee at the New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli. Elva and Kendra Jonasson in Winnipeg also have some on hand if you live in Winnipeg, and we can arrange to ship anywhere in North America...
This is great coffee for a great cause... Please feel free to call with any questions.
Nelson
Professor Haraldur Bessason died on April 8 in Toronto. He will be remembered for his work as a scholar and community builder during his tenure as Head of the Icelandic department at the University of Manitoba and as President of the University of Akureyri. Above all Haraldur will be rembered for his generosity of spirit, his humour and his stories. A memorial service will take place in Winnipeg at Neil Bardal.inc, 3030 Notre Dame Ave, on Saturday April 25 at 1 p.m. If desired, donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to “The Icelandic Chair of the University of Manitoba". Additional services will take place in Toronto in May and Iceland in August. Please contact the family if you require additional information. Condolences may be sent to: condolences@nbardal.mb.ca
News item from Robert Asgeirsson, Apr. 20/08
"STRINGFEVER" now appearing on Ströndin Internet Radio.
The S.I.R. production team is pleased to announce the availability of their
17th program in the series. They invite you to take a 35 minute break, have
a coffee and tune into their latest show on the internet.
Gus Kristjanson, series host, introduces us to the music of Stringfever and
the talented individuals behind this eclectic "gypsy jazz band". Pat Peacock
caught up with the Thordarson family members who finally found a little time
in their busy schedules to sit down and chat about their lives. The
resulting program is a very enjoyable visit with Doug and son Stefan and
Lynn Wittenberg, the mother of the family and "President in charge of
sandwiches", she says.
The show includes five of the many great tunes found on their popular CD:
"Stringfever - Blue House Sessions".
Program 17 is now available on the internet at: www.inlofna.org/SIR/
Enjoy!
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