GIMLI

An Icelandic Village in Manitoba

The people of Iceland have always had to contend with an unforgiving nature. In the 1870s things were particularly bad when a series of volcanic eruptions sent many Icelanders fleeing from the island.

375 of these found their way to Canada. They were "invited" to the new country by Lord Dufferin who had visited Iceland in 1856 and had been impressed by the stoic and proud nature of the people. The Icelandic settlers, who had gained little more than subsistence from their environment, were considered good candidates for the Canadian interior. The first group of Icelanders initially settled down in Kinmount Ontario. But here conditions were so bad that many of the elderly and children died within the first year of arrival. There was of course no employment to talk of and good farmland was at a premium. The plight of the Icelanders caught the attention of an English lay missionary and he together with the leader of the group Sigtryggur Jonasson (later to be known as "Father of New Iceland") sent a delegation to explore possible settlement sites. The area along the shores of Lake Winnipeg proved to be an ideal location with its abundance of heavy timber for building, good farmland, and fish in the lake. The immigrants were allocated a grant to move West.

The journey to Winnipeg was long .and strenuous and from there the Icelanders set out in a few flatbottomed boats used to haul lumber and fuel. It took a full four days in these boats to reach their new 'home which they called Gimli - heavenly abode, home of the blessed, a land of peace.

On October 22, 1875, the day after their
A fishing boat in Gimli Historical Museum illustrating one of the most important occupations in New Iceland arrival, the first child Jon Johannson, was born in a skin tent.

The Icelanders had been used to harsh conditions in Iceland and their first home in Canada had been no improvement. So they were disheartened by the early arrival of winter in New Iceland. Few houses had been constructed and supplies were scarce. Many settlers left the colony and of the hundred that remained about one-third died.

However in 1876 about 1 200 more Icelanders arrived to the colony. These settlers did not come to a ready-made future and even they faced a lot hardships. A particularly trying time for the colony was when an epidemic of smallpox hit to be followed by epidemics of scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles and scurvy. So many children died and it was a time of utter despair.

But having nowhere else to go, the Icelanders persevered and in 1878 established the state of "New Iceland". Only Icelanders were allowed to settle within its borders and Sigtryggur was elected "president". New Iceland had the full sanction and financial support of the Canadian government. With its own constitution, New Iceland remained an independent state within the expanding Dominion of Canada for 12 years. When the province of Manitoba extended northward in 1881, New Iceland came within it, but remained under local self government till the settlers
themselves decided to come under the Manitoba system in 1887.

The Icelanders set up a school to learn English almost right away and soon regular church services were held. A Lutheran church was established in 1889.

Until 1949 the Gimli Lutheran Church was almost entirely Icelandic in service and language, attended almost solely by people of Icelandic origin. In 1951, Pastor Heraldur S. Sigmar was called to Gimli and with his use of the English language for a majority of the services, a number of local residents of non-Icelandic origin, who heretofore had no place to worship in, were drawn into the congregation.

When food supplies ran low, a fishing expedition, headed by Magnus Stefansson went north on Lake Winnipeg and that is how the fishing industry on Lake Winnipeg was started. Since then fishing has become a way of life and is of great importance to the community even today.

Today Gimli is the centre of the largest Icelandic settlement outside of Iceland. On the first Monday of August every year Gimli celebrates Islengingadagurinn - the Icelandic Festival. Thousands of Icelandic Canadians gather at the Gimli Park for the daylong celebration culminating in the crowning of the Fjallkona - the Maid of the Mountains.

Gimli has not exploited its Icelandic origin for tourism. What you see is what you get here. An absolute must for any visitor is of course the Historical Museum. The museum is operated by the Icelandic Cultural Corporation and it highlights the two most important occupations of the immigrants - fishing and farming besides demonstrating the history of the settlement. The Museum tells the story of one of the first families and you can also see the home of Jon Johannson, the first born in the colony. The Historical Museum is open during summer months only.

Walking through the town you will also see the H.P. Tergesen & Sons store at First Avenue and Centre Street. The store was built in 1899 and originally had 2 stories, the upper being used for living quarters, then as a hall and then as a classroom. Hans Pjetur Tergesen originally opened this store as a hardware store. Today the store is still operated by the Tergesen family but sells only dry goods and shoes.

Gimli also has a fine senior citizens home called Betel Home. It was founded by the wife of a pioneer pastor of the Lutheran church, Lara Bjarnason. The Lakeview Hotel was purchased in 1917 to house 50 people. Many additions have been made and it now accommodates up to 100 people. Residency is no longer confined to Icelandic people, even though Icelandic is the primary language in use.

You can drive to Willow Point which was the original landing place of the pioneers. The lovely Willow Island Park has been developed by the Amason brothers and the White Rock on which the settlers symbolically landed has been polished and raised on a foundation.

Lastly - hard to miss is the Viking Statue which has become Gimli's symbol. It is a huge statue, standing 15 ft in height. It was designed by Professor Gessur Eliasson of the University of Manitoba and unveiled in 1967 by the President of Iceland, Asgeir Asgeirson.

The Viking Statue

Scandinavian Press, Issue2, 1996