To mark the 150th anniversary of the Icelandic settlement in Manitoba, the Icelandic Canadian Frón hosted a special bus tour through Winnipeg, tracing the historic footsteps of Icelandic immigrants and their descendants who helped shape the city’s cultural landscape. Guided by historian and editor Stefan Jonasson, the tour offered participants a vivid glimpse into the people, places, and stories that connect Winnipeg’s urban history to the enduring legacy of New Iceland.
From the Independent Order of Good Templars Hall on Sargent Avenue—once a gathering place for temperance and community activism—to landmarks honouring figures such as William Stephenson (A Man Called Intrepid), Dr. Paul Thorlakson, and Baldur Stefansson, each stop highlighted the remarkable breadth of Icelandic contributions to Manitoba’s public life.
A Journey Through Time and Influence
Along the way, visitors paused at key cultural and literary landmarks:
- The First Lutheran Church on Victor Street and its plaques commemorating the Falcons hockey team and the Icelandic National League of North America.
- The home and bust of women’s rights pioneer Margret Benedictsson, founder of Freyja, one of the earliest feminist newspapers in Canada.
- The historic Columbia Block, home to Lögberg and Heimskringla, Icelandic-language newspapers that remain vital to community life today.
- The Scandinavian Cultural Centre, where the Icelandic Room and new murals celebrate over a century of shared Nordic heritage.
- Monuments to Jon Sigurdsson and the Upper Fort Garry Gate, connecting the Icelandic story to the broader narrative of Manitoba’s beginnings.
The tour also featured the homes of notable Icelandic-Canadians such as author Laura Goodman Salverson, cartoonist Charlie Thorson, and funeral director Neil Bardal, whose family has served the community for generations. Stops at the Icelandic Collection at the University of Manitoba and the Jon Bjarnason Academy underscored how education and culture continue to carry forward the values of those early settlers.
Capturing the Journey
The Canada Iceland Foundation played a key role in making the tour possible by providing a grant that supported photographic documentation. Thanks to this funding, photographer Signý Thorsteinsson was able to capture striking images of the sites along the route. Her framed photographs were later exhibited at the Winnipeg Scandinavian Cultural Centre, allowing visitors to experience the journey visually and reflect on the Icelandic presence that endures in Winnipeg’s landscape.
A Shared Legacy
The tour was more than a commemoration—it was a living expression of gratitude for those who built the foundations of the Icelandic community in Canada and for the partnerships that continue to sustain it today. The Icelandic Canadian Frón extended their heartfelt thanks to the Canada Iceland Foundation for its support, as well as to the Friends of Lögberg-Heimskringla and the many volunteers and participants who helped bring history to life.
Through this project, the spirit of New Iceland continues—rooted in community, carried through memory, and celebrated in the city streets where the Icelandic story in Winnipeg began.
Canada Iceland Foundation, Inc.