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“Everybody likes looking at old photographs, and some people take it as a challenge to try to determine who those people are.” Blair Swanson, Icelandic Roots volunteer speaking to CTV News Over the summer, Icelandic Roots volunteer Blair Swanson appeared on CTV News in Winnipeg and beyond.1 Photo Credit: CTV News1 Blair runs the Unknown Photos Project, which uncovers details about the lives of the people depicted in pictures sent in by the Icelandic community. Each month

by Shaune Jonasson Settling the untamed land of the Canadian prairie, originally known as Assiniboia in the North-West Territories (NWT) before Saskatchewan was a province in 1905, was fulfilled by many ethnicities, including our Icelandic ancestors. Filing for homesteads, then carving out a living in this vast open land was no small feat. Viking courage harmonized with a pioneering spirit; the Icelandic settlers became an important element of Saskatchewan’s tapestry. They le

A collection of stories by: Nancy Asmundson Linda Breidfjord Judy Dickson Lois Janusson Yasinko The month of September profiles the Icelandic settlements in Saskatchewan and its history. Many of us share family roots from here, including four of our Icelandic Roots members. Each of them has taken a different approach; some are very personal, some extol their ancestor’s accomplishments, while others define the genealogy. Although the stories are unique, there are similarities

By Sharron Arksey Icelandic settlements spread outside beyond the area of New Iceland over the course of time. Many continued north and west. This article looks at two other areas of Manitoba. Argyle, where the early settlers felt they had arrived in Paradise and yet some of them left, and Swan River. Sharron explores the early days for the settlers, their communities and how they have evolved. ARGYLE There is a story about an Icelandic immigrant who, in 1880, travelled from

By Brian Borgford Historical Fiction with an Emotional Connection: Comparisons and Contrasts Be Still the Water by Karen Emilson has something for everyone. It takes you through a full range of emotions over the first three quarters of the twentieth century: joy, sadness, grief, anger, love, hope, despair, acceptance, atonement, fear, trust, and acceptance. No matter who you are or what your background is, it would be hard not to connect with the wide range of characters

by Sunna Olafson Furstenau Continuing the North America Icelandic settlement theme, Sunna addresses the many areas of North Dakota our ancestors called home, even temporarily. Many towns and villages, although mostly abandoned or forgotten, uphold an enduring legacy binding their past to our present. When people think of Icelandic settlements in North Dakota, they usually think of Mountain and Gardar first. Perhaps Akra and Cavalier come to mind as well. But the Icelandic sto

By Sunna Olafson Furstenau Through the month of July, we've focused on the North Dakota settlement areas of our ancestors. Their stories come to life more readily when one has an opportunity to travel and see the sites for ourselves. Here are some suggestions for northeast North Dakota: Click on the image to enlarge details. The content of the above inserted tour details and driving map are duplicated below: Icelanders who settled in the area known as Fjalla mostly came fro

The Deuce of August: Honoring the Past, Building the Future in northeastern North Dakota. Come celebrate Icelandic heritage.

By Blair Swanson While compiling profiles for his Facebook page, “Geysir Cemetery,” Blair has gathered information about the women who served as midwives in the Geyser District of Manitoba. Their skill and compassion were vital in the early days of the region. All of the following information was taken from Faith and Fortitude: A History of the Geysir District 1880s–1980s. Midwives were common in every community. It was a necessity to have someone trained to deliver babies

by Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane As we review the settlements in Winnipeg and the New Iceland area, no doubt many of us have reflected on the life our ancestors experienced. But what of our own life in these Icelandic settlement areas? One of our IR volunteers and author, Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane, reflects on her growing up in Winnipeg as a Canadian with Icelandic heritage. Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane There are not too many advantages to being what you might call “pretty old”

By Gerry Stefanson Gerry Stefanson is a member of the Icelandic Roots Author’s Group, and we are pleased to share his musings through poetry, a craft he has honed in more recent years. Many of Gerry’s poems have been previously published in our Newsletters. He has also published poet “Chap Books” through Spillwords. You can see more of his work, including Passages and Bouleversant HERE. For June, we are profiling the New Iceland area on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba as part of our

By Becky Byerly-Adams, Brian Borgford, and Cathy Josephson This month's interesting Icelander is a tribute to William Jon Holm, more commonly referred to as Bill Holm. He is revered as many things, with poet, author, teacher and musician among them. This special collaborative article shares contributions from three Icelandic Roots volunteers and writers, Becky, Brian and Cathy. They tell us about Bill, but more so, they reveal more of the person he was. Join us in remembering

By Jody Arman-Jones This month Icelandic Roots explores the Icelandic settlements in Minnesota. The challenges faced were similar to many other settlements, but perseverance and hope prevailed. Their legacy lives on. The journey to Minnesota was not an easy one for Icelandic emigrants of the 19th century. As described in They Chose Minnesota, A Survey of the State’s Ethnic Groups, (6) and again by Cathy Josephson in her aptly named presentation, Rails, Trails, Rivers and Tr

Halldóra Guðmundsdóttir, an Icelandic immigrant who was a midwife and caregiver in Duluth Minnesota.

By Shaune Jonasson Keeping with the 2026 theme of settlements in North America, we close April with offering you a driving tour to the Icelandic sites in Nova Scotia. The communities settled were short-lived; however, some families did remain. Their descendants have lived there since the 1880s. With a keen interest in the history of the Icelandic communities, a group of dedicated individuals created The Icelandic Memorial Society of Nova Scotia, which was incorporated on July

By Phyllis Smith Continuing with the Icelandic Roots settlement areas we take you to a location in Ontario: Keewatin. A small community of proud and hardworking Icelanders called this place home. When the editorial team brainstormed all the possible Icelandic settlements across North America for this year’s newsletter articles, Keewatin, Ontario, didn’t make the top ten list. It’s not surprising. Keewatin (1) was and still is a small community in Northwestern Ontario. Now par

By Katrín Nielsdottir < Katrin.Nielsdottir@umanitoba.ca > The Icelandic language, verbal or written, holds importance not only for us to learn about our past, but to preserve the very same for our future. Katrín Nielsdottir, the Icelandic Liaison Librarian at The University of Manitoba, explains a recent online project regarding the preservation of the Icelandic language, produced through the Digital Museums of Canada. What does it mean to carry a language across an ocean—

by Becky Byerly-Adams Wisconsin was the chosen settlement area for many Icelandic emigrant families in the 1870s. Becky provides background and insights from the areas of Milwaukee and Shawano. These settlements were not without challenges; many relocated while others remained. Their preservation of Icelandic life and culture remains their legacy. We still celebrate them today. Wisconsin Map 1866. Image sourced from Maps of the Past MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Milwaukee, Wisconsi

By George T. Freeman This month's Interesting Icelander article featuring Hjörtur (Chester) Þórðarson/ Thordarson was written by Hjörtur's great-great-nephew, George Freeman. Arriving in North America as a young lad of six, we learn about Hjörtur's life and legacy. Icelandic Roots is sharing this article with permission. THE VIKING HALL AT WISCONSIN’S ROCK ISLAND STATE PARK Hjörtur Thordarson (I481526) Icelanders and their descendants enjoy tales of the accomplishments of o

by Jason Doctor Icelandic Roots hosted a public webinar on Monday, 16 February. Jason Doctor welcomed Kathy Thorbjornasson, who described the saga of Eirik the Red. Many of us are familiar with this saga, but Kathy has dug deeper and reveals what she has discovered while entering the saga details into the Icelandic Roots database. This article provides background on the saga. The video of the presentation can be viewed from this link: https://youtu.be/C0WcaZm2Dzk Eirik the Re