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The goal for many Icelandic emigrants to Canada was to get to Gimli, Manitoba and join those who left before them. The plan was to establish Nýja Ísland , where the immigrants could be close to friends and family, and preserve their culture, traditions, and language.   However, the first Icelanders to Canada settled in Ontario. In The Icelanders of Kinmount, Don Gislason referred to it as an “experiment in settlement” because it largely failed. Only a few families chose to s

By Shaune Jonasson This book review presents The Young Icelander – The story of an immigrant in Nova Scotia and Manitoba . A classic in Iceland that has been translated and published in English, offering insight to the challenges of emigration and settling in a foreign land. The emigrants are resilient. Their spirit, motivated by hope and determination, molds their greatest desire of creating a better life for their families.   In 1899, Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason wrote the story

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   Public Webinar on Friday, 27 March 2026 : INDIGENOUS AND ICELANDIC INTERACTIONS AT THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS Our Icelandic Roots Host, Jason Doctor, welcomes guest Hildur Sigurbergsdóttir, historian and Snorri West alum. We will be discussing the complex story of the encounters between the Icelandic settlers and the existing Indigenous populations as part of an extended celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of New Iceland and Minneota.

By Gay Strandemo Settling in the Wisconsin area, our Scandinavian ancestors left their mark. A strong sense of literacy and the preservation of historical records has offered enhanced understanding of their cultures, traditions, languages and more curated by the Department of Scandinavian Studies, which has a history unto itself. Established in 1875, the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the oldest Scandinavian Studies department in

A part of the Icelandic Roots Settlement theme of 2026 is exploring the areas where our ancestors arrived and settled in North America. The Washington Island community received its first Icelandic settlers in 1870. Descendants of those settlers are still there today. Have a look around...   Washington Island and neighbouring Rock Island to the northeast are where many Scandinavians settled and raised their families upon arrival to North America in the 19 th  century. The Icel

For nearly a decade, a small team of dedicated genealogists within Icelandic Roots has meticulously researched an array of sources to paint a more accurate picture of the Icelandic Emigration Story between 1850 and 1914. This research has included documenting who left, when they left (and if they stayed), why they left, and how they made the journey.  The Camoens, one of the many ships Icelanders took on their journey to North America. Accessed 2/26/2026 from Icelandic Roots

Icelandic Roots newsletter theme for 2026 is the emigration to North America and the settlements there. Some are still active settlements, while others have since been abandoned. Washington Island is a settlement from 1870 that remains strong today.   In the mid-1800s, Icelanders began to emigrate to America. Many hardships in Iceland contributed to its people searching for a better life, for them and their family. Emigration proved to be the answer for some. Stories of settl

Lögberg-Heimskringla , the oldest ethnic publication in Canada and the second oldest in North America will celebrate its 140th anniversary in 2026. Beginning with its first issue of 2026 in January, the paper will include articles from the time it has been in existence, culminating in a special issue devoted to the anniversary on September 15. Heimskringla was first published on September 9, 1886, with editors Freeman Anderson, Eggert Johansson, and Einar Hjorleifsson. Lögbe

Note: The Icelandic Roots Book Club is open to all members at Icelandic Roots. To learn more about membership levels, visit our membership page . The Icelandic Roots Book Club for Thursday, March 5 th, will feature A Necessary Distance: Confessions of a Scriptwriter’s Daughter with author Julie Salverson. We can all relate to the excitement, and possible trepidation, of discovering a letter or journal written by family members long after they have departed this mortal coil.

by Shaune Jonasson In this article Icelandic Roots pays homage to our own Icelandic-Canadian hockey heroes. As we approach this year's XXV Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, we acknowledge The Winnipeg Falcons - the first team to win an Olympic Gold Medal for amateur hockey. Many of us in North America are blanketed in white. It’s winter and it’s cold. Regardless of how we spend the season, outdoors or inside staying warm, one thing is certain: it’s hockey season.    Winter is

February's IR Book Club with Guest Karen Gummo: A Journey Through Icelandic Heritage Confessions of an Immigrant’s Daughter by Laura Goodman Salverson Born in Winnipeg on December 9, 1890, Icelandic Roots members can locate the author in the Icelandic Roots database as Lára Gudmundsson IR# I22876736. Her parents emigrated from Reykjavík in 1887. Laura won the prestigious Canadian Governor General’s literary award in 1939 for Confessions of an Immigrant's Daughter . This book

By Shaune Jonasson Some ancestral stories of the crossings were captured in family diaries, a real treasure to possess today. Despite any trepidation to leave their homes and families, most believed in a better life ahead. They were resolute. We are here as a testament to their hope.   When our Icelandic ancestors left their homeland bound for North America, many unknowns lay ahead of them. The reasons for emigrating are many and we’ve heard or read the accounts of life in Ic

by Rob Olason The Icelandic Roots 2026 focus is “Exploring and Documenting Local Icelandic Settlements in North America.” In 2025, the focus was on Icelandic art and culture in Iceland and North America. 2024 saw us focusing on the Settlement Era of Iceland around the first millennium. We inaugurated the idea of focusing on a specific topic in 2023 when we explored Icelandic emigration to North America and other continents. The idea of examining a focus topic each year doesn’

By Shaune Jonasson Welcome to Icelandic Roots Interesting Icelanders for 2026. This year, we will focus on those who emigrated to North America or their descendants, that became accomplished or well known within the area. Our first profile is honouring the memory and achievements of Sir William Stephenson from Winnipeg, Manitoba.   William Samuel Clouston Stanger/Stephenson (I523046) was born on 23 January 1897 in the Point Douglas area of Winnipeg, Manitoba to a Scottish fa

By Blair Swanson and Becky Byerly-Adams During November Icelandic Roots pays tribute to our ancestors who arrived in North America from Iceland just years before the call came to support World War One. We honor the dedication and commitment these soldiers gave, some paying the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget. Many people of Icelandic descent have served in the military of Canada and the United States. Respect is paid annually in honour of our militaries on Remembrance Day

by Doreen Borgford McFarlane This is an excerpt from a yet unpublished book Leirarskotta  by Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane. Author's Note: This book that I wrote tells the story of an Icelandic girl ghost who, according to Icelandic records, lived and followed the Borgfjord family for no less than eight generations. I learned about her quite accidentally around 2015 by reading a lecture on "Icelandic Immigrant Ghosts" that was delivered at the University of Victoria, B.C. in 200

Two busloads of IR volunteers and members have just returned from Iceland as we traveled for twelve unforgettable days of heritage,...

by Anne Brydon Department of Anthropology McGill University, Montreal, Quebec   ** Reprinted from Icelandic Canadian v.48 n.2 Winter...