1

Bertdale School reproduction
9 October 2005
Foam Lake, SK Canada

2

The high concentration of Icelanders in the Vatnabyggðin area seems to have had an effect on the general development of the local culture as well as the community. Icelanders were instrumental in starting schools and post offices, as well as running stores, building houses, helping settlers get started, and providing entertainment.

Many of the schools in the area were started by Icelanders - Foam Lake (later renamed Bertdale), Walhalla, Argyle, Gardar, Leslie, Sleipnir, Mimer, Grandy, Mountain, Nordra, and others.

3

Wadena Herald clipping on the new Elfros Post Office
26 March 1909

4

Icelanders, being perhaps more educated than some settlers thanks to widespread education back in Iceland, also were instrumental in creating post offices. The names reflect the Icelandic origins - Kristnes, Laxdal (later Mozart), Mimer, Sleipner (later Wynyard). Other post offices run by Icelanders include Candahar (later Kandahar), Wadena, and Big Quill. Postmasters were as follows:
Kristnes, 1905 - John Thorlacius
Big Quill, 1908 - S. Johnson
Candahar, 1910 - T. Halldorson, Christjan Hjalmarson
Laxdal, 1907 - T. S. Laxdal
Mimer, 1907 - J. B. Johnson
Sleipner, 1905 - H. J. Halldorson
Wadena, 1905 - Fred Vatnsdal

5

Helgi Johannes Helgason, on graduating from University
1 May 1915
Foam Lake, SK Canada

6

Many of the younger generation of Icelanders left the farm to go to university. Wesley College, in Winnipeg, had a high proportion of Icelandic students. The Icelandic Department at the U of M grew out of the students' desire to keep their ancestral culture and language alive.

7

There were two Icelandic periodicals published in Canada, both started in the nineteenth century. Logberg and Heimskringla (now published as a single periodical, Logberg-Heimskringla) were published in Winnipeg but widely read in the area. Sveinn Oddson, who started the Wynyard Advance, also published an Icelandic newspaper for a short time.

8

A reading club, or "Lestrarfjelag" was formed in Mozart in 1907, and was called the Lestrarfjelag Verdandi. It was a subscription library, with members paying 50¢ per year, and had a circulation range of 10mi x 12mi in townships 32 and 33 range14. This would cover an area between Mozart and Elfros. From 1909 to 1940 the library - consisting of a bookcase - resided at the G. D. Grimson home. Axel Jonasson was one of the members who got books from the library when it was disbanded in 1940. Approximately 400 hardcover and 100 softcover books were in the library, and about 30 members made use of it.

9

Jonasson, Ed on the Mozart Book Club
10 December 2005
Mozart, SK Canada

10

[Jonasson, Ed]
...but he [Axel Jonasson] belonged to the Icelandic book club, yeah that Gardar Icelandic [book club]. and Mundi Grimson used to have it at the house, but the Icelandic club books, they had them down in the basement at Ted Josefson's and his grandson flooded the basement and the books all got wet.

11

Wadena Herald clipping Jan 8, 1909
8 January 1909

12

Wadena Herald clipping on the activities of local Icelanders
11 June 1909

13

Clipping from Wadena Herald, Oct. 19 1911
19 October 1911

14

Detail of Vatnabyggd Memorial
25 September 2005
Elfros, SK Canada