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News In New Iceland

Many households in the New Iceland colony, which officially became a part of the province of Manitoba in 1881, subscribed to one or both the Winnipeg papers, Heimskringla and Lögberg. Still, some felt that a local paper would better serve their needs. By the mid 1890s, the area had been without a local Icelandic paper since the end of Framfari in 1880.

 

A colourful  map of Manitoba showing surveyed township grids, railways, and natural landmarks. New Iceland appears along the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. The map includes numbered ranges and townships, variously shaded blocks indicating land status, and inset diagrams of Winnipeg and northern Lake Winnipeg. The title reads Map of Manitoba, Published by Authority of the Provincial Government, Winnipeg, June 1891.

A 1891 map of Manitoba.

Front page of the Icelandic-language newspaper Bergmálið, dated December 18, 1897, and published in Gimli, Manitoba. The issue features an article titled “Um atvinnumál Ný-Íslands” by G. Thorgeirsson. The layout consists of dense, justified text in three columns with Gothic-style masthead and a red archival stamp from the National Library of Iceland.

The first issue of Bergmálið, printed in Gimli in 1897

On December 12, 1897, the first issue of Bergmálið was published. The newspaper was based in Gimli, New Iceland’s largest settlement, and was edited by local printer and bookbinder, Gísli M. Thompson. Bergmalið’s stated goal was to deliver general news, but it also concentrated on local news and community affairs. However, Bergmálið ceased publication after just three years.

 

Roughly two years later, in early 1903, the first issue of Baldur was published. The newspaper was produced in Gimli by a group of individuals who would eventually form the Gimli Printing and Publishing Company. Einar Ólafsson, who briefly served as editor of Heimskringla in 1897–1898, took on editorial duties for Baldur. However, following Einar’s untimely death in 1907, Rev. Jóhann P. Sólmundsson became the paper’s editor.

 

Front page of a historical Icelandic-language newspaper titled Baldur. The date reads Winnipeg, Manitoba, 7. desember 1905, and the issue number is visible in the top margin. The main headline in bold text reads Einar Ólafsson er dáinn. Below the headline is a black-and-white portrait of a man in formal attire, framed in an oval. The remainder of the page is filled with justified columns of text in Icelandic. The paper shows slight aging with darkened edges.

Front page of Baldur, September 5, 1907, announcing the death of Einar Ólafsson

Like Bergmálið, Baldur contained general news and covered affairs and news local to Gimli and the New Iceland area. The paper is particularly noted for advancing progressive points of view. Baldur appeared weekly until its final issue on February 2, 1910. It holds the distinction of having the longest print run of any newspaper published in New Iceland at just over seven years.

 

 

Historic black-and-white photo of Gimli, Manitoba, in 1907. A long team of sled dogs with two drivers moves along a snow-covered street lined with utility poles, buildings, and houses. A two-story home with evergreen trees stands to the right, while commercial buildings are visible in the background.Winter scene of a Gimli street, 1907.

 

Baldur was not, though, the last Icelandic newspaper published in New Iceland. That distinction belongs to the weekly newspaper Gimlungur, which was published by Gísli P. Magnússon’s Maple Leaf Printing and Supply Company. Gimlungur’s first issue appeared on March 30, 1910, where it claimed to be “a paper for farmers and labourers.”

 

Aged front page of the Icelandic-language newspaper Gimlungur. The title appears in large bold Gothic-style font at the top, followed by the subtitle Blad fyrir bændur og verkamenn. The issue is dated Gimli, Manitoba, 10. febrúar 1905, and is formatted in three columns of tightly packed text. Articles include titles such as Til kaupenda og lesenda vorra and Frá Íslandi. The paper is slightly yellowed with time, giving it a vintage appearance.

The front page of Gimlungur, published in Gimli, Manitoba.

The paper’s original editor was Sigurður G. Thorarensen, but before long Gísli himself took over. However, Gimlungur proved to be the shortest lived of the New Iceland newspapers. It lasted for just eighteen months. In what would be the paper’s final issue, Gísli reminded readers that a newspaper can only survive if readers pay their subscriptions on time. The same issue included an ad for the sale all of Maple Leaf Printers’ assets.

 

The three Gimli papers indicate a strong desire in New Iceland for greater local coverage than the Winnipeg papers could provide. However, a smaller subscriber base and a lack of interest from readers outside of New Iceland were likely major factors in the papers’ short lives.

Two Icelandic Weeklies From the Pulpit to the Page