News and Events
Friends of Iceland Annual General Meeting
In his report FOI President Lou Howard gave the following overview of the club´s activities:
“The year 2006 was a very active one for our Club. I want to thank the members of the Board who served with me to make it as busy and successful as it turned out to be. Past President, Gerry Einarsson; Vice president, Völundur Thorbjörnsson; Membership Chairperson, Judith Hoye; Events Chairman, Jack Ives; Secretary, John Olson; and Treasurer, Roger Eyvindson. Special mention is being made of the invaluable assistance given by Jack Coghill and Peter Holmes with the Cartier Drill. Hall ceremony.
Saturday March 25, 2006 the Thorrablót was held at the home of the president at 106 Dorothea Drive . The Ambassador gave a humorous impromptu talk on his experiences since coming to Canada as Ambassador, and Professor Emeritus Jack Ives gave a slide show presentation on Global Warming and Iceland ’s Glaciers. There were fifty adults and eight children present.
Saturday June 17, 2006 the annual picnic was held with over fifty guests, at the home of Völundur Thorbjörnsson and Daja Kjartansdóttir, 256 Islandview Drive , Perth Ontario on Mississippi Lake . This picnic featured a sheep show by Stefanía Sveinbjarnardóttir, of Yeoman Farm, and an Icelandic horse riding demonstration by Janet Strome,and David Mattinson, owners of Hidden Meadow Farm with the help of Vern and Judy Seligy as additional drivers. The four horses and riders showed the different cants of the Icelandic horses with different formats, circles, line abreast, and wheeling in perfect form. The grand finale was a champagne ride where each of the four riders held high a full glass of champagne, and at a high speed, came down the field with each glass still full at the end of the ride. The crowd was astounded at this show of horsemanship.
Saturday October 21, 2006 was the remembrance ceremony at the Cartier Drill Hall honouring the arrival in Iceland in June 1940 of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa along with Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal and the Royal Regiment of Canada. 190 people were present in the Drill Hall when the Pipe Band marched out onto the Drill hall floor for a 15 minute show. There were moving speeches by Ambassador Markús Örn Antonsson, Mayor Vilhjálmur Th. Vilhjálmsson ( Mayor Villi, as he called himself) of Reykjavik, Almar Grímsson President of the Icelandic National League ( INL) in Iceland, all of which were made available in hard copy to the 15 veterans who served in Iceland, and also are available on our website http://hrafninn.wetcanvas.com/. There were nine additional participants. After the ceremony Ambassador Markús Örn Antonsson and his wife Steinunn Ármannsdóttir hosted a reception as the guests mingled and talked with the fifteen veterans and each other. It was a great day for all who were there.
Saturday December 9, 2006 , Markus Örn Antonsson presented a canon shell to Lt/Col Bud Walsh, Commanding Officer Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa in front of the Regiment. This was a gift from the Mayor of Reykjavik, but it had been held up in US Customs. The shell is inscribed “ In honour of the brave and gallant Canadian soldiers who fought in the defence of a small nation. Iceland remembers them with great gratitude. Vilhjálmur Th. Vilhjálmsson, Mayor of Reykjavik ”
Monday December 18, 2006, the film “The Atom Station” was shown at 7:00 p.m. in the theatre at the National Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street , in Ottawa , hosted by Ambassador Markús Örn Antonsson and his wife Steinunn Ármannsdóttir. Eighty three people attended this film and enjoyed the Jólaglögg in a reception after the film. Völundur Thorbjörnsson was the master of the hot spiced wines that made up the enjoyable drink.
Lou Howard, President FOI "