The president of Iceland paid a historic visit to the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village on Aug. 1, marking a milestone in the long-standing ties between Iceland and Manitoba’s Interlake region.
Her Excellency Halla Tómasdóttir toured three of the Village’s Icelandic buildings, spending about 10 minutes in each, before joining local, provincial and international dignitaries for a reception inside the hall.
The delegation included Mr. Björn Skúlason, spouse of the president; Ms. Sif Gunnarsdóttir, secretary general of the Office of the President; Mr. Hlynur Guðjónsson, Iceland’s ambassador to Canada; Dr. Vilhjálmur Wiium, consul general of Iceland in Winnipeg, and his spouse Dr. Guðlaug Erlendsdóttir; as well as Ms. Jenny Hill, Canada’s ambassador to Iceland, and Ms. Enya Bouchard of Global Affairs Canada. MLA Robert Loiselle attended on behalf of the province.
In her welcome remarks, Arborg Heritage Village co-chair Pat Eyolfson called the visit “a tribute written from the heart” and a moment of deep pride for the community.
“Madame President, we are truly honoured that you have taken time out of your demanding schedule to visit our Village,” Eyolfson said. “Your presence shines a light on our shared history and brings deep meaning to our efforts to preserve it.”
Eyolfson said the president’s two-hour visit was “an absolute honour” and left a lasting impression.
“We also had such a lovely time with the President of Iceland and all the dignitaries. The President and her husband are such genuinely kind and caring people — they filled the room with positivity,” she said. “We were deeply grateful for her presence and touched by the many personal connections she had with people in the room — connections we hadn’t even realized existed. It truly is such a small world.”
Eyolfson described Tómasdóttir as “an extraordinary woman” whose warmth was felt instantly.
“While she is, of course, an ambassador and a diplomat, her warmth radiated from the moment she arrived,” she said. “Both she and her husband exuded kindness, sincerity, and genuine interest in everyone they met. They are a dynamic couple who left us all feeling uplifted and inspired.”
During her remarks, Tómasdóttir reflected on the Icelandic settlers who established “New Iceland” in 1875, the contributions of other immigrant communities who followed, and the Indigenous peoples who were the land’s first stewards. She also paid tribute to Sigtryggur Jónasson, known as the Father of New Iceland, who brought the railway to Arborg in 1910.
“It’s interesting to me that 150 years and seven generations later, I come to Arborg and I feel right at home,” she said. “Since arriving in Manitoba yesterday, I have felt such warmth, welcome, friendship and respect. I’ve only recently learned that 200,000 people of Icelandic descent live in Canada — half of Iceland’s population. New Iceland is not a small thing to me. We have learned so much from you about ourselves. The people who first arrived here brought the language, literature and traditions, and you have somehow managed through generations to keep it all alive. I have so much respect for that.”
Before concluding, Eyolfson presented President Tómasdóttir with an original railway spike from that line — a symbol of the community’s connection to the rest of Manitoba and the enduring bond between Iceland and the Interlake.
Following formal remarks, guests enjoyed coffee, Icelandic dainties and conversation, with the president circulating among tables to greet attendees personally.
