The New Iceland Heritage Museum is marking a year of major milestones as it celebrates both the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Icelandic settlers on Lake Winnipeg and the museum’s own 50th anniversary.
To honour the historic 1875 landing, the museum installed a special exhibit featuring artifacts and stories from the centennial celebrations held in 1975. The museum continues to preserve and share the history of New Iceland through film, displays, exhibits and an extensive collection of more than 3,700 artifacts, along with archives and a reference library. Today, the facility welcomes about 15,000 visitors annually.
As part of its anniversary year, the museum launched a “150 Club” donation campaign, encouraging 150 supporters to donate $150. So far, 59 donors have contributed, and all supporters will be recognized on a donor acknowledgement display inside the museum.
Museum officials are also encouraging general donations of any amount as they celebrate 50 years since opening in the former B.C. Packers fish plant, now home to the Lake Winnipeg Visitors’ Centre.
Donations can be made online at nihm.ca, by cheque, by phone at 204-642-4001, through the museum’s endowment fund with the Westshore Community Foundation, or through monthly giving on CanadaHelps.
“We are grateful for the support that has helped us grow,” said museum board president Christine Brooks. “With your help, let’s see what we can accomplish in the next 50 years.”
