Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise in the Chamber today to pay tribute to the Rural Municipality of Bifrost, which was recently commemorated with a celebration in the town of Arborg a short time ago.
The beginnings of the modern era for this region go back to 1875 when the Canadian government set aside a large portion of land on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg exclusively for Icelandic settlement. The following year, 1,200 people moved onto the land near Willow Point in what is now the R.M. of Gimli, which was incorporated in 1881. Residents of the north end of the R.M. soon realized they were too far removed from the government office so, on December 1, 1907, the R.M. of Bifrost was incorporated.
Bifrost is the Icelandic term for the rainbow bridge which joins the domain of humankind to Asgard, the land of the gods. It is noteworthy that First Nations people who resided in the area had to make way for the settler, but their generous nature becomes evident in the telling of the story of John Ramsey, a Saulteaux hunter who lived nearby.
A smallpox outbreak followed the settlement in 1876 which took the life of his wife, Betsy, and four of their five children. In that first hard winter, the settlers then experienced starvation, but John Ramsey applied his skills to supply them with moose meat which bridged them over to better days.
Over the years, other ethnic groups moved into the area leading to the diverse, cultural mosaic of today, which is the very essence of our country. The natural bounty of Lake Winnipeg and the surrounding rich farmland has been the base upon which this region has thrived.
Master of ceremonies for the Arborg event was Mr. David Gislason. Among other dignitaries, greeting were brought by the Honourable John Harvard, Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, Mr. Atli Assmundson, the Consul General of Iceland, Mr. James Bezan, the MP for Selkirk-Interlake, Mr. Harold Foster, the current Reeve of Bifrost and myself, for the Premier (Mr. Doer) and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (Mr. Ashton).
On behalf of the people of the Interlake, I congratulate the people of the R.M. of Bifrost in achieving this milestone.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village highlights the multicultural history of rural life and farm communities of the Interlake region prior to 1930. Situated by the Icelandic River on 12.9 acres along Highway 68 at Arborg, the village comprises a campground and a collection of historic building, including the Vigfusson House, St. Nicholas Parish Hall, Sigvaldason House, St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Poplar Heights School No. 51 among others.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.90251, -97.20897
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Restoration and acquisition is always ongoing at the Heritage Village, and they would love you to stop by and experience a time gone by.The Village is open for the summer season from the end of May to the beginning of September. Admission fees apply for tours, guided by knowledgeable staff.
*For more information on the ADMHV please visit their website at http://www.arborgheritagevillage.ca/ or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arborg-and-District-Multicultural-Heritage-Village/228744913909942 *
This cemetery was the former site of St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, built in 1921 by Ukrainian settlers in the Bjarmi area north of Arborg. The building was later moved to the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.97110, -97.22640
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Heritage Value
In 1876, about 35 Icelandic families settled the Lake Winnipeg shoreline between Arnes (Drunken Point) and Sandy Bar, which they called Breidavik (Broad Bay). In 1889, Hnausa post office was established in the home of Rev. Magnus J. Skaptason from Hnausar in Iceland. A trading and shipping centre was founded by Stefan and Johannes Sigurdson in 1890.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.90526, -96.99424
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Heritage Value
Inside the cemetery is a cairn for the Geysir Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was dedicated on June 9, 1928 and destroyed by lightning on June 25, 1983. The congregation has been founded in 1890 as “Fljotshlidar Sofnudur”, renamed Geysir in 1900, and merged with Ardal on January 29, 1984.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.91509, -97.08762
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Heritage Value
Geysir School District was formally organized in April 1894. It operated at this site in the southwest quarter of 22-22-3 east until January 1966 when it was consolidated with Arborg Consolidated School No. 2441.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.90537, -97.10143
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Established in 1876, a commemorative plaque was erected inside the cemetery gate in 2008. It provides identifications of unmarked graves in the cemetery.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.90960, -97.15760
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Site Location (lat/long): 50.91974, -96.97554
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Heritage Value
Jaroslaw School District was formally organized in January 1913. It operated at this site in the northeast quarter of 27-21-3 east until January 1966 when it was consolidated with Arborg Consolidated School No. 2441.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.84592, -97.08804
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
Heritage Value
This monument was dedicated in July 2004 to commemorate immigrants from Ukraine, Poland, Iceland, Germany and British who, beginning in 1907, came to the area. The community of Ledwyn once comprised four stores, a hall, and a post office. The names of early settlers are carved into the monument, on the back of which is a plaque with engraved sketches of the Ukrainian National Home Community Hall (1929-1968), Ledwyn Post Office (1914-1968), Tarno School No. 1741 (1914-1966), St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church (1915), and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (1927). Land for the monument was donated by the Johnson family in memory of Norman Johnson.
Site Location (lat/long): 50.99424, -97.13264
Source: The Manitoba Historical Society
See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/about.shtml for map
All Rights Reserved © 2023 Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton.
Webmaster: Ganica Design Solutions