The Icelandic National League of North America held its first online awards ceremony during this year’s virtual mini-convention on Saturday, May 15. Ashley Thorvaldson, first vice president, presided during the awards ceremony, assisted by Marlene Linneberg, second vice president. This year’s ceremony was simpler than what would normally happen in person, but it still possessed a solemn and celebratory tone befitting the occasion. Last year, the award winners were announced at the annual general meeting after the planned convention was cancelled and the INLNA plans to acknowledge the recipients of 2020 and 2021 awards when we gather again in person at Gimli in 2021.

Laurence S. G. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Recipient - J. Timothy Samson, Q.C.

J. Timothy Samson is the 2021 recipient of the Laurence S.G. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award, which was created by the Icelandic National League of North America in 2003 to honour an individual who has made significant and diverse contributions not only to the Icelandic community but also in the community at large. It is the INLNA’s preeminent leadership award.

Described as “Everybody’s Lawyer” in Icelandic Connection magazine, Tim Samson has indeed been the go-to legal counsel for the Icelandic community in Manitoba, but he has been so much more – he has been an organizer, fundraiser, bridge-builder, speaker, promoter, and adviser.

A member of three different INLNA chapters – the Icelandic Canadian Frón, the Gimli Icelandic Canadian Society, and the Fargo-Moorhead Icelandic Club – Tim was president of the former Icelandic Canadian Club of Winnipeg.

A member of the board of the Canada Iceland Foundation since 1987, he served as president of the foundation and remains on the board as past president. He was one of the founders of the Icelandic Cultural Corporation, which led to the establishment of the New Iceland Heritage Museum at Gimli, and the secretary of the Millennium – 125 Commission Inc., which oversaw the events memorializing and celebrating Icelandic anniversaries in 2000. He helped with the creation of Núna (Now) and served on the fundraising committee for Valuing Icelandic Presence, which raised over two million dollars to support the Icelandic Collection and Chair of Icelandic Language and Literature at the University of Manitoba.

Called to the bar in 1967, Tim spent his career as a lawyer with the prestigious Winnipeg firm Aikins MacAuley and Thorvaldson, retiring in 2016. In 1995, he was named Queen’s Counsel. As a lawyer, he helped to educate others about the law as a sessional lecturer and adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba.

Tim was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 2000 in recognition of his contributions to the Icelandic community in Canada and his promotion of relationships between the two countries.

The award is named in memory of the late Laurence S.G. Johnson of Selkirk, MB. Larry played many roles in both the Icelandic community and the community at large, including the New Iceland Heritage Museum, Brúin Chapter of the INLNA, and the INLNA itself. Tim and Larry crossed paths often in their mutual work for the Icelandic community, so it seems especially fitting that Tim Samson is the 20th recipient of this award since its inception.

Honorary Life Membership Recipients – Gail Einarson-McCleery & Gloria Krenbrenk

The Honorary Lifetime Membership Awards recognize individuals who have been nominated by their member club for having shown outstanding service to INLNA through service in their member club(s) for a minimum of 10 years and who have demonstrated involvement in the promotion of Icelandic culture and heritage plus involvement in community activities.

Gail Einarson-McCleery

Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto, Toronto, ON

Gail Einarson-McCleery’s devotion to her Icelandic heritage and to Icelandic culture in Canada is evident in her long-standing and continuous service and contributions to the Icelandic National League of North America and the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto (ICCT), its members, and the larger community. The Icelandic tradition of hard work, giving, and community is so deeply imbedded in Gail that it also drives her significant involvement and giving back to her local community.

Gail was born in Gimli, MB, to Icelandic parents who were among the founding settlers in New Iceland. She is a past president of both the ICCT and the INLNA and her accomplishments include having held many positions on the board of directors of both organizations over the years. Gail’s ICCT presidential terms included 1997-98, 1998-99, and 2016. In 2010, the ICCT hosted the INLNA annual convention and Gail was certainly the prime mover and shaker in the organization for that very successful event. She served as the honorary consul for Iceland in Toronto for several years and, in 2000, President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson awarded her the prestigious Knight’s Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.

Gail’s volunteer activities and accomplishments with the local club have included organizing guided tours for visiting Icelandic tourists and diplomats to the early Icelandic settlement areas of Kinmount and Hekkla/Rosseau, ON, founding and chairing the Nordic Nights film screening program, organizing the annual Iceland Travel Show, and organizing and hosting Icelandic language classes.

Her volunteer activities and accomplishments with the INLNA have included serving as cultural and youth director and running the Snorri program. She also founded the Donald K. Johnson Film Series and was chair of the Millennium Committee in 2000.

Gail has been previously honoured with the INLNA’s Lawrence S. G. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award and the Strong is the Bond/Römm er Sú Taug Award. She is a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto, where she has been active since 1994.

Gloria Krenbrenk

Icelandic Canadian Club of Edmonton – Norðurljós, Edmonton, AB

Gloria Krenbrenk was born in Wynyard, SK, in the Vatnabyggð settlement. She grew up on a farm purchased by her grandfather and where her father was born. Her mother came from southwest of Foam Lake. Gloria’s parents, Gunni and Kristine Goodman, were awarded an INLNA Honorary Lifetime Membership in 2003.

Gloria’s journey with Norðurljós began one day when her phone rang and it was June Parker. A postal worker told June that another person in St. Albert was getting Lögberg-Heimskringla, and June tracked Gloria down in true bloodhound fashion. Gloria joined the Saga Singers in time to participate in the opening of Stephansson House in the summer of 1982. She loved the Saga Singers, participating in and leading the choir, including concerts in Wynyard, Lundar, and Gimli for Íslendingadagurinn. She directed the Saga Singers for 13 years. The Saga Singers disbanded in the mid-2000s, by which time she had been with the group for 25 years. Gloria, her sons, and daughter-in-law travelled together to Iceland in 2019, where they saw all of the sights offered by Iceland and visited family.

Gloria was Fjallkona for Alberta in 1984 and served on the Norðurljós board as the Saga Singers representative. She served as the Norðurljós newsletter editor for a decade. Gloria participated in the Edmonton Heritage Days multicultural festival, and served on the board of the Scandinavian Heritage Society that operates Heritage Days for a number of years. She headed up Iceland’s cultural display for several years and worked in the food tent.

Gloria served as president of Norðurljós from 1997 to 1999. She describes being part of the Icelandic Canadian community as being one of the best parts of her life. It was also a special bond with her parents. She immediately felt at home in the Edmonton club – “they are her people.” Although she is definitely a Canadian girl, Gloria believes that it is important to know where and from whom she came.