Hey Iceland Offers Special Discount for INLNA Members

The following has been provided by Hey Iceland for promotion to our members. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, INLNA recognizes the uncertainty of planning travel at this time and is in no way affiliated with Hey Iceland or responsible for any changes in travel availability that would interfere with this promotion.

Photo by Stefan Jonasson

Hey Iceland is offering a special discount to Icelanders from North America for self-driving tours in Iceland during the coming year. A 20 percent discount on their My Own Self Drive package is available to members of the Icelandic National League of North America, including its clubs and associate member organizations. Hey Iceland’s aim is to get as many Icelanders from North America to their ancestral homeland this year as possible.

My Own Self Drive is a package with different lengths of stay that provides a rental car, accommodation, and use of Hey Iceland’s custom Driver Guide tablet. Itineraries are tailor-made for each guest, which makes it possible for people to spend extra time in the areas where their ancestors lived. “In my experience,” observes Sandra Gunnarsdóttir, “those with Icelandic ancestors coming here do have some idea of where they want to go, but if someone with limited or no ideas needs help, we would simply assist them with itinerary making.” Let’s face it, most Western Icelanders are looking for something more than an “off the rack” tour when they visit their ancestral homeland. And self-guided tours are easier than many people think because Iceland is such a tourist-friendly land – arguably the easiest place for any North American to travel, even on their first foreign adventure.

Hey Iceland has a heritage corner on its website featuring many of the most popular places to visit for Western Icelanders.

“Most people who emigrated from Iceland to North America in the 19th century lived and worked in the Icelandic countryside. Hey Iceland is rooted there, too, in the farming community of Iceland’s countryside. The buildings may have changed over time and the people living on the farms today may not be your relatives, but the valleys, mountains, rivers, and creeks are just the same as when your ancestors left for the New World. Now imagine spending a night or two in the same valley, or even at the same farm where your forefathers (and foremothers) lived before deciding to emigrate!”

Formerly known as Icelandic Farm Holidays, Hey Iceland is a travel service associated with Bændaferðir, which hosts the tours led by Jónas Þór that bring our cousins here to North America each summer.

The 2021 discount for Icelanders from North America is available for bookings made before April 1, 2021. Contact info@heyiceland.is and mention the discount code HEYINLOFNA21. Hey Iceland’s heritage travel specialist, Sandra Gunnarsdóttir, an expert guide and reservation representative, can be contacted directly at sandra@heyiceland.is. Sandra will be familiar to many members of our community from when she attended INLNA conventions in Brandon and Seattle a few years ago.

For more information about Hey Iceland and its services, go to: www.heyiceland.is.

Stefan Jonasson, our new INLNA President

This just in from our newly-elected new president, Stefan Jonasson:

“I was elected president of the Icelandic National League of North America at its annual general meeting, which was held by web conference on Saturday, May 31 – a first in the organization’s 101-year history. The annual meeting had originally been scheduled to take place at the league’s annual convention in Gimli, Manitoba, which was to be held in April, but the current pandemic forced us to cancel the convention and we rescheduled the business meeting for the last Saturday in May. While we missed being together, the online meeting went well and delegates were present representing the vast majority of member clubs. Over the course of nearly three hours, participants remained engaged, focused, and respectful, so we were able to transact a considerable amount of business.

These weren’t the conditions under which I expected to assume the presidency, but such is life. The founding president of the INLNA was Rev. Rögnvaldur Pétursson, who was also the founding minister of the Arborg Unitarian Church, the congregation that ordained me; the Unitarian denomination’s field representative in Western Canada, which is another post I held for 11 years; and editor of Heimskringla, one of the predecessors of Lögberg-Heimskringla, the newspaper I now edit. I have been his successor in many endeavours. Ironically enough, the Icelandic National League was founded in the midst of the 1918 flu epidemic, which is generally considered to have continued until 1920.

At the time of its founding, the Icelandic National League identified three primary purposes for its existence: (1) to encourage people of Icelandic descent to become the best possible citizens of their new homeland; (2) to maintain and strengthen the Icelandic language and literature in North America; and (3) to work in cooperation with all Icelanders on both sides of the Atlantic. The INLNA has fulfilled these purposes admirably for more than a century and we will continue to work towards them.

For now, we must do business differently, seeking to fulfill our obligations and remain faithful to the mission and vision of the INLNA. Fortunately, we have tools at our disposal that the founders of this organization couldn’t have even imagined to be possible. I look forward to the coming year aware that it brings not only unique challenges, but also unique opportunities. The theme for this year’s convention drew upon an old Icelandic saying, “Þetta reddast,” which essentially means: “It will work out.” I am confident that things will indeed work out and I look forward to the day when we can again gather in person to celebrate our Icelandic heritage and culture.”

Congratulations Stefan!

101st Annual General Meeting Held Online

I’m happy to report that our 101st Annual General Meeting went very well yesterday, May 30. The meeting was held partially electronically due to the need to cancel our convention this year. We all missed being in Gimli, MB, but the meeting must go on!

Our member clubs, affiliates, associates and individual members joined us to review the past year, the finances, pass a bylaw change and other motions. And very importantly our 2020/2021 slate was presented and accepted by our membership.

Congratulations to Stefan Jonasson of Winnipeg, MB, on being proclaimed President!

For now, here is a photo taken by Peter Norman of the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto.

Thank you to the board and members of the INLNA for their continued support during my 2 year term as President!

Bev Arason-Gaudet

Past-President