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Article: New Iceland: commemorating 125 years of settlement history in Manitoba.
- Article from:
- Manitoba History
- Article date:
- September 22, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Manitoba Historical Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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On Oct. 21, 2000 an Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque was unveiled in Gimli. The plaque inscription reads:
New Iceland represents a distinctive episode in the early settlement of the Canadian West. In 1875 and 1876, more than a thousand Icelandic immigrants settled a large tract of land reserved for them by the federal government along the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. Before 1887, the reserve was essentially self-governing under its own constitution, and the settlers were primarily of Icelandic origin. New Iceland enabled them to preserve their language and cultural identity. Numerous descendants maintain vibrant traditions and close ties with ...