In October 1875, the first permanent Icelandic settlement in Canada was established in this district. The original destination of this group of about 250 was the Whitemud (Icelandic) River but due to the threat of winter they landed further south at Willow Point. Near here the first buildings were erected and a town site was laid out and called Gimli, after the home of the gods in Norse mythology. The following year upwards of 1,200 settlers located themselves along the west shore of Lake Winnipeg. This was the foundation of the largest Icelandic settlement outside of Iceland. This monument in Gimli, by the Gimli Dance Pavilion, was erected by the Historic Sites Advisory Board of Manitoba.
Gimli Icelandic Settlement Plaque (September 2010)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.63886, W96.99054
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sigtryggur Jonasson Memorial Plaque (Gimli, RM of Gimli)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Riverton Centennial Park (Riverton, Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton)
HRB Pamphlets: The Settlement of New Iceland
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 17 September 2022
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