05/03/2026
In October 1875, about 235 Icelandic settlers landed on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg at a place they called Willow Point. They named their new home Gimli, after the home of the gods in Norse mythology.
The following summer, over 1,200 more arrived directly from Iceland, fleeing volcanic eruptions that had destroyed 2,500 square miles of their homeland.
What makes their story remarkable is not just the hardship. It is what they built. By 1878, New Iceland had its own written constitution. They divided their territory into four districts, each with its own elected council, modelled on Iceland's ancient parliament, the Althing. Self-governing on the Canadian frontier.
Today, roughly 100,000 Manitobans trace their roots here. This is where it all started.
Location: Gimli, Lake Winnipeg.
Sources and footnotes
[1] First settlers arrived October 21, 1875 at Willow Point; over 1,200 more arrived in 1876. Manitoba History: New Iceland, Manitoba Historical Society. https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/40/newiceland.shtml
[2] Constitution of New Iceland ratified 1878; four districts modelled on Iceland's Althing. Manitoba History: Nyja Island I Kanada, MHS. https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/27/icelandicsettlement.shtml
[3] Walking tour of Gimli historic sites: mhs.mb.ca/docs/features/walkingtours/gimli/index.shtml
