Banff is Calling You!
The Icelandic National Leagues will be meeting in Banff, Alberta May 11-14, 2023. The Leif Eiriksson Icelandic Club of Calgary, an INLUS member organization, is hosting the event with the theme Celebrating our Icelandic Heritage in the Arts. Registration is open at 2023 CONVENTION Link. You will notice that the convention is designated as an INLNA convention – our sister group in Canada will hold their annual meeting and awards recognition during the weekend, but all are welcome.
If you are flying, book your airline into Calgary, Alberta and then schedule a bus to Banff (google to find operators and pick-up/drop-off times). Registration opens at the Banff Center for the Arts at 2:00 PM with a showing of the film “A Letter from Helga” at 3:00 PM. An opening reception begins at 7:00 PM. Friday and Saturday will be full of presentations and break-out sessions. A full program will be available on the LEIC website, www.leicyyc.ca. A little shout-out to INLUS member Sverrir Sigurdsson who will conduct a workshop on memoir writing on Friday at 3:30 PM. Additionally, INLUS Past-president Sunna Furstenau will give a presentation on Icelandic Roots during the Friday breakout sessions. Saturday evening features a gala dinner and entertainment (one ticket is included in the registration).
The INLUS is planning a casual get-together on Friday evening following the INLNA recognition event – details will be announced later.
There will be an optional tour to Markerville, Alberta on Sunday. Markerville was settled by Icelanders and was the home of poet Stephan G. Stephansson. The Markerville Icelandic club has done an excellent job preserving the town and it will be a delight to tour.
The U.S. enjoys a significant reduction in the published costs due to the strong U.S. dollar against the Canadian dollar. Today, Feb. 1, the Canadian dollar is worth $0.75 in US dollars – a 25% savings! You probably will not be able to find a more reasonable opportunity to see one of the most beautiful places in North America!