Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Johann Magnus Bjarnason Monument is a stone cairn that sits prominently on a small grassed plot a short distance north of Highway 68 near Arborg. The municipal designation applies to the monument and the 525-metre-square parcel of land on which it stands.
Heritage Value
The Johann Magnus Bjarnason Monument honours the Icelandic-Canadian author, poet and teacher (1866-1945) who emigrated from Iceland to Canada with his parents when he was nine years old and later settled in the Arborg area. Bjarnason's writing and publishing efforts had a substantial impact on Icelandic culture in Canada, providing inspiration and comfort to Icelandic settlers as they struggled to establish themselves. Bjarnason was awarded the Cross of the Falcon by the Government of Iceland for his contributions. The monument, which is a dramatic presence in the flat landscape around Arborg, marks the site of the former Bjarnason homestead, called `Arnheidarstadir' (Icelandic for Eagle Heath Stead). Commissioned by the Icelandic National League in 1989 and designed by Arborg artist Nelson Gerrard, the monument also honours other pioneers who settled in the surrounding farming area, known as the Geysir District (named for a famous geyser in southern Iceland), in the mid-1880s.
Source: Rural Municipality of Bifrost By-law No. 2-89, March 8, 1989
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Johann Magnus Bjarnason Monument site include:
- its location near Arborg on the former Bjarnason homestead
- the prominent placement of the monument near the centre of the site, with public access and gaining prominence through the flatness of the landscape
Key elements that define the monument's sculptural and commemorative character include:
- the dramatic form produced by the main triangular shape, steeply pitched and about two metres high at the apex, supported by a shorter triangular element along the vertical face of the taller triangle
- the construction of the monument using rough-faced limestone set in courses
- the placement on the major (south) face of a commemorative plaque honouring Johann Magnus Bjarnason (topped with the image of an eagle) and beneath the plaque the name of the Bjarnason homestead, Arnheidarstadir, set in large capital letters
- the placement on the minor (north) face of a commemorative plaque in tribute to the pioneers of the Geysir District, including family names and a homestead map
|
