"THE ICELANDIC SETTLEMENT DISASTER" - Kinmount,Ontario
N 44° 46.892 W 078° 39.158
17T E 685710 N 4961362
This historic plaque has the distinction of being the only one in Ontario to be displayed in three languages of English, French and Icelandic.
Waymark Code: WM6R3B
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 07/11/2009
Views: 16
In the 1870's, economic distress prompted mass emigration from Iceland. On September 25th, 1874, 352 Icelanders, exhausted and weakened by illness arrived at the emigration sheds in Toronto. When the Victoria Railway Company offered work constructing its line from near Kinmount, the provincial government housed the Icelanders in log shanties down river from here. Poor ventilation, sanitation and diet allowed sickness to rage through their cold, over-crowded quarters. Within six weeks, twelve children and a teenager had died. By the spring of 1875, the death toll had doubled and many of the settlers scattered in search of a better life. In the fall, most regrouped in Toronto and travelled west to found the settlement of Gimli, Manitoba.
Address or location of plaque: In Kinmount just north of the Road 121 bridge over the Burnt River, on the west side of the street behind the old railway station.
Physical location of plaque: Town
"Ontario Plaques" Website for this "Plaque": [Web Link]
A web-site for more details.: [Web Link]
Description of any physical remains at site of "Historical Plaque": NO PHYSICAL REMAINS - although this at the site of the Kinmount Museum.
This 'Plaque' describes: An 'Event'
Condition of sign: Excellent
Is this a bilingual sign?: Yes !
What is the second/third language?: French / Icelandic
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