Antarctic Connection
The Gimli Connection to the Antarctic
Ninety-nine sled dogs from the Gimli area accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914. Thirty of the sled dogs on Rear Admiral Byrd's Antarctic Expedition II in 1933 were also from our area.
Sigurdjon Isfeld's son, Steve, with a dog team that went with BYRD in 1933
As a featured item, the family of Sigurjon Isfeld has loaned us the beautiful gold watch that Sir Ernest gave Sigurjon in appreciation of delivering 99 Gimli sled dogs to London in 1914. This is in our Traveling Exhibit Gallery, in a glass case, for safe keeping. The picture is of the watch given to the other Icelandic Canadian dog driver, Jon Bjornsson (J.B.) Johnson. Both watches are in the possession of great grandchildren.
--submitted by Gail Halldorson, volunteer researcher at New Iceland Heritage Museum -- March, 2007