Nothing sparked fiery debates in New Iceland like alcohol. Anti-alcohol activists like the Good Templars saw liquor as a symbol of social problems in Iceland and feared that “Icelanders are not able to use alcohol as civilized persons, their nature is still too much of the Viking kind.” Wanting to purge New Iceland of homeland problems and uncivilized “Viking” habits, Good Templars opposed bars in the colony, smashed illegal stills, and forced drinking out of “polite” society and into bars, fishing camps and even outhouses. In spite of local taboos, a rich but complex Icelandic drinking culture endured in New Iceland, evident in community drykkjuvísur (drinking poems), photographs and stories.
Featuring Icelandic and Icelandic-Canadian DJs and archival photographs at the iconic Viking Inn, this social acknowledges the often-hidden history of New Icelandic party culture and its role in shaping the immigrant community.
DJ J. Jackson (Jón Olafson, Winnipeg) / Kanilsnældur (Lovísa Árnadóttir + Sigrún Skaftadóttir, Reykjavík)