Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site
N52 09' 31.88" W114 12' 03.33" T4G 0M9 Red Deer, AB, Canada

Upon review of Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site, we have determined that given the nature of our museum and its close quarters, we will be unable to safely implement measures and procedures that adhere to public health guidelines. As such, we will remain closed until further notice. We will continue to post on our website and social media channels.

Did you know that today is World Philosophy Day? Stephan’s view of the world was influenced by various ideas, including Unitarianism and the American freethought movement. The ‘Icelandic Cultural Society’, which he helped establish while in North Dakota, summed up his thoughts thusly: Humanity, Research, Freedom.

Dagur Íslenskrar tungu! Icelandic Language Day is celebrated on 16 November, the birthday of 19th-century writer Jónas Hallgrímsson, to symbolise the importance of protecting the Icelandic language. You can can give speaking Icelandic a try at https://icelandiconline.com/.

Stephan was not a supporter of the Great War, and was an ardent pacifist. The war and its impacts, both during and afterwards, greatly discouraged him. As a result, he wrote enough anti-war poems (such as Vopnhale (Armistice or Ceasefire) to fill a small book. That anthology, Vígslodi ("Trail of War"), was published in 1920.

On October 20-22, 1995, The Icelandic Connection Conference, which focused on the literary works of farmer-poet Stephan G. Stephansson, was held in Red Deer, Alberta, 1995. A number of presentations and essays from that conference were captured in Vol. XXIX, No. 3 edition of the Canadian Ethnic Studies journal. Did any of you attend? What do you remember about that conference?... #MuseumFromHome

While Stephan wouldn't have celebrated Hallowe'en, Icelanders certainly have their fair share of supernatural stories. What's your favourite Hallowe'en story or tradition?

Did you know that today is World Day for Audiovisual Heritage? Our collective histories are often captured on film, video, audio or digital formats, and through these, we engage to learn about the past and to share our own histories with future generations. Increasingly recordings serve as our memories and tell the stories that constitute our cultural heritage. In recognition of the preservation efforts of the thousands of archivists, librarians and caretakers around the wor...ld who care for these valuable collections, this year’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage again celebrates their dedication and expertise. Without the knowledge and devotion that is required to preserve, digitize and provide access, large portions of our cultural heritage would disappear to be lost forever. Find out more about Alberta's audiovisual heritage at https://provincialarchives.alberta.ca/.

On October 24, 1975, Icelandic women went on strike for the day to "demonstrate the indispensable work of women for Iceland’s economy and society and to "protest wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices. It was then publicized domestically as Women's Day Off (Icelandic: Kvennafrídagurinn). Participants, led by women's organizations, did not go to their paid jobs and did not do any housework or child-rearing for the whole day. Ninety percent of Iceland's female popu...lation participated in the strike. Iceland's parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay the following year. Images courtesy of the Women's History Archives in Iceland. #MuseumFromHome