Ever since 1880, when it became clear that the future of New Iceland was uncertain and most people from there moved, Icelanders in Manitoba were constantly exploring other possibilities in Manitoba. Many went west to the Argyle Settlement (Argylebyggð), others to the Brown Settlement (Brownbyggð). The number of Icelanders in Winnipeg increased significantly between 1881 and 1886, many of them newcomers from Iceland. The Manitoba government was diligent in pointing immigrants to potential settlement areas and encouraging people to go on land exploration expeditions.
Considerable areas were found west of Lake Manitoba and during this decade many settled in the Lundar Settlement (Lundarbyggð) which consisted of the Swan Lake Settlement (Álftavatnsbyggð) and the Shoal Lake Settlement (Grunnavatnsbyggð). A few settlers in Swan Lake were not successful with their lands in the settlement and began to consider other possibilities. It was reported that further northwest along Lake Manitoba were promising areas.
NARROWS
The name Narrows is because the water falls there in a small area in a very narrow channel and is only a little over a kilometer wide. Early on, Icelanders called it Mjóasund and the idea was then to call the settlement Mjósundsbyggð. It never stuck to this small settlement, it has always been Narrows.
Helgi Einarsson was the first Icelander to explore the area. He came west across the ocean in 1887 and moved to his new land in Narrows in April 1889. His father, Einar Kristjánsson, went north with him and became the first postman in the area.
A few settlers in the Swan Lake Settlement (Álftavatnsbyggð) moved north to there and others went elsewhere. It was said that in many places the land options were good and the fishing was quite profitable. The journey there was difficult because there were no roads, only paths left by the natives. The settlers were mostly poor, no one had horses but a few used oxen. When they arrived in the area, they immediately set about building a cabin, settling in, and then exploring the area. People soon saw that it was perfectly suited for farming, and it was not long before livestock began to appear in the settlement. People immediately started fishing and the fishing was great. The only flaw was that it was far from the market for the catch, it was south in Westbourne, a village southwest of Lake Manitoba. This was still more than 110 km (68 miles) from Narrows, others went on the ice south along the lake to Delta and from there east to the village of Reaburn. The price obtained for the catch was considered poor in the first years, but with great perseverance and diligence the wheels began to turn, and it was not long before the property of the people in the village had risen greatly.
When the settlement of Icelanders began there, the water level in Lake Manitoba was rather low, but after a few years the water began to rise and gradually good pastures disappeared under water. Some lost fine pastures and this was naturally a big shock to everyone. People first became aware of this rise in the water level in 1892, and by the end of the century, several families had fled in search of something else. Indigenous stories suggest that the rise in the water usually lasted for ten years, but over the next ten years the lake level gradually decreased.
From the 19th century onwards, there were rumors that a railroad was being built northeast of the lake from Oak Point to Narrows. Residents in the area did not miss this talk, they recruited local representatives and a delegation went to Winnipeg and met with provincial officials. The government promised that the track would be there in two years. Around the same time, the government agreed to have a canal dug out of Lake Manitoba to lower it and dry up the lands. These issues led to further settlement in Narrows, but the water began to calm down in 1902 and for the next ten years settlers were able to use the area. In 1911 the flooding was beaten, but in 1913 the land was submerged again, the oral history of the indigenous people proved correct.
Wapah
To the west of Narrows on Lake Manitoba is a long coastline that was only inhabited by Icelanders shortly after 1900. It was almost a one-road town by the lake, and there was some distance between farms. To the south is Wapah and there was a post office of the same name, and the district was called Wapahpósthúshérað (Wapah Post Office district). On the west side, the district was bounded by Ebb and Flow Lake and to the north by about 5 km-wide (3 miles) stretch of forest, rocky and uninhabitable.
Reykjavík
North of Wapah a point juts out into Lake Manitoba and is called Bluff. Icelandic settlement began there at the turn of the century and the first settlers were the brothers Ingimundur and Guðjón Erlendsson. The first Icelander to explore the area, however, was one Jón Halldórsson, who later lived in Lundar. He had built a hut, stayed there for a while but saw little future there because of the small population, he was there alone and moved away. Several groups followed the brothers over the next few years and an Icelandic settlement was formed there. A post office was opened and it was called Reykjavík and the district was usually called Reykjavíkur Pósthérað (Reykjavik Postal District).
Asham Point
To the west of the Bluff point, a cove cuts some distance into the land. To the west and to the south there is much grassland and good pastures. This area is particularly good for livestock farming and therefore many Icelanders settled near this bay. A post office called Asham Point was opened here and the district got its name from it. The landscape in these districts that have now been introduced is very similar to that which characterizes other areas east of the lake. Forest, meadows and swamps alternate, and areas flood in many places as the water level rises. These regular floods in the lake meant that it could never sustain a large population. Some settlers moved and some died in these settlements, and their estates were sometimes deserted.
English version by Thor group.