Sveinbjörn Sigurðsson came west to Winnipeg in 1884 with his wife and children. They lived in the city for a few years, pondered the next steps and sought information from their countrymen about Icelandic settlements. Provincial and district agents were also pointing out areas to immigrants, especially future farmers. It is not known why Sveinbjörn thought of exploring the immediate surroundings of Burnt Lake, about 100 km north of the city but that’s where he chose to go.
He set off one spring alone after receiving detailed information and advice on settlement once the land was reached. He took one cow and supplies with him, tied a hay bale on the cow and carried another himself. Before starting the trip, he made a note of what he was going to take with him, both food and drink for the trip and the necessities for starting a settlement. The lunch consisted of coffee, flour, sugar and salted pork and one pot and kettle. He wanted to start building a house, so he brought window glass, nails, door hinges and a chain. Then he needed an ax, saw, scythe, shovel, hammer and knife. He took a rifle and a piece of fishing net with him, as he intended to hunt birds and catch fish for food. He was on the road for 11 days, found an ideal place and built a cabin. The place by the lake is northeast of Lundar and at the far end of the Swan Lake settlement (Álftavatnsbyggð). Later, this small ares was called Siberia.
Sveinbjörn’s family came north together with other people in late summer. In 1889, Sigríður Erikka gave birth to a girl, Guðný Margrét, who was the first child born in the new Icelandic settlement. There, the farmers worked hard to clear the land, collect hay and try fishing in the lakes. In 1891, there was an exceptional spring storm so bad that there were considerable flooding in the lakes, so cultivated land and pastures went under water. Sveinbjörn and other landowners saw no other solution than to move south and start over. This time they chose lands in Markland east of Shoal Lake (Grunnvatn). Things went well for everyone there in the following years, a small community was created and Sveinbjörn and his family were happy with the way things were going. Sveinbjörn cared about community issues and won the trust of the settlers. He had the important job of being a Justice of the Peace. This office was to settle minor disputes and to seek reconciliation with disputing parties to avoid higher court levels which were both time consuming and costly. They lived there for many years, but when they got older, they moved to Lundar.
English version by Thor group.