Marshall Burgess takes pride in his Icelandic heritage rooted in Nova Scotia and is determined to preserve his family’s history. His grandmother, Steinvor Nicolina Erlendsdottir, hailed from Iceland and was among the Icelandic immigrants who settled in the province during the late 19th century. Currently serving as the vice-president of the Icelandic Memorial Society of Nova Scotia, established in 1998 to honor the contributions of these settlers, Burgess emphasizes the significance of preserving this historical legacy.
The initiative to attract Icelandic immigrants to Nova Scotia commenced post-Confederation with the assistance of John Anderson, an Icelander residing in Halifax. Hired by the Nova Scotia government as an immigration agent, Anderson’s role involved enticing settlers to the East Coast province. Burgess explains that the Icelandic immigrants left their homeland due to adverse conditions, prompting various provinces to dispatch agents to Europe in search of new settlers.
In 1875, approximately 80 Icelanders arrived in Nova Scotia from a failed railway settlement in Kinmount, Ont. The provincial government promised them 40 hectares of land, a log cabin, tools, and provisions for a year, requiring the settlers to stay in the area for five years and clear four hectares of land. Despite establishing two communities, particularly Markland near the Musquodoboit River gold mines, the harsh conditions posed challenges for the settlers, who mainly engaged in sheep farming amidst wildlife threats.
The majority of Icelandic immigrants departed Nova Scotia within six years, influenced by communications from relatives in Manitoba and North Dakota. Burgess highlights his ancestors, the Huskilson family, as the sole residents who remained in the smaller Lockeport settlement, where his great-grandfather found employment as a carpenter for the Locke family merchants.
By the 1990s, Markland had deteriorated, with only remnants of collapsed cabins, foundations, and wells remaining. The Icelandic Memorial Society’s initial project involved erecting a memorial cairn at the Markland site in 2000, constructed using stones from each family’s homestead and capped with a rock from Iceland. Additionally, a replica log cabin was reconstructed based on historical records.
Subsequently, another cairn was established in Lockeport to commemorate the families that resided there. In 2024, the society secured a grant from Halifax Regional Municipality to install interpretive signs at the Markland site. Presently comprising 52 members, many of whom are descendants scattered across North America, the society organizes annual events like the Markland Walk, a commemorative eight-kilometer trek to the original settlement.
Burgess, who has visited Iceland multiple times and reconnected with relatives there, recounts encounters with newfound family members during his travels across the country. The Icelandic Memorial Society of Nova Scotia serves as a testament to the enduring legacy and connections of Nova Scotians with Icelandic roots, celebrating and preserving this significant chapter of history.