We’ve all seen many TV and radio shows, magazines and newspapers that reach the end of their life. The productions and publications get cancelled — there’s nothing more to shoot or print.
I’ve had the pleasure of working for some fine shows that sadly reached their expiry date. It usually occurred in less than five years, though some made it to seven or even ten seasons.
The longest running series I worked on was CBC’s Country Canada. I was there for just a few seasons but it lasted an impressive 54 years until it’s plug was pulled. That kind of longevity in media is less common these days, and even the most historic of publications (New York Times, Globe and Mail, Newsweek, etc.) are finding it a challenge to stay afloat.
With this as a backdrop, there is one media outlet in Manitoba that is celebrating an incredible milestone. Lögberg-Heimskringla is 126 years old today.
The only newspaper of its kind that covers the entire Icelandic community in Manitoba and abroad, this modest publication has been publishing since the early years of Icelandic settlement in North America.
Heimskringla was founded in 1886 and Lögberg in 1888. Eventually, the two newspapers amalgamated in 1959 to form Lögberg-Heimskringla — the oldest continuously published ethnic newspaper in North America.
That’s quite the accomplishment in any kind of marketplace, especially in one as challenging as today’s media landscape.
The voice of Icelandic culture for 126 years, Lögberg-Heimskringla is a non-profit charitable corporation committed to the continuance of the Icelandic culture in North America. You can visit them at http://www.lh-inc.ca/and wish them a happy 126th birthday!
