Huldukot

Huldukot - from the Icelandic hulda,
meaning hidden or mysterious, and kot,
meaning smallholding or cottage. Beyond
its descriptive value, the name evokes
images of the mythical Huldufólk, the land
spirits who are thought to inhabit Iceland.

Huldukot is our family's country house
near Spruce Sands, which is located in the
Arnes district of the Rural Municipality of
Gimli, along the western shore of Lake
Winnipeg.

Our cottage was built by the Gagliardi family
in 1983. We purchased it from them in 2005
and, following the Icelandic custom of naming
homesteads, we called it Huldukot.

Huldukot occupies nearly three-quarters of an
acre of mixed woods, including ash, birch and
spruce ... and some scattered wild roses.
Deer, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks wander
through the yard and eleven species of birds
have been identified so far. No doubt there's a
skunk or two lurking nearby, although we
haven't smelt any yet!

Along with the other homes and cottages in
the Bayshore Heights subdivision, Huldukot
was carved out of the farm Silfurstraumur, or
"Silver Stream," which was homesteaded by
Josef Gudmundson in 1902. Five years later
the farm was acquired by Richard Nowell,
whose widow Jessie (an Icelandic woman)
was listed as the head of the household in the
1911 Dominion Census, along with several
children. In 1920, the Nowell family sold the
farm to Frank Crozier who, in turn, sold it to
J.A. Strachan in 1933. It changed hands once
again in 1950, when it was acquired by John
Schnerch. In 1973, Bay Shore Developers
picked up the property and later subdivided it
for cottages.