Hnausa Unitarian Camp

A Brief History of Hnausa Unitarian Camp

The Unitarian Fresh Air Camp was established in 1937, under the auspices of the Western Canada
Alliance of Unitarian Women, originally to provide outdoor vacations for needy children from the
Icelandic community in Winnipeg. The camp was the natural outgrowth of an initiative undertaken by
the Alliance in 1932, when it began arranging billets on Interlake farms for children from the city whose
parents did not have the means to give them summer vacations away from home.

Although literally hundreds of Unitarian women were involved in the organization, construction and
maintenance of the Fresh Air Camp, it is María Björnson who stands out as its leading inspiration and
organizational genius. She and her husband, Dr. Sveinn Björnson of Arborg, donated the funds that
enabled the Alliance to purchase three acres of land on the shore of Lake Winnipeg, in 1936,
immediately south of where the provincial campground now stands. "Here, in this secluded spot,"
wrote Margret Petursson, "in its natural woodland setting of spruce and pine and poplar, and open to
the vast expanse of the waters of Lake Winnipeg, a building was erected which in the years to come
was to house hundreds of children and to create for them a healthy and happy environment in which
to grown and play."

The camp buildings, which included a central dormitory and dining hall along with detached
bunkhouses, were constructed in 1937 under the supervision of Rev. Eyjólfur J. Melan, who was
minister of the Lake Winnipeg circuit of Unitarian churches. Melan had been a carpenter in Iceland
before studying for the ministry and he put his woodworking gifts to good use during his pastorate,
which lasted for nearly a quarter-century between the two separate periods he served here.

As a "fresh air camp," it flourished for a decade before the need it had been created to address
became less pressing. The fresh air program came to an end when governmental regulations required
the Alliance to upgrade the sanitary facilities and hire a registered nurse, both of which were beyond
the meager resources of this volunteer group.

The camp then became home to the Hnausa Institute, a summer conference for young Unitarians from
across the region. Typical of the summer programs of the Hnausa Institute was that offered in the
summer of 1942, which was led by Rev. Edward Redman, of Virginia, Minnesota, and Rev. Richard
Kuch, then continental president of the Young People's Religious Union. The young people received
training in program development, worship, and social action, in addition to viewing several
documentary films and enjoying the recreational facilities of the camp. The program was rounded out
with a series of lectures on "Liberalism In Religion" in Rev. Philip M. Petursson, minister of the Unitarian
Church in Winnipeg. Participants came from the Icelandic Unitarian churches across Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, both Icelandic and "English" congregations in Winnipeg, and churches from northern
Minnesota. The registration fee of the four-day conference was $4 plus transportation!

During the 1940s, the camp attracted many noteworthy figures from the continental Unitarian
association as program leaders: Rev. Stephen H. Fritchman, Rev. Richard Kuch, Dr. Ernest Kuebler
(who later officiated at the marriage of former U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis and his wife
Kitty), and Rev. Kenneth L. Patton, an outstanding humanist and poet who received international
attention for his provocative sermons. But whatever the prominence of these visiting camp leaders,
none surpasses the influence of Rev. Philip M. Petursson, who inspired hundreds of young people who
came through the camp over the years.

Family groups began using the camp in the late 1940s, a practice that has continued until the present
time. The Hnausa Camp continued to be used for church activities, from picnics to conferences, well
into the 1960s, when such use diminished. As part of its mission to help others without regard to their
religious affiliation, the Alliance made the camp available free of charge to a variety of worthwhile
groups, including the Association of Retarded Children and other agencies caring for persons with
disabilities, the Girl Guides, and the Red Cross.

In 1967, the Arnes Unitarian Church (built in 1925) was moved to the Hnausa Camp to serve as a
chapel. Magnus Eliason and Philip Petursson had secured permission from the few remaining Unitarians
at Arnes to move the building to the camp, 10 kilometres north, to mark the centennial of Canadian
confederation. The church was repaired and rededicated at a special service on August 20, 1967.

In 1977, when it seemed likely that the camp would be sold, a "Save the Camp Committee" was
established by concerned members of the churches in Arborg, Gimli and Riverton. The committee
leased the camp for the Alliance for an initial period of five years, devoting its resources of time and
money to rehabilitate the facility and preserve it from further deterioration. While the committee's
actions succeeded in keeping the camp in Unitarian hands, it was increasingly used for private
enjoyment rather than religious or community purposes. The Arborg Unitarian Church assumed
ownership of the camp in 1990, when the Western Canada Alliance of Unitarian Women decided to
disband.

Inspired by the rich heritage of the camp, church leaders undertook a complete renovation of the
facility in the aftermath of the Hnausa community's millennial reunion. Under the leadership of Larry
Kristjanson and Sandra Johnson, along with valuable support from public funding agencies and a band
of dedicated volunteers, the camp has been restored to its original splendour. Indeed, the camp is
more beautiful and serviceable today than it has ever been. The changes underway have made the
camp a viable site for community events, day camps, reunions, weddings, and similar activities. While
preserving much of its original feel, the camp has been enhanced with modern comforts and
conveniences.

In keeping with its rekindled sense of mission, the Hnausa Unitarian Camp seeks to continue in the
historical tradition of Lake Winnipeg camps - promoting our liberal religious heritage by providing this
site for children, families and community groups to meet.

Unitarians at Hnausa

Although it is home to the Unitarian Fresh Air Camp and counted among its historical inhabitants one
of the most significant figures in the history of Icelandic Unitarianism, Hnausa cannot be described as
having offered an especially fertile environment for the Unitarian faith. While there have been
Unitarians at Hnausa since the time of the liberal exodus from the Lutheran Synod in 1891, no
organized congregation here has lasted for longer than fifteen years at a time. Instead, Unitarians
from the Hnausa district have generally worshipped in neighbouring communities, where they have
been active members of the Unitarian churches in Arborg, Riverton and Arnes.

Following Rev. Magnús J. Skaptason's dramatic sermon at Eastertide in 1891, the Breiðavík
Congregation withdrew from membership in the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Synod and reorganized
itself as a free church. The bylaws of the reorganized congregation declared that its purpose was "to
promote and to strengthen liberal faith and Christian love, both among its own members and wherever
it has influence." Through the Icelandic Free Church Association, which was formed by those New
Iceland congregations that had withdrawn from the Lutheran Synod, the Breiðavík Congregation
became affiliated with the American Unitarian Association. Forty-six individuals signed the bylaws of
the reorganized Breiðavík Congregation, indicating their sympathy with the new church and its liberal
Christian teachings. After leaving New Iceland for Winnipeg, Magnús Skaptason continued to return to
the area to minister to the congregants he had left befind. When the Western Icelandic Unitarian Free
Church Association, later known simply as the Icelandic Unitarian Association, was organized at Gimli in
1901, Hnausa was one of eight communities represented at the convention.

Rev. Rögnvaldur Pétursson, D.D., served the congregations in northern New Iceland from his home
base in Winnipeg. As the American Unitarian Association's field secretary, he was the designated
preacher for the Hnausa district from 1909 until 1922, generally holding services in members' homes.
The Hnausa congregation was re-established as the Unitarian Society of Hnausa in 1909 with Sigurður
J. Vídal as its president.

Rev. Eyjólfur J. Melan assumed pastoral responsiblity for the Hnausa district when he accepted a call
to the First Federated Church of Gimli in 1922. During Melan's pastorate, a church was erected at
Arnes, which pretty much sealed the fate of the movement at Hnausa, since several Unitarians from
the Hnausa district began attending services at Arnes. Before the end of the decade, church buildings
had also been constructed in Arborg and Riverton, resulting in Hnausa Unitarians being pulled in three
different directions, depending on their proximity to these churches in more densely populated
communities. Ironically, the Arnes church was moved to Hnausa in 1967.

A regular guest minister at the Hnausa Chapel through the years, as well as an occasional preacher at
Arborg and Gimli, was Rev. V. Emil Gudmundson of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Gudmundson grew up at
Mary Hill, Manitoba (near Lundar), and experienced his call to the ministry while attending Hnausa
Institute. After studying at the University of Iceland and Meadville Theological School in Chicago, he
served congregations in various places before becoming the denomination's representative for the
Upper Midwest states and Canadian prairies.

Since the Arnes Unitarian Church was moved to the the camp, there has been at least one worship
service held in the Hnausa Chapel most years, not to mention weddings and the occasional
christening. After more than a century, the flame of Unitarian Universalism continues to flicker in its
Manitoba birthplace. Despite the absence of a local church, many Hnausa residents (and former
residents) have been active Unitarians over the years, some holding positions of considerable influence
in the Unitarian movement.

While relatively few Unitarians remain at Hnausa, those who do exemplify an abundance of the love
and liberality, compassion and conviction, patience and perseverance that was at the heart of Magnús
Skaptason's gospel. Through their service to the community, they bear witness to their free faith and
its values. Even if the Unitarians were someday to fade into distant memory, the Hnausa district will
still be forever blessed by the fact that Unitarians have been such a vital force in the community,
contributing their liberating spirit to its overall character.