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HE lost his job as a baker in Reykjavik, and now he has set his sights on starting fresh in
Gimli.
Tales of cash-strapped Icelanders seeking refuge in Manitoba's "New Iceland" have made
headlines for weeks, but Birgir Robertsson is among the first to travel from his economically
hard-hit country to the community on the shores of Lake Winnipeg looking for work.
"In Iceland, it's (a) very strange time now," said Robertsson, who arrived in town last
week after emailing back and forth with Jon Axelsson, a native Icelander married to Gimli mayor
Tammy Axelsson.
Last fall's economic meltdown hit hard in Iceland, where an estimated 11,000 out of just 300,000
people are unemployed and a new coalition government took power recently after the previous
government collapsed.
Robertsson said he pursued a new life in Gimli because of its longtime relationship with
Iceland.
The 46-year-old spent 25 years working as a chef and baker in Iceland and Norway. He said he sees
opportunity for the same sort of work in Gimli, possibly running his own bakery.
Getting used to the flat terrain will take some time after living in a mountainous country, said
Robertsson, but he's happy with his welcome so far.
"People are very friendly, all the people whom I have met," he said. "I'm looking
forward to live here, if everything goes well."
Read tho whole article here:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/former_baker_could_be_first_of_icelandic_immigrants-39420047.html
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