Joan Eyolfson Cadham / Awards and Honours

Snorri Medal

During the March 2000 Vatnabyggd Thorrablot, an annual Icelandic festival, Vatnabyggd Club co-founder, Stella Stephanson, President Joan Eyolfson Cadham, and Board member Audrey Shepherd, were presented with Snorri medals by Consul General Gestsson acting on behalf of the Millennium office of Iceland in Canada. The presentations were made, the Consul General said, "for what you have been doing for Iceland in Canada."

The medal was developed by the Friends of Iceland in Ottawa. The front is an engraving of the statue of Gudridur and Snorri. The original sculpture, in Ottawa, has been donated to the people of Canada by Iceland. The reverse honours Bjarni Tryggvason, the Canadian Icelander who is the first Icelandic astronaut in space. The design of the medal commemorates the voyage of Gudridur to Vinland 1000 years ago, where her son, Snorri, was born, and Gudridur's voyage back to Iceland, then to Rome to inform the Vatican about the Viking discoveries in North America.

The medals were presented as part of the "Iceland in Canada 2000" celebrations commemorating the settlement of Vinland in 1000 and the beginning of modern-day Icelandic immigration to Canada in 1875.

Also in 2000, Joan received a citation from the Government of Iceland "on behalf of the nation and The government of the Republic of Iceland for your contribution to the celebrations "Iceland in Canada 2000." You, with your friends, have certainly helped to make the millennium celebrations and the 125th anniversary of our second settlement in Canada a landmark in Canadian Icelandic relations.

The Lieutenant Governor's Celebration of the Arts Pin

During her visit to Foam Lake for Homecoming 2005, Lieutenant Governor Dr. Lynda Haverstock presented The Lieutenant Governor's Celebration of the Arts Pin to five Foam Lake residents.

The pin, said Her Honour, was designed for Centennial year as her way of honouring artists and craftspeople as well as dedicated people who have provided leadership, time, talent and energy to foster the development of the arts in their communities. The Homecoming committee recommended recipients who were involved in history, music, dance, art and literature.

Joan Eyolfson Cadham was chosen for her writing, her involvement with national writing organizations, and her role in having Foam Lake named as the Best Place in the World to Live.

The pins are gold on blue, with a stylized A, a tiny crown and a stalk of wheat.

Letter from the Saskatchewan Office of Protocol and Honours, Sept. 14, 2005: Saskatchewan Commemorative Medal

Dear Ms Cadham

I am pleased to inform you that you have been nominated by the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan to receive the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Centennial Medal is an official honour of the Crown and part of the Saskatchewan Honours and Awards Program. This medal recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to our province and is a symbol of the pride and vision of Saskatchewan and its people.

You are cordially invited to receive your medal from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan on Thursday, September 22 at 1:00 p.m. in Yorkton. Please arrive by 12:30 p.m. for a short briefing on the ceremony. You are welcome to bring one guest to this event. Light refreshments will be served afterwards.

Congratulations on being awarded this honour in recognition of your contributions to Saskatchewan.
The nomination from the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan reads:
Joan Eyolfson Cadham has dedicated her life to culture and community. As a writer and reporter, she promotes intercultural understanding. As a director of the Vatnabyggd Icelandic Club, she is an inspiration, a role model, an achiever, a community builder, a teacher, a storyteller, a Saskatchewan strength. Joan has helped keep rural Saskatchewan a vibrant, diverse, welcoming and accepting place to call home. Icelandic murals, sculptures and celebrations are among the legacies she and the Vatnabyggd Icelandic Club are leaving.

Other Honours

2005 - Honourary Life Membership, Icelandic National League of North America, nominated by the Vatnabyggd Icelandic Club of Saskatchewan Inc.

2005 - Life Membership, Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, for 20 years of volunteer service to the organization dedicated to teaching and promoting safe boating.

2007 - Chief Commander's Citation, presented by C/C Serge St-Martin "in recognition of her distinguished service and unselfish commitment of time to Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, in particular for being Editor-in-Chief of The Port Hole for the last 10 years. Joan started writing for the Publications Committee in 1987. I remember her articles about the Hirondelle, a sailboat on Lake St. Louis. When she took over The Port Hole, she changed it from a magazine for volunteers only to a general one for all members."