- Downtown Toronto from the top of the CN Tower
Iceland News spoke to Kara Schuster, co-chair for the 2010 INL convention in Toronto, who gave us her side of what’s to come.
Saunders: How did you get involved with the Icelandic community in Canada?
Schuster: My uncle once sent me the link to the Toronto newsletter and we didn’t really know anything was going on here. And then they had the Snorri program… it’s an exchange program where you go to Iceland for six weeks and meet quite a bit of your family. You work there and go to school… learn the language. I went on that and the Icelandic club here in Toronto helped pay for part of my trip. After they gradually asked me to help out and volunteer for a few things. I was youth program co-coordinator, vice-president, president and now I’m the co-chair for the conference.
Saunders: When did your involvement start with the Snorri program and making those steps up?
Schuster: I went on the Snorri program in 2002… I think it was May 2005 or 2006 as president for the Icelandic-Canadian Club of Toronto.
Saunders: During that time did you have much involvement with the conference on the administrative side?
Schuster: Not so much, I went as a guest and delegate from our club for three years. I started with the Victoria conference, then Winnipeg, then Calgary. I can’t remember exactly.
Saunders: How did you step into the role of planning the yearly conference?
Schuster: I guess my first year in Victoria talking about it. I said “sure”. 2009 was taken, but 2010 wasn’t. Being involved with the initial planning stages it just seemed natural to become co-chair.
Saunders: What kind of experience had you had organizing events like this?
Schuster: Not much, I organized events through my fraternity in university- some basics for planning formals and dinners. Then planning events through the Icelandic club. So it’s kinda flying by the seat of my pants a little bit. Learning as I go.
Saunders: How have you found it so far?
Schuster: It’s been a huge growing experience… it has been challenging though. I still work full time on top of all of this. But there’s a really good support net. And there’s always help when I need it.
Saunders: What are some of the highlights of the conference?
Schuster: We’re changing it up a little bit from the years that have gone past. We’re trying a different format now. We’re trying to gear towards some of the younger people in our club to continue being involved. We now have a film screening segment so there is a film running all day long. We have a guest speaking on the Sunday. Usually in the past we’ve just had the AGM… which people aren’t generally very excited to stay for. They’re usually trying to rush out and catch their planes. That’s the basis for-having the conference (the AGM).
Saunders: Have you met many challenged in the process of putting 2010 together?
Schuster: There were some challenges in finding a hotel because we’re a relatively small group with, unfortunately, not a lot of money… and Toronto being popular for conferences… getting price for what we wanted.
Saunders: How has the current problems in Iceland affected your planning?
Schuster: We need to fund raise a lot more than some clubs have in the past because some of the companies in Iceland are usually major sponsors. And we won’t have that this year. That’s an obstacle we have to deal with.
Saunders: Icelandair had provided some kind of help with flights in the past?
Schuster: Yes, they usually give us flights to raffle off, which I think they’re going to do again this year. But we used to have sponsorship from some of major banks. And some of the other organizations that would bring in Icelandic talents. We’re likely not to be getting this year.
Saunders: Where in Canada is the conference going to attract Icelanders from?
Schuster: There’s a lot in Winnipeg that we hope will come. There’s a lot in Ontario… in London. We’re having people as far as Victoria. A range of people from across the country.
Saunders: Anything else to add?
Schuster: It’s a really valuable weekend for people who don’t have a lot of connections with Icelandic culture.
