Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site
Location: 2230 Township Road 371, 22 km northwest of Innisfail. From Innisfail, take Hwy 54 west, turn north onto Hwy 781, west on 592 (Township Road 370), right onto Range Road 21 (follow signs), then left onto Township Road 371 and continue onto Township Road 370A. From Edmonton, travel south on Hwy 2, take Hwy 11 west, turn south onto Hwy 781, then west on Hwy 592. Follow signs to site.
Info: Open daily, May 15 to Labour Day, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is charged. 403-728-3929 (summer); 780-431-2321 (year-round); www.culture.alberta.ca/sh.
Born in Iceland in 1853, Stephan G. Stephansson brought his family to the Markerville area in 1889. Stephansson is considered one of the greatest poets in the Western world, and in Iceland his work is studied for its linguistic and poetic merit. A pioneer, Stephansson laboured in the fields by day, composing poems in his head as he workedsometimes dashing inside to write down a few lines. No other Canadian poet has created as much as this prolific writer, who published more than 2,000 pages of poetry.
A provincial historic site, Stephansson’s home was restored to its original appearance in 1927 the year Stephansson died. Costumed guides provide interpretive programs and tours. You can see how wool was spun and how other household chores were managed, or enjoy a poetry reading 1920s style.
