Norwegian Crossing

The main branch of the Ottawa Public Library features space along a couple of walkways on the second and third floors where art is sometimes exhibited, and sometimes historical displays. In April, it was on the 200th anniversary of large scale Norwegian immigration into North America.

New opportunities at a better life was a big reason for immigration.

Those who settled in Canada, particularly in the West, would establish new lives while carrying on some of their old traditions, adding to the tapestry of the country.

Henry Larsen, descended from them, was an RCMP officer and Arctic explorer.

Norwegian archaeologists Anne and Helge Ingstad found proof that the Vikings had made it to the New World a millennium earlier in what is now Newfoundland and Labrador. Today, L'Anse aux Meadows is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When the Nazis occupied Norway in World War Two, the government went into exile in London, while Canada would be home for training for servicemen of Norway to take back their country. This would only deepen the friendship between the two countries.