Neil Bardal, a third-generation funeral director (Neil Bardal Inc.) and proud Icelandic Canadian, has been a leader in the Canadian Icelandic community and a major force in promoting the Icelandic culture and history of Manitoba. He is a former honorary consul general of Iceland (Gimli) and past president of the Icelandic National League of North America. Director of the Canada Iceland Foundation and a cabinet member of Valuing Icelandic Presence at the University of Manitoba, he has also given much to the wider Manitoba community including being a member of the Rotary Club and the board of Riverview Health Centre Foundation. The son of a Hong Kong veteran, he stays keenly involved in the activities of the Hong Kong Veterans Association. Bardal lives in Husavik, just south of Gimli. In 2000, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon, the highest honour bestowed by Iceland.
