Ólavsøka, the big test for Tórshavn’s new canal

Tórshavn’s new canal occupies a space that used to be packed with people during the ólavsøka national holidays, celebrated annually on 28-29 July.

Ólavsøkuaftan, 28 July, will see a large procession consisting of sportspeople and horses.

On ólavsøkudagur, 29 July, thousands gather there in the afternoon for the official ólavsøka opening ceremony. And at night, the crowd more than doubles for the popular midnight singalong.

The area was always rather small for crowds of this size; now it’s even smaller. So, how will the canal affect the ólavsøka celebrations?

Havnará

“I’m excited to see how it works out,” says Tróndur Sigurðsson, who heads the City Council’s city planning unit.

“I actually don’t think it will change much. There is still a lot of space, so people will probably just find other spots in the area to stand.”

 >> SEE ALSO Plans to uncover old river running through Tórshavn

The new canal was constructed on top of the old Havnará creek, which was covered up in the 1960s.

Havnará, Gomul mynd av Havnará

Caption: 

The old Havnará pictured in the 1960s

He adds that many of the city’s elderly residents have expressed their joy of seeing water running through the city centre again.

Others have criticised the project, saying the DKK 15 million project is a waste of money.

“This was actually the cheapest solution. It would cost a lot more to uncover the old river, and it would cause lots of sewage complications,” says Sigurðsson.

“Tórshavn has enough sewage problems as it is, and we are doing everything we can to address those problems.”

Havnará

The City Council is currently putting in the finishing touches on the canal ahead of the ólavsøka celebrations, which start tomorrow.

“We have not compromised on quality with the new channel. I see it as a work of art.”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.