The title fjallkona means “maid of the mountain”; the plural is “fjallkonur.” Traditionally, in Iceland, the fjallkona descends from the mountains at the celebration of Iceland's independence on June 17. The fjallkona tradition was maintained by Icelandic immigrants to North America in the late 1800s. Traditionally, a woman of repute in the community was chosen as a symbolic tribute to Iceland.
The crowning ceremony was initially held in Edmonton, with only women from Edmonton being crowned, and the coronation was in May. Since 1978, the fjallkona has been crowned at Markerville, in June. She reigns over Alberta for one year. In 1988, Donna Nelson's term was extended by a year to enable her to participate in Markerville's celebration of 100 years of settlement. The following women have been crowned fjallkona for Alberta.
