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Champagne is part of Vappu
Something combining elements of Labor Day, the Melbourne Cup Day or Mardi Gras, Vappu, the First of May, is a multifaceted celebration in Finland. Finnish Canadians have brought some of the First of May traditions to Canada. One aspect of Vappu are special luncheons with champagne and particular Finnish delicacies. The Vappu 2008 Champagne Lady on finnishcanadian.com is Jean Klemets as captured in a Vapaa Sana photo at a Finnish-Canadian reception. Spring entertainment, Finnish Canadian style
The Toronto Suomi Finlandia Lions Club offered an afternoon of entertainment at the Suomi-Koti on Sunday, April 13. Seen here is Maire Paltanen in one of her performances. Hanna Syrjala of Vapaa Sana was there, get a copy of Vapaa Sana issue 16 for more. Subscriptions easily via 1 800 618 1584, MonFri 10-13, or to customerservice@vapaasana.comSudbury artists of Finnish extraction arranged a fair
Works by artists with a Finnish background were for sale at the Finlandia Village on April 12. Despite the poor weather the event was well attended. Seated at the front, from the left,. Elaine Garreau, Kerttu Haapamaki, John Kulmala, Hilkka Koivisto. Standing behind Kim McKibbon, Ray Laporte. Jean Kulmala, Eva Luca, Susan Lampinen and Anita Anita Maki. A new voice on the Finnish scene in Toronto
Baritone Gil Anderson seen here with wife Cindy Koistinen and daughter Kaelyn. Anderson sang at a concert arranged by the Toronto Finnish Male Singers in early April, with Paul Hietala conducting. Gil Anderson was heard in songs famous from South Pacific and Man of La Mancha. This was his first appearance for a local Finnish audience. Cindy Koistinen is of Finnish extraction and already well known on the Finnish scene in Toronto. Anderson told Vapaa Sana Press that so far he has not performed any Finnish songs. Vapaa Sana (issue 15) suggests that they could consider Finnish duets, such as Onnelliset (Oskar Merikanto, lyrics Aleksis Kivi), something many Finns here remember from an iconic Finnish radio 1953 recording featuring Veikko Tyrväinen and Maini Vilppula. 131 000 Finns in Canada according to the 2006 census Thirty thousand people gave in the 2006 census in Canada "Finnish" as their only background. Another hundred thousand people included Finnish in referring to multiple origins.Over a half of those giving Finnish as their sole origin (18 000) lived in Ontario. At the national level the number of sole-origin Swedes amounted to close the Finnish frequency, 28 000. Swedish came up a lot more in the multiple origins, exceeding 300 000. Read more about the Finnish element in the 2006 census in Vapaa Sana issue 15, available on April 10. Icelandair brings a new connection between Finland and Canada
The new North Atlantic strategy of the Icelandic national carrier brings the first tangible change in the air connections available between Finland and Canada for years. While the Finnair leasure flights are likely to remain the cheapeast alternative, the service via Reyjavik will offer somewhat more comfort at a low cost, convenient late evening departures and a flight time not a lot longer than the nonstop services. The Finnish national carrier Finnair gave up scheduled services between Toronto and Helsinki in the 90s. Earlier Finnair had also served Montreal as part of its Helsinki-New York route. All scheduled flight routings between Finland and Canada have since required connections in London, New York, Frankfurt or elsewhere. The Finnair presence in Canada was resumed in the form of leisure flights available during the summer season period. Icelandair has noticed a similar fact about Reykjavik as Finnair in its Asian strategy about Helsinki. Reykjavik is well located as a connection point from a large part of Europe. With the Keflavik airport as its hub Icelandair offers connecting flights between several European cities and Toronto and Halifax. The Toronto service has been made possible through the decision to give up flights to Baltimore. The flight time via Reykjavik from Toronto to Helsinki is several hours shorter than most connections via continental Europe or Britain. While the Finnair leisure flights remain the only non-stop connections Icelandair may be able to compete with its comparatively short flight time as well as with its cabin quality. Finnair has received negative publicity on account of its 29 inch seat pitch in the leisure flight Boeing 757s. Icelandair does not offer much more, it gives its economy class pitch as between 30 and 33 inches. But even a few inches may matter during a long flight. Both Finnair and Icelandair use Boeing 757s in services for Canada. Finnair leisure flights have traditionally been the most economical connection between Finland and Canada. It remains to be seen whether a price competition develops between Icelandair and Finnair on the Canadian market. Toronto Osuuspankki elects a new Board
The Finnish Credit Union (Toronto) got a new Board in its annual meeting on April 2. Of the old Board Maija Näppi was no longer available. Eric Nakkila was nominated again and was re-elected for a three year term. The nominating committee had had nominated in all four candidates to fill the two vacancies.Pirjo Ojanen was elected with a wide backing among the participants. In our picture the 2008 Board, from left Eric Nakkila, Petri Hasanen, Marja-Liisa Konttinen, Karen Kelar, Pirjo Ojanen and John Majanlahti. Of the Board members, Markus Räty was unable to attend the AGM. Read more about the current life and times of the Toronto Finnish "Osuuspankki" in Vapaa Sana issue 15. There was no choice, but now there is
Deadline for citizenship applications is approaching Under the current Finnish legislation of citizenship Finnish expats are able to regain Finnish citizenship, but declarations must be handed in or mailed to the Finnish Embassy or a Consulate by May 31st, 2008. Here in Canada eligible offices are in Ottawa (Embassy) and in Toronto and Vancouver. People resident in Canada must use these offices. Thereafter an expat must qualify in the same way as a foreign immigrant in Finland, including the requirement of living in Finland for five years and showing an adequate command of Finnish or Swedish. Until May 2008 expats (born in Finland and their first generation children) are able to become Finnish citizens with a simple announcement of intent. There is no requirement of residency in Finland, nor a language test. For a Canadian, the dual European Union citizenship opens many opportunities. As a European, residence rights anywhere in the Union are available easily. For young people the option could be to study in Finland (or elsewhere in Europe) as a European (makes a difference in the costs, in many cases). A senior could consider a second home or lengthier stays in the European sun belt area, instead of Florida or the Caribbean. Having obtained residence rights there, the Finnish-Canadian senior is also eligible for local public health care. (This does not apply to visitors). For details on how to proceed with your plan to become a Finnish citizen, see details at www.migri.fi. You may also contact your nearest Finnish honorary consul in Canada, or the Embassy in Ottawa. You cannot hand in your declaration to an honorary consul though. May 31st being a Saturday in 2008, the last day to hand in your application in time is likely to be Friday, May 30th. Attempts at getting an extension to the time declarations of citizenship are given appear to have failed. Expatriate Parliament briefings in Western Canada
The Finnish Expatriate Parliament was a theme of discussion amongst Edmonton Finn on March 31st. From left Markku Hilvo, Kauko Siik, Tuula Hilvo, Arto Ohinmaa, Jaana Ohinmaa, Cia Rahikka and Pauli Vanhala. Veli Niinimaa, deputy to the Canadian vice-chairman of the Expatriate Parliament (Niilo Saari) on the right, half visible. Saari and Niinimaa toured Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary in late March early April to inform about the Expatriate Parliament. Photo: Pasi Karsten. Read more about the USP (ulkosuomalaisparlamentti) events in Western Canada in Vapaa Sana issue 15. Your view?
What is your opinion on current issues concerning Finnish Canadians or the relationship with Finland? Our Community Forum pages offer discussion threads. Add your input. We have also opened a forum for Finnish Canadian History - as you see it. How to support Finnishcanadian.com
This site (Finnishcanadian.com) is a service by the Vapaa Sana Press Ltd, the publishers of the newspapers Vapaa Sana and Canadan Sanomat. If you think our service is worth your support, consider taking a subcription of Vapaa Sana, the Finnish weekly newspaper with a fortnightly English supplement. You may also choose to subscribe Canadan Sanomat (Thunder Bay), that paper has no English supplement though. For subscriptions of Vapaa Sana, contact customerservice@vapaasana.com, or call 1 800 618 1584 (Mon-Fri 10-13). Have your credit card ready. We take Mastercard, American Express and VISA. Annual subscriptions serving addresses in Canada are available at 100 CAD plus GST, first class mail 150 CAD plus GST, the United States and other foreign addresses 250 CAD in first class mail. The fixed rate for subscriptions in Finland is 175 euros. That is payable directly to our bank account in Finland, see www.vapaasana.com and tilaukset for details. Thank you for your support.
To launch a family in Canada or in Finland? Vapaa Sana reporter Minna Harmaala compared the benefits that young families get in Finland and in Canada. Her feature can be seen at www.vapaasana.com, currently in Finnish, an English version will be available later. But for the time being you can practice your Finnish there. Vapaa Sana offers a variety of features about anything associated with being of Finnish extraction in Canada. Such as having the option of dual citizenship, with a choice of living in Europe or in Canada. Suomi-talo was celebrated
The Finnish-Canadian Reporter The Finnish Canadian Reporter is the English section of Vapaa Sana. Appearing fortnightly on pages 7-10 the FCR can be easily pulled out and kept separately. Select features from the FCR can be seen at www.vapaasana.com Vapaa Sana Press Ltd is the publisher of the weekly newspapers Vapaa Sana and Canadan Sanomat, and also the owner of this website. With an annual subscription of Vapaa Sana you will support journalism covering the Finnish heritage in Canada, in all its brands. To subscribe, call 1 800 618 1854 (best 10 am - 1 pm Eastern). The cost of an annual subscription to Canada is 100 plus GST, in first class mail 150 plus GST. The rate for Finland is 175 euro per annum. Finnish subscriptions can be paid directly to an account in Finland. See www.vapaasana.com and tilaukset for details. In Canada the forms of payment are credit card, cheque and cash.
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Recent discussions
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".....Father told us that we would be moving to Canada. After some months we were on a ship and sailing to Halifax. Life in the new country was not easy, but the decision could really not be questioned. We - the kids - had to take responsibilities we could not have imagined in Finland, such as acting as interpreters for the parents in situations we really did not understand... Well, we managed in the end. But now Finland is offering the option of dual citizenship, for those born in Finland and their children. This may give my children the option of a second choice. And for myself perhaps longer stays in the European sunbelt countries, as a European" The deadline for the notifications about citizenship is May 31st, 2008... Notifications must have arrived at an Embassy of Finland or a Consulate General Office by that date. 
One of the Finnish landmarks in Toronto is Suomi-talo (The House of Finland) at 276 Main Street. Purchased in the early 80s, Suomi-talo was the youngest Finnish hall in the GTA area, and also the last. This September 2007 an enthusiastic audience of former Suomi-talo activists celebrated the 25 years of Finnish activities there. At the time when Suomi-talo was purchased various Finnish associations in Toronto were wealthy owners of properties. Efforts to pool all that could not be done, however. The divisions between various groups could not be overcome. A Vapaa Sana feature in English in 
