Finlandia Village in Sudbury published the following announcement after receiving a significant donation from the Sudbury Finnish War Veterans’ Association:
We are deeply honoured to share that the Finnish War Veterans of Canada – Sudbury Chapter has made a generous donation to the SISU Foundation of Finlandia Village in support of our Capital Campaign.
This meaningful gift carries with it decades of resilience, remembrance, and community spirit.
Many Finnish veterans came to Canada after WWII, having served during the Winter War and Continuation War when Finland was invaded by the Soviet Union. They rebuilt their lives here with quiet strength, bringing with them the values of courage, service, and sisu.
Today, their history is carefully preserved at Finlandia Village, which is filled with wartime artifacts and personal memories like songs, awards, medals, uniforms, diaries, and more.
This donation was presented on behalf of the association by Reijo and Carol Viitala. Reijo is the Chair of the Sudbury Chapter of the Finnish War Veterans of Canada and the son of a Finnish soldier. Together, Carol and Reijo have volunteered for 25 years for the veterans. Their leadership and continued commitment to honouring the stories of Finnish veterans in Canada ensure that their sacrifices and legacy will never be forgotten.
We are incredibly grateful for this contribution. Kiitos.
Reijo Viitala: “As the Sudbury Finnish War Veterans’ Association wraps up its activities, the veterans are proud to donate to the Sisu campaign fundraiser. The Veterans are the largest founding group of the Sudbury Finnish Rest Home Society and were the first founding Board. The ladies, since 1976, became over time the Finlandia Ladies Auxiliary. So proud to have been a part of all that!”
