NEWSLETTER FOR FINNS IN THE OTTAWA AND MONTREAL REGIONS VOL. 22, NO. 60. Message from the Editor

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1 M ontrealin S uomalainen February 2015 edition NEWSLETTER FOR FINNS IN THE OTTAWA AND MONTREAL REGIONS VOL. 22, NO. 60 Message from the Editor S aku Koivu. Captain of the Montreal Canadians for a decade, amongst the team s most celebrated players, and a member of the Finnish community of Montreal. Many in Finland had not realized the impact Saku has had internationally and how appreciated he is over the sea. The lengthy standing ovations he has received from fans are a testament to how the city feels about this hockey player and all that he has done off-ice. Montreal paid a touching tribute to Saku on 18 December 2014 following his retirement to acknowledge his career and his community participation. Among other things, after his own battle with cancer, Saku raised the funding to buy a PET scan for a Montreal hospital. Faced with a trying and difficult personal situation, the generous hockey captain turned his experience into a positive gift for others by easing their access to treatment. Saku led by example and throughout the years showed his genuine care for people. Saku's character is well portrayed in the RDS documentary, Sisu : le courage d'un capitaine, where we gain a glimpse into his life through interviews at his summer cottage in Finland. He has been an excellent "ambassador" of Finland to Canada, participating in many local Finnish activities, from the Finno-Canadian Chambre de Commerce Christmas parties to the Canadian Friends of Finland lunches. Photo: Okko Niskanen, winner of the CCFC hockey tickets

2 Saku and Hanna Koivu recently took the time to reach out to our newsletter. While Saku's career and life have been extensively documented by media, I thought focusing on the family's connection to Canada and Finland would be appropriate for our local community. As expatriates, we have many habits, customs and reactions that bind us together. While Saku, Hanna and their two children may spend more time in Finland than many of us, on return trips they still filled their suitcases with many cherished foods, often hard or impossible to find in Montreal: ruisleipää (rye bread), saaristolaisleipää, Oltermannia (Finnish cheese), Presidentti-kahvia (coffee), viilin juuri (the base to a yogurt-like dairy product), puolukkaa (cranberry) and mätiä (roe). I chuckle when Canadian friends try salmiakkia for the first time and eventually spit it out but Saku and Hanna's daughter, Ilona, has quite the palette for the salty licorice. Aatos, their son, feels quite differently. I asked our local hero with which three NHL players he would feel the most comfortable having a sauna. I was anticipating select close teammates or fellow Finns from different teams. Instead, the response was diplomatic and inclusive in Saku's known style: with any one of them. Although the Koivus stated that in their own home was the best place to have a sauna in Montreal (and that should be no surprise to a Finn), they did miss the sauna experience with a jump into the sea back in Finland. Family and certain foods were what they longed for the most. Nonetheless, the family enjoyed the lifestyle in Montreal, appreciating the bustling city and how locals live life to the fullest. They loved the cuisine in Montreal, declaring Joe Beef as their favourite restaurant. Living in different countries gives us the perspective to appreciate things in our native land but also see what could be changed for the better. Saku and Hanna realized that some of the Montreal joie de vivre would be a great thing to prioritize more in Finland, dining out and enjoying life guilt-free. We can take this advice to heart, making the most of our Finnish-Canadian realities. It may be cold outside, but let's make everyday count. Experience winter sports (um, hockey perhaps?), meet up with an old friend, go to the movies; life is about balance and we need to take the time to do things that make us happy. And if you're craving those goodies from Finland, then go discover one of our sponsors, Atlantique (ad on p. 7), a deli which often carries Reissumies rye bread, Fazer chocolate and salmiakkia. Thank you, Saku and Hanna, for sharing some of your cultural experiences with us! Katja Frostell Editor This issue is sponsored by Suomi-Seura Finland The next issue of the newsletter will be published in September Please send material to kfrostell@hotmail.com 2

3 Nenäpäivän hullunhauska, hellä ja surumielinen Suomi Tietoisku Montrealin Suomalaisesta kirjastosta Mikko Rimmisen Nenäpäivä, epätavallinen romaani ja elämänmyönteisyyden ylistys yksinäisten ihmisten maassa, nettosi tekijälle Finlandia-palkinnon ilmestymisvuotenaan Höpsähtänyt keski-ikäinen Irma alkaa yksinäisyydessään ja ystävänkaipuussaan soitella vieraiden ihmisten ovikelloja tekeytyen markkinointitutkijaksi. Hänen ainoa yhteytensä todelliseen elämään - kännykän kautta - on hämäränpuuhiin sekaantunut ainoa poika, jonka voi arvella olevan syy äidin raiteilta horjumiseen. Irma kiintyy liiaksi tutkittaviinsa, sekoilee ja saa poliisin kiinnostumaan valekyselijän puuhista. Lukija seuraa Irman tragikoomisia harharetkiä tämän pienimpiä mielenliikahduksia myöten kummallisessa maailmassa, missä vallitsee Rimmisen joka rivillä uutta luova, hauskannokkela kieli. Siellä ei kävellä vaan kiirelletään, mynkitään, näiverretään, paarustetaan, kiikerretään, suunnitaan tai imuunnutaan. Puistonpenkki on joukkoistuin, silmät näkövälineet. Yhdessä kirjan hysteerisimmässä hetkessä lähes ajotaidoton Irma tekee uskomattoman autoretken, jonka päätteeksi kauhea mies ryntää autolle ja vaatii verta. Sinulla auto, minulla auto, tahdon verta! Kestää tovin ennenkuin muutenkin iäti hätääntynyt Irma huomaa ulkomaalaisyntyisen tarkoittavan...virtaa. Herättää taattua hilpeyttä monikielisissä perheissä, missä syödään siilivoileipiä ja siivouspäivinä pudistellaan matoja! Rimmisen sanataide ja humaani ihmisrakkaus ilahduttavat ja elähdyttävät joka sivulla. Löytyy Uutuudet-hyllyltä, kiitos Pirkko Klemola lahjoituksesta! Mieluummin naama kirjassa kuin naamakirjassa, taitaa ajatella myös Facebookin perustaja Mark Zuckerberg, joka on julistanut vuoden 2015 Kirjan vuodeksi. Hän haastaa meidät lukemaan vauhtia kirja kahdessa viikossa ja ehdottaa aiheiksi eri kulttuureja, uskomuksia, historiaa ja teknologiaa. Lisään romaanit hänen listaansa. Niitä lukemalla opimme millaista on todella olla joku muu. Tutkimuksen mukaan romaanien lukeminen lisää kykyä empatiaan. Montrealin suomalaisen kirjaston tulevaisuus on hämärän peitossa. Kirkolla sijaitsevat hyllyt sisältävät ulkosuomalaiskirjaston perusklassikot ja vaihtelevan uudemman osan, minkä puitteissa lainaus sujuu vilkkaimmin. Toivottavasti kirjastolle löytyy otollinen paikka tulevaisuudessa. Sillä välin, onko lukijoilla luottopaikkaa, mistä tilata hyviä ja halpoja suomalaisia kirjoja, käytettyjäkin? Itse tilasin pari viikkoa sitten Booky.fi nimisestä nettiyrityksestä, mutta postimaksu oli huhhuh 28 euroa kahdesta kirjasta eikä niitä ole toistaiseksi näkynyt. Joten en uskalla vielä suositella. Hyvää lukuvuotta! Anneli Lukka anneli.lukka@gmail.com 3

4 Que Sera Sera Message from the Pastor Compared to some members of our congregation, I may be young(ish), but when I look at my grey hair in the mirror, that s a very relative term! I m much older than most of the students I teach at Concordia. I have a son who I can t believe this year is turning 30, and I m old enough to remember songs from the 1960s. One of the songs I remember hearing on the radio when I was a child was the song Que Sera, Sera by Doris Day. It s a bouncy, happy song where a young Doris Day sings words that some of you probably remember: Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be. The future s not ours to see, Que Sera Sera. The older I get, the more I think there s some real wisdom in that song, despite the jaunty lyrics and 1960s musical setting that sounds so strange to our 2015 ears. As I understand the song now, it s not about NOT CARING what will happen. Not at all. It s about caring, all right. But it s even more about the mature realization that however much we might try to influence our future, some parts of that future are simply beyond our control. We can try to steer ourselves in the right direction. We can work hard to influence what will become of us. But after all is said and done, given how life works, it s hard to know exactly what will happen next. The song never says this, but for those of us who are believers, this song actually sounds quite a bit like something Jesus said. Look at the lilies of the field, said Jesus. They neither sow nor reap. And yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these flowers. You cannot add a day to your lives by worry so trust God, and let the day s troubles be sufficient for the day. Jesus message is simple: trust God. Do what you can. Work hard. Pray hard. Plan hard. And then trust God to take care of the future, knowing that it might not be exactly as we think it should be. In our congregation of St. Michael s, we are getting a hard lesson in this. We have worked hard a few, such as Heli Parenteau, very hard to try to sell the building. We think we believe, we hope and pray that the sale will go through. But it has dragged on for so long that it will be hard to believe when that day actually comes. And one of the unfortunate side effects of this long drawn-out process of sale is that we have had correspondingly less energy to plan out exactly where and how we will land when we DO sell. The Estonians have made it clear that they would welcome us, for which we are thankful. The Norwegians would like to do some things together as well, which is possible. But we are getting to be a smaller and smaller group. What will happen to us? Doris Day sings: Que Sera Sera. This year of 2015, I believe that we will need to listen to such words. We will need to be reminded that the Bible tells us that our Lord has our future in his hands. We may find that this is the year, finally, when we will have to think long and hard about how we go forward into the future as a small Finnish community with a shrinking volunteer base. I have been privileged to be your pastor these past five years. You have been amazingly patient with my English, and gracious and welcoming in so many ways. I am looking forward to this next stage in our adventure. But it will not be easy, and the long, drawn-out sale has made it harder. Together let us listen to Jesus, who says that our God is faithful, and will guide us into the future. And let us be courageous, for that future may not be predictable. What will happen to us this coming year? Que sera sera, sings Doris Day. Believe in God, believe also in me, says Jesus. The truth is, we don t know what will happen. But we know this: we will be okay, so long as we have God as our guide. Pastor Matthew 4

5 Church program for 2015 St. Michael's Evangelical Finnish Lutheran Church / Pyhän Mikaelin Suomalainen Evankelisluterilainen Kirkko 1500 Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1B9 Tel: (514) http: //montreal-lutheran.org/finnishchurch / Montreal Lutheran Council: All events are at the church home if location is not mentioned otherwise. Kaikki tapahtumat ovat kirkkokodilla jos paikkaa ei ole erikseen mainittu. March Maaliskuu 8 (Sunday) Service with communion. Pr Matthew Anderson. Kalevala celebration and video Under the North Star Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus. Kalevala-juhla ja video 29 (Sunday) Spring service. Pr. Matti Terho in Ottawa Kevätjumalanpalvelus April Huhtikuu 5 (Sunday) Easter service. Pr. Matthew Anderson Pääsiäinen. Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus May Toukokuu 10 (Sunday) Mother s Day service. Pr. Matthew Anderson Äitien päivä. Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus June Kesäkuu 7 (Sunday) Service with communion. Pr. Matthew Anderson Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus August Elokuu 23 (Sunday) MLC picnic in St-Lazare MLC piknikki St-Lazaressa September Syyskuu 13 (Sunday) Service with communion. Pr. Matthew Anderson Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus October Lokakuu 4 (Sunday) Thanksgiving service. Pr. Matti Terho in Ottawa Kiitospäivän jumalanpalvelus November Marraskuu 29 (Sunday) Christmas singalong. Joulujumalanpalvelus December Joulukuu 13 (Sunday) Christmas service. Pr. Matti Terho in Ottawa Joulujumalanpalvelus Events in Ottawa take place at the St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 400 Sparks Street, Ottawa. Entrance through the side door from the parking lot. In February 2015, Pastor Matthew Anderson will be traveling through northern Finland as part of a bursary from the Suomi Conference of Canada to English-speaking pastors to Finnish congregations. The trip forms part of a general familiarization program for pastors to Finnish churches. During his week in Rovaniemi, Pr. Matthew will show his documentary, Under the North Star. 5

6 Canadian Friends of Finland De Montréal Canadian Friends of Finland For over 20 years, the Montreal Canadian Friends of Finland (CFF) organization has been an active part of the Finnish community in Montreal. CFF was founded to develop, promote and encourage friendly relations between the peoples of Finland and Canada and to foster and extend friendly relations between individuals interested in Finnish-Canadian relations. CFF has organized a long list of activities in the city, e.g. lectures, movie nights, Christmas parties, Independence Day parties and excursions. Its members have also liaised with Nordic or Baltic organizations in Montreal. Four big universities are housed in Montreal, which attract many Finnish students to study or do research. The city is also home to numerous Finnish companies, attracting Finnish employees on short-term contracts. And then there are some of us that bought a one-way ticket to Canada when arriving from Finland. Or our parents or grandparents did. Montreal is a big international city with a vibrant cultural life. It offers many opportunities to enjoy different expressions of culture: art exhibitions, concerts, movies, theatre, sports. CFF is eager to continue to cultivate cultural expression among Finns and friends of Finland. If you know of interesting events in the city or province, particularly those that provide a link between Finland and Canada, let us know. We can keep people informed through our distribution and Facebook page at Montreal Canadian Friends of Finland. Ari Virtanen Secretary, Montreal Canadian Friends of Finland arivirtanen66@hotmail.com Fees are no longer charged for membership to the Montreal Canadian Friends of Finland (CFF). All are welcome as usual to join in community events throughout the year. Information will be sent via Facebook and the CFF newsletter. Annual ski day with sauna Saturday, 28 February, Kytölä chalet in the Laurentians 539, chemin de la Rivière, Piedmont Please bring something for the lunch table, a towel and your après-ski beverage! Finnish culture enthusiasts monthly reunions L'Académie Crescent, 2100 Crescent Street (bring-your-own-wine) Information found on Montreal Finnish Monthly Nights Out Facebook page or contact Matti Lahti by matti.lahti@iki.fi or cell: Please sign up beforehand in order to reserve an appropriate number of spaces. Friday, 27 February, Friday, 27 March Friday, 24 April Friday, 29 May Friday, 28 August Friday, 25 September Friday, 30 October Friday, 27 November 6

7 Finnish Language School Lasten Suomi-koulun kevätlukukausi 2014 / Spring semester 2015 Finnish Church Home, 1500 Doctor Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec Montrealin Suomen Kielen Koulu on yksi kymmenistä ympäri maailmaa toimivista Suomi-kouluista. Suomi-kouluissa annetaan suomen kielen opetusta suomea toisena kielenä tai äidinkielenään puhuville lapsille, joiden toinen tai molemmat vanhemmat ovat syntyperältään suomalaisia. Koulujen tarkoituksena on tukea lasten suomen kielen ja kulttuurin oppimista sekä hankitun kielitaidon säilyttämistä. Montrealin Suomi-koulu tarjoaa opetusta vauvamuskarista kouluikäisiin lapsiin. Ryhmäjako tehdään vuosittain lasten iän ja kielitaidon perusteella. Kokoonnumme lauantaiaamupäivisin noin kolmen viikon välein suomalaisella kirkolla. Kevätlukukausi alkaa lauantaina Uudet oppilaat voivat ilmoittautua kouluun ottamalla yhteyttä allekirjoittaneeseen. Tervetuloa mukaan! The Montreal Finnish Language School is one of dozens of Suomi-koulu that operate around the world. The mission of these schools is to help preserve and transmit Finnish cultural heritage and language skills to younger generations of Finns living abroad. Classes offered at the Montreal school range from music playschool for babies to writing and reading exercises for school-aged children. Classes are held at the Finnish church on Saturday mornings every three weeks. The Spring semester starts on Saturday, 17 January New students can register by contacting the undersigned. Welcome! Lisätietoja ja ilmoittautumiset/ More information and registration: Marja Coady: (514) / marjacoady@hotmail.com Elisa Pylkkänen: (514) / elisa.pylkkanen@mail.mcgill.ca HERKKUJA SUOMALAISEEN MAKUUN Turun Sinappia, Salmiakkia, Abban Silliä ja kalatahnoja, lakkahilloa, Kulta Katriinakahvia, Pandan lakritsia, Fazerin makeisia, raesokeria, yms. Tervetuloa ostoksille Queen Maryn ja Côte-Des-Neigesin kulmaan! 5060 Côte Des Neiges (corner of Queen Mary) Montreal, Quebec. H3V 1G6 / Tel: Many new products from Finland and Sweden! 7

8 Finnish associations / Puhelinmuistio Canadian Friends of Finland President Bill Luomala Vice-President Gene Angeles Secretary Ari Virtanen Treasurer Lisa Makinen Newsletter coordinator Anneli Lukka Chambre de Commerce Finno-Canadienne President Christian de Saint Rome Finnish War Veterans Montrealin Aseveljet Puheenjohtaja Ismo Makkonen Jäsensihteeri Eeva-Liisa Makkonen Rahastonhoitaja Pirkko Metsämarttila Montrealin Suomalainen newsletter Katja Frostell kfrostell@hotmail.com Ismo Makkonen imakkonen@videotron.ca Montrealin Suomi-Seura Puheenjohtaja Marja-Leena Taras Varapuheenjohtaja Mirjam Kytölä Sihteeri Pirkko Metsämarttila Rahastonhoitaja Markku Kytölä Library Kirjasto Anneli Lukka St. Michael s Finnish Church Pyhän Mikaelin Ev. Lut. seurakunta Kirkkokoti / church home Pastori Matthew Anderson Puheenjohtaja William Luomala Varapuheenjohtaja Maisa Suhonen Sihteeri Ismo Makkonen Rahastonhoitaja Pirkko Metsämarttila Finnish Language School Suomen Kielen Koulu Children's group Lapsiryhmät Elisa Pylkkänen elisa.pylkkanen@mail.mcgill.ca (514) Adult group Aikuisryhmät Maisa Suhonen maisasuhonen@hotmail.com (514) Mökki vuokrattavana Vuokrattavana lomapaikka Laurentian vuoristossa viikonlopuksi, viikoksi tai sopimuksen mukaan. Kaikki mukavuudet ja sauna. Vain 45 min. ajomatka Montrealista. Tiedustelut: Markku Kytölä Koti: Työ: Kännykkä: mark@finncracft.com SUOMEN ASEVELJET KANADASSA Montrealin Kerho VUOSIKOKOUS 11 pnä huhtikuuta, klo Makkosella, puh rue Gervais, Kirkland, H9H 4Z9 JÄSENET TERVETULOA! 8

9 Kuvat: Matti Lahti The Community Finnish Independence Day dinner in Montreal Mari Kaartinen, Reetta Hasanen, Kurre Ståhlberg, Sophie Michaud, Pia- Kristina Marcoux, Ben Gold, Sallamaari Vainio, Alexis Lachapelle, Roosa-Karoliina Maunula, Sophie- Anne Ferland, Eero Piilokivi, Marc McKee ja Regis Worms Christian de Saint-Rome, Oliver Evans, Roger Evanz, Aino L Heureux, Ann-Mari Beaulne, Paul Beaulne, Tuula Hollinger, Richard Hollinger, Karoliina Muukari, Michael Quigley, Jaana Evans ja Maren Gube Finnish Montreal nights out Les 3 Brasseurs Restaurant Okko Niskanen, Pasi Nurminen, Thomas Virta, Karoliina Muukari, Mark Kytölä, Matti Lahti, Marty Kytölä, Ari Virtanen, Eero Piilokivi, JP Niskanen, Toni Peltomaa ja Benoit Bourbeau 9

10 Kuva: Anneli Lukka Kuva: Anneli Lukka Suomi-koulun halloweenjuhlissa Saara ja Stella Dobchies Joulumyyjäisten kirjatarjonnan edessä vas. McGillin yliopiston kipututkija Marjo Piltonen, pastori Matthew, iranilaissyntyinen valokuvaaja Parham Yazdy ja hänen puolisonsa Hanna Hakio, sylissään Tanja Riikosen suloinen Amayavauva Kahvilan puolella vas. McGillin yliopiston syöpätutkija Matti Lahti piti seuraa New Delhistä kotoisin olevalle Shyesteh Mirille ja pelisuunnittelija Tuuli Saariselle, joka on valmistuttuaan Tampereen yliopistosta asunut Japanissakin 10