NEWSLETTER FOR FINNS IN THE OTTAWA AND MONTREAL REGIONS VOL. 22, NO. 61. Message from the Editor

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1 S uomalainen September 2015 edition NEWSLETTER FOR FINNS IN THE OTTAWA AND MONTREAL REGIONS VOL. 22, NO. 61 B M ontrealin Message from the Editor ack to school, back to fall, back to cooler weather. Once again, the carefree summertime has gone by like the blink of an eye. The warm weather allows us to spend more time outdoors, be more active, and many travel - especially back to Finland. It's time to shift the gear to more indoor living...and for many of us, packing lunches again and doing homework in the evenings. Working at UNESCO, I focus all summer on preparing our major launches for the September back-to-school stories. While our focus for this time of year is on children who are out of school across the world, global literacy rates and data on teachers, I continuously come across studies and articles praising the Finnish education system, teacher conditions and the high scores of Finnish students in international tests. Compared on an international scale, teachers in Finland are highly qualified and educated, children have more playtime and recess to aid in in-class learning, homework is at a very minimum focusing more on learning at school, and the entire education system is based on equality so that socio-economic conditions do not hinder a child's learning outcome. When you read enough about the Finnish example, it just seems like an educational euphoria. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I experienced this system versus student predicament here in Montreal. My child seemed to need extra help in school work, speech therapy and active encouragement in his learning, while still scoring low but passable grades in early schooling. A mold infestation in his school prompted me to change his school mid-way through the academic year a decision I did not take lightly and discussed the transition at length with the new school's principal. Much to my delight, this new, young, Italian-Canadian principal had studied the Finnish education at length and had already implemented several changes at the school. Not only was my son's transition without a glitch, his marks soared to high 90s. I was amazed. While I had been questioning HIS abilities to learn and on the lookout for learning disabilities, I realized that in the end it was the teaching method and structure that was hindering him.

2 These experiences made me realize once again that, given a chance in the right environment, every child can master skills and thrive. Sometimes we focus so much on the individual when it is the system that should be in question. I am convinced again, the Finns are onto something! Don't take just my word for it, check out the latest international test scores and you will see why the world is looking to Finland for answers in strained educational systems. And sometimes, just sometimes, you stumble across a gem and get the best bits of Finland even here over the Atlantic! Katja Frostell Editor HERKKUJA SUOMALAISEEN MAKUUN Turun Sinappia, Salmiakkia, Abban Silliä ja kalatahnoja, lakkahilloa, Kulta Katriina-kahvia, 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: Order your Christmas ham! New Finnish products: mustard whiskey herring The next issue of the newsletter will be published in January Please send material to kfrostell@hotmail.com 2

3 Suomi-Konferenssi kuoro kiersi Suomea Kuoro kokoontui Alajärvellä 14 pnä elokuuta ja seuraavana päivänä oli konsertti Alajärven kirkossa. Sitten oli toinen harjoittelupäivä ja konsertti Vaasan kirkossa. Kiertue jatkui Himankaan ja Suomussalmelle. Menimme Kolille missä kuuntelimme Jussi Makkosen sellokonsertin muodostuen Sibeliuksen teoksista. Nazig Azezian säesti pianolla. Tänä vuonna on kulunut 150 vuotta Jean Sibeliuksen syntymästä, mitä myös kuoromme juhli. Lauloimme hänen säveltämän virren "Soi Suomi-Konferenssikuoro lauloi Johanneksen kirkon portailla "Kalliolle kukkulalle" Kuva: Ismo Makkonen kunniaksi Luojan" konserteissamme. Vierailimme Tottesundin kartanossa, mikä on Vaasasta hieman pohjoiseen. Sibelius vietti siellä kesäpäiviä tutustuttuaan tulevaan vaimoonsa, Aino Järnefeltiin. Ainon ja Jeanin avioliitto siunattiin läheisessä Maksimaan kirkossa. Tullessamme Helsinkiin pysähdyimme Ainolassa, Sibeliuksen talossa, mikä on nyt museona. Se on alkuperäisessä kunnossa, koska tyttäret eivät asuneet talossa vanhempiensa kuoltua. Kolilta lähdettyään kuoro jatkoi konsertointia Leppävirralla, Imatralla, Langinkoskella ja Helsingissä Johanneksen kirkossa. Sinne saimme jälleen Sibeliuksen musiikkia esittämään Jussi Makkosen (sello) ja Ruusamari Tepon (piano), joka on sukua Sibeliukselle. Konserteissamme oli yleisöä ja saimme kiitoksia monipuolisesta ja energisestä ohjelmasta, minkä Terhi oli luonut ja meidät osaamme muovannut. Jukka Joensuun suku hoiti meitä jälleen hyvin. Aurinko paistoi joka päivä ja lämmintä riitti. Yövyimme useimmiten seurakuntien hyvin varustetuissa leirikeskuksissa. Saunominen ja uiminen maistui konserttien jälkeen. Montrealin porukasta olivat mukana Paul, Marja-Leena, Pirkko M, Tuula, Helen, Dominic, Eeva-Liisa ja Ismo. Iitu lauloi kanssamme Langinkosken ja Helsingin konserteissa. Ismo Makkonen 3

4 Barely Moved In Message from the Pastor There s always something daunting about unpacking and settling into a new place. When I was a kid, I hated moving the smell of unfamiliar rooms, the awkwardness of not knowing where things are and where they go, the fact that none of the memories associated with the space were my memories. Belonging is one of the strongest needs we human beings have. Moving means being, for a while at least, in a transitional time when we don t necessarily feel that we belong anywhere. That s a tough place to be. Staying comfortable in such a time requires a great deal of strength, some selfconfidence, faith and a sense of adventure. This is perhaps especially true when moving into someone else s space. Anyone who has moved in with a new partner faces this dilemma. You ask yourself: am I stepping figuratively on my partner s toes? How do I make a space my own when it s someone else s? How much room can I take up? Will I wear out my welcome? Is it possible to make changes? How will changes be received? In the last-moment, in June, just before closing the door on the church home, many of you members of St Michael s Finnish, and of the SuomiKoulu Montreal, managed to get boxes packed and, with great help from the Estonians, moved over to St John s Estonian church on Marcil in NDG. Thanks especially to Pirkko Monkare and a small group of volunteers, it was a mad flurry of packing, moving, putting things into the garbage and taking some things home. Then, suddenly,everything stopped. It was summer. Time for the cottage, the choir tour to Finland and holidays. And now it s September, and our boxes sit in the hall at the Estonian church. The Estonians have been far more than gracious with us. They ve given us keys. They ve welcomed us in, even though none of us really knows the schedule for the fall. They ve invited representatives from the Finnish church to meet with their council to help set services and times. We ll deal with that later is what we ve all thought to ourselves. We couldn t have hoped for a more flexible reception. Photo: Karl Raudsepp 4

5 Now it s up to us, also. The Finnish community in Montreal has moved before, and survived. We are much smaller now, and the church people older. There s less energy. But there are many ways to be a church. We need to remember that God s people Abraham and Sara, Jesus, Paul - were always sojourners, that is, people who were on the move. Giving up our space was not easy. But it will also be, we pray, an opportunity for new kinds of growth and change. Just being a Finn in Canada means that you are already a sojourner, a person who has gone through moves and changes. Every time, in such a change, we give up something, but we gain something more. May this transition to Marcil, like our other journeys, be a moment, despite the discomfort and questions, that ultimately we look back on and say: that was a very good move. Pastor Matthew OCTOBERFEST Fundraiser - 26 September 2015 at 6:00 pm St. John's German Lutheran Church 3594 Jeanne Mance, Montreal H2X 2K3 Premium draft beer, authentic sausage, European-style sauerkraut, dancing Advance tickets: $20 / Students: $10 / At door: $25 Includes one beverage, sausage and sauerkraut plate. Food served until 8:30 pm. Door prize from Bavaria Contact: Matthew Anderson FLOORBALL / SALIBANDY Come join the team which has been playing floorball in Montreal for over 10 years! 29 September: 3 on 3 floorball tournament at Cégep St. Laurent, 8:00-10:00 pm. It is organized especially for new players (male and female). October-March: Montreal Floorball League, Tuesday nights at Cégep St. Laurent. Mixed teams. 7-8 November: Celebration of 10 th year of the Montreal Open at Cégep St. Laurent. Elite and intermediate levels. 12 October-December: Every Saturday open floorball scrimmages at Cégep Bois de Boulogne, 1:30-3:30 pm. $10/session. Contact: Eero Piilokivi at orion_91@hotmail.com 5

6 St. Michael's Evangelical Finnish Lutheran Church / Pyhän Mikaelin Suomalainen Evankelisluterilainen Kirkko Hosted at St. John s Estonian Lutheran Church 4345 avenue Marcil Montreal, Quebec, H4A 2Z9 http: //montreal-lutheran.org/finnishchurch Montreal Lutheran Council: September Syyskuu 13 (Sunday) Service in Finnish with communion. Pr. Matti Terho Suomenkielinen Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus October Lokakuu 4 (Sunday) Thanksgiving Service and Communion with Estonians. Pr. Matthew Anderson Kiitospäivän Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus Eestiläisten kanssa Harvest luncheon "Meet and Greet" Lounas Thanksgiving service with communion in Ottawa. Pr. M. Terho Kiitospäivän Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus Ottawassa November Marraskuu 1 (Sunday) All Saints Service with communion. Pr. Matthew Anderson Pyhäinpäivän Ehtoollisjumalanpalelus 17 (Thursday) Old Brewery Mission: Sponsor and serve meal to the homeless Lahjoitus ja ruoan tarjoilu 29 (Sunday) Christmas carols in Ottawa Kauneimmat joululaulut Ottawassa December Joulukuu 6 (Sunday) Service with communion and Independence Day celebration Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus ja itsenäisyyspäiväjuhla. Pr. M. Anderson 13 (Sunday) Lessons and carols, luncheon with the Estonians Kauneimmat joululaulut ja luonas, Pr M. Anderson Musical afternoon with Estonians Christmas service in Ottawa. Pr. Matti Terho Joulujumalanpalvelus Ottawassa 25 (Friday) 9.00 Christmas service Joulujumalanpalvelu January 2016 Tammikuu 17 (Sunday) Mission Service with Communion. Pr. Matthew Anderson Lähetysjumalanpalvelus ja ehtoollinen February Helmikuu 7 (Sunday) Annual General Meeting Vuosikokous 28 (Sunday) Service with Communion and Kalevala celebration. Pr. M. Anderson Ehtoollisjumalanpalvelus ja Kalevala juhla Events in Ottawa take place at the St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 400 Sparks Street, Ottawa, K1R 5A2. Entrance through the side door from the parking lot. 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 Suomikoulu tarjoaa opetusta vauvamuskarista kouluikäisiin lapsiin. Ryhmäjako tehdään vuosittain lasten iän ja kielitaidon perusteella. Kokoonnumme lauantaiaamupäivisin noin kolmen viikon välein eestiläisellä kirkolla (St. John's Estonian Ev. Lutheran Church, 4345, av Marcil, Montréal, QC H4A 2Z9). Syyslukukausi 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 Estonian church (St. John's Estonian Ev. Lutheran Church, 4345, av Marcil, Montréal, QC H4A 2Z9) on Saturday mornings every three weeks or so. The Fall semester starts on 12 September New students can register by contacting the undersigned. Welcome! Syksyn koulukerrat ovat / Classes for fall semester (10:30 am-12:45 pm): 12. syyskuuta / September lokakuuta / October lokakuuta / October marraskuuta / November marraskuuta / November joulukuuta / December 5 Lisätietoja ja ilmoittautumiset/ More information and registration: Marja Coady: (514) / marjacoady@hotmail.com Elisa Pylkkänen: (514) / elisa.pylkkanen@mail.mcgill.ca Canadian Friends of Finland De Montréal Canadian Friends of Finland Fees are no longer charged for Canadian Friends of Finland (CFF) membership. All are welcome to join in community events throughout the year. 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 8

9 The Community Suomen kielen opettaja Maisa Suhonen ja Frida Rosenau-Suhonen työn touhussa kauneimpana kesäpäivänä suomalaisen kirjaston muutossa Doctor Penfieldin rakennuksesta lähdettäessä. Seremoniallisessa jäähyväisjuhlassa kesäkuussa piispan apulainen, pastori Riitta Hepomäki ja seurakuntamme pastori Matthew Anderson kiittäen hyvästelivät viisikymmentä vuotta palvelleen kirkkorakennuksen seinät. 9

10 Monthly Finnish Montreal dinners Dinners amongst Finns and friends of Finland are held in Montreal on a monthly basis. All are welcome! Invitations are sent out via Facebook or you can contact Ari Virtanen (arivirtanen66@hotmail.com) for more information. Next scheduled dinner evenings are: 2 October, 30 October and 27 November. Second Annual CCFC Golf Tournament Saturday, 26 September, 11:00 am-8:00 pm Club de golf Candiac 45 chemin d'auteuil, Candiac, J5R 2C8 For the second year, Chambre de Commerce Finno-Canadienne (CCFC) is hosting a friendly golf tournament for Finns and friends of Finland. Tournament fee is $59, including tax and cart. Previous golfing experience is not required. Various prizes will be given and winners' names plated on a trophy. Finnish monthly dinner in July at Katja Frostell's house For more information, contact Pasi Nurminen: pasi_k_nurminen@yahoo.com TOURNAMENT RULES: In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole. The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shots from that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed. Lowest score wins the tournament. Tie-breakers: 1. least putts 2. most birdies 3. most pars 4. fewest triple bogeys! DRESS CODE IN EFFECT -Golf Shirt with collar. No T-Shirt or similar -No jeans, Gym pants (Sweats) or camouflage. -No Pants Cargo type 3/4 long between the knee and the ankle -Golf shoes or flat sole shoes. 10