by island hopping, day 3 Sointula
After our Quadra Island visit on day 2, we returned to Campbell River and headed north about 250 km. along a very good highway lined with forests, mountains, glimpses of lakes and ocean inlets but with very little population. Our destination was Port McNeill, but our accommodation was about a ten minutes drive beyond at a seaside campground, in a one bedroom log cabin. Though we knew that every cabin was full we were surprised by all the motorhomes and campers in the campsites. As we’d had great difficulty finding accommodation for four in town even a few weeks in advance, we surmised that there must be a lot of workers living in all the hotels, motels, and campgrounds in the area because of a lack of housing. We’d also been told that it was a popular fishing season for tourists as well.
Anyway, the cabin though tiny was rather cute with a loft meant for kids (husband slept up there the second night because of our awful hide-a-bed). I enjoyed watching and hearing the sea birds along the estuary, and the view across to Malcolm Island, with its lighthouse. We actually spent little time here, only to sleep two nights and make our own breakfasts and packed lunches for our outings. Dinners in town were very good.
Day Three was a full one with two very different destinations on two islands accessible by ferry from Port McNeill: Sointula on Malcolm Island and Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. I will write about Sointula first.
One of many old boathouses sitting partly over the shores, evidence of an early fishing community
Sointula has long interested me because of its early Finnish community. Sointula, Finnish for “place of harmony,” was settled by Finnish workers in the beginning of the 1900’s, as a co-operative community of utopian socialists led by Matti Kurikka. Eventually it failed with many Finns leaving for other parts of BC, yet many stayed. Some of their descendants are still living here. Please read more about their history here.
After a little drive around the old village, we headed for the Sointula Museum which offers a unique educational experience. Its collection includes artifacts, publications and photographs specific to the development of this community from a Finnish socialist commune to the quiet village of today. The 100-year history of the settlement from its utopian beginnings involves the development of socialist thought in Canada and the building of the commercial fishing industry, unions and cooperative economic structures.
At the museum we met Sue, the lively and informative manager with whom I spent most of our time there chatting. She said this building was the former schoolhouse which she’d attended as a child. The teacher was her English mother and she had a Finnish father. The museum is full of old objects from the lives of the islanders. I barely had time to see it all while husband and our visitors did. I especially loved the loom, so like the one we had in our home on loan for a few years when I was in my late teens. My mother wove a few things, I made a rag rug now long worn out.
As Sue said, most visitors find many of the admittedly worn and shabby things brought back memories of our elders. I don’t mean to be unkind, but I believe the museum really does need a lot of help and perhaps more space in organizing things in a more presentable way for it seemed too much like a junk shop. It must be difficult to find that help in this tiny remote village. For me, the personal contact with Sue was most heartwarming.
Because this was Monday, the bakery in town was closed to my husband’s extreme disappointment for he had been looking forward to some Finnish pulla. The Co-op store, the first of its kind in Canada was also closed. We went for a drive around the island, passing some newer homes and marinas, signs of perhaps vacation or retirement homes in some cases. On the east side of the island is a large campground and lovely views east to mainland BC.
Sointula was preparing for an exciting conference just a week or so later, called Culture Shock: Utopian Dreams, Hard Realities. And most exciting was that a Finnish musical theatre group was coming! Do check out this link to an excellent story and video by CBC. Wish I could have been there.
More about Sointula in Crawford Kilian’s articles in the Tyee : In Sointula, Survival of the Finnish, Radical Finns Persevere off BC coast. And Kilian’s own blog called Sointula.
Added November 1st: After Jean mentioned a Finnish Utopian society in Brazil in comments in another post, I searched and found a list of Finnish Utopian communes around the world – fascinating. Sointula seems to have had the largest population except for one in Karelia, next door to Finland.
Added November 4th: I have only recently come across the blog associated with the Suomi-Seura organization for Finnish expatriates to which I belong. It is called Kotisi Mailmalla (Your Home in the World). In it is a wonderful post about one person’s weekend visit to Sointula’s Utopia conference. In Finnish only, sorry.
October 12, 2013 in Canada and BC, Finland, Estonia & Finno-Ugric, History, Travel by Marja-Leena
You’re right that there doesn’t appear to be enough space for that wonderful old loom. My dear friend Inger used to have a similar one – no metal at all and heddles made of string. I was more proficient working on her smaller leClerq looms but helping her set up warps on the big one was a great experience.
The pictures are wonderful. Before we came here I did have an urge to move to the northern BC islands but that was just a step too far away from our son who still lives on the US east coast.
Susan, setting up the warp threads was hard and careful work, I remember. Also the cutting up of good old clothes and leftover fabrics from sewing into strips rolled into balls for making rag rugs. Still, there is something so very rich and satisfying in using a loom, isn’t there?
I understand very well that you would want to be closer to your son. I hope you are able to see him often. We are lucky to have our children no more than five hours away and one quite near.
Marja-Leena,
I didn’t know that they’ve attempted of having a museum. They should collect money and set it up. It’s part of the area’s settlement history, after all!
So you saw the theatre, the Finnish performance? How did you like it? I’ve hear off and on in the radio of making it.
About the looms: usually the looms were in big tupa, a room with fireplace and wood stove and all, and it would be having enough of space. It’s the biggest room in a small farmer’s house. And the fireplace is in the heart of the house, center, not on side wall, where it doesn’t warm up the whole house.
My both grandmother’s had looms, mother’s mother had it in the side building, place where the farm’s grain seed was kept, upstairs, so she used them usually from early Spring to late Fall. My father’s mother had them upstairs in the biggest bed room, which was planned for women’s work room. Neither of them have been used for decades anymore, unfortunately. I’ve made several rugs myself when living in country side.
Men worked in forestry work, to earn extra money for the family, women took care of the cattle.
Once again, a fascinating glimpse into your travels. The second picture reminds me very much of our early days travelling around France, and one of us would say to the other, “In need of a little renovation.” That comment of course was one that property sellers used from time to time for dilapidated properties. The picture you showed, however, seems to be a very painterly subject.
Tom, I see you thought you were having trouble commenting but I got all three of them. Glad to see you here! Oh yes, there were many places “in need of renovation” though I think these boathouses may be there as heritage sites.
Aren’t we odd when we love to look and capture these but would be horrified if our property was in this state. Same for rust, worn stones, and so one. All for art! I will be posting more such photos in ‘Photoworks’.
Marja-Leena!
I’m very sad that you didn’t get to see the play. I did listen in radio, how the play was developing. And as they all are young actors, they would fit perfectly well in the story of Sointula.
It is quite a treasure in general you have in those islands. Last that I heard, Michael Ondaatje was living on one of the islands, I forgot which one.
Very good that Alice Munro got this year’s Nobel. My betting line was: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje. Any one would’ve been good, great writers everyone.
I is amazing that the theatre bunch managed to get money for the trip over there. Not a very usual story in these days of tight money, especially for the culture, these days.
I hope you’re starting to be well!
Ripsa, yes, it is amazing how that group managed to raise the funds. Sointula’s residents were very excited. The ladies at the bakery had been working like mad to bake enough for all the guests. They were being billeted in many homes too.
It is absolutely marvelous that Munro got the Nobel for Literature, especially for the short story form, and being a woman. There are so many great writers here who have won many prizes. Good for Canada! (I didn’t know Ondaatje is living somewhere on our coast though that doesn’t surprise me.)
Kiitos! I’m fairly well now.
Hei Ripsa! Oh, this is the museum and they do get some grants, I think, but they need more space, glass display cases and manpower. It certainly is the history of Sointula.
No, we didn’t see the performance because we were there the week before. Our visitors’ schedule was such that they had to fly south just before the conference. And which was also sold out weeks before! Did you look at the link about that Finnish group? It is from CBC (like your YLE) and quite well done. Great to hear some Finnish accented English. It’s an amazing story.
Your description of the Finnish farm house is exactly like that of my maternal grandparents’ home in Savo!
Am very glad that I have a mother with a loom! (And get the benefit of her productions…)
That was really interesting. Never thought of such a place existing! New York was full of late nineteenth-century Utopian communities, but I hadn’t thought about them all the way on the other edge of the continent and up north.
Poking around that crowded, jumbled museum must have been fun. (I sort of enjoy that sort of homemade air in a museum, but they do need more.)
Marly, lucky you indeed having a weaver-mother! I’ve probably mentioned a great aunt and other aunts in Finland who were weavers and whose works I treasure.
Finns making their halfway around the world was quite something back then. I didn’t know Utopian communities were that common anywhere in North America in that time. Fun to learn all this.
I wish I’d had more time to poke around but did enjoy the informative chat with Sue, and even got the names of some Finnish weavers living not far from us who make rag rugs, whom I hope to contact soon. Husband took quite a lot of photos with his iPhone so I may snitch some of those to post later. Must go back to Sointula again.
Imagine such a place at that time! I’m so thrilled to think of it. We really have to explore North America more. How did these Finns interact with their First Nations neighbors, I wonder?
Hattie, there must be many other old communities of many ethnicities in the New World like this and interesting ones too. I learned of one old Finnish community in Saskatchewan that was still using the older Finnish language from the late 1800’s which a visiting itinerant pastor from Finland in the 1960’s had trouble understanding.
Good question on the First Nations relations. I’m not sure of the answer but I would think if it was very bad the Europeans would have left. Much of the island is still First Nations land.
Must go now – today is Thanksgiving (Canadian) and our youngest daughter is doing dinner for us.
Whee! I can get back on again… Glad the glitch is gone.
Yes, handwoven work is so special and beautiful. My mother has grand color/design sense, and I love her work.
On the Utopian front, here’s a short list of some notable ones, mostly on the other side of the continent: http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/5-19th-century-utopian-communities-in-the-united-states I picked this one because the compiler put in Hawthorne and Brook Farm (and mentioned it as a source for “The Blithedale Romance”) as well as Bronson Alcott.
Marly, hope that commenting glitch will stay away!
Thanks for the link – fascinating how many there were. Some of the communities didn’t last very long at all. I didn’t know Louisa May Alcott came from such a group.