News & Events

  

Anderson Farm Fall Fair September 21 in Lively on Municipal Rd 24

 
The Society will have a table at the Anderson Farm Fall Fair to show some of the photographs of Finnish History and have for sale 
 
some of the books that have been published.  The members at the table will also accept memberships to the Society at the nominal 
 
price of five dollars per year. 
 

 

80th Anniversary Meeting 

 

 
The April 28th meeting was highlighted with the unveiling of our display cabinet in the Falconbridge Room which is now a repository 
 for the archives.  It was also the 80th anniversary of our Society which was established in 1944.
 
Our longtime member, Ethel Fournier-Haapala, was presented with a plaque showing our appreciation of her years of service to the Society.  She was also presented with a certificate that awarded her with an Honorary Membership.
 
At the Mayfair event at Finlandia the Society had a table at which we had two gift baskets for a raffle plus the Finns in the Inco 
Triangle and Enterprising Finns books.
 
   80th Anniversary Cake
 
 
   David Munch addressing the FCHS membership
 
 
    Presentation ofPlaque & Certificate to Ethel Fournier-Haapala  
 

Mayfair

 
 
    Hilka Helen Makela, Shirley Tye & Elsie Stevenson at gift table
  Gift Baskets Raffle
   Arja Makinen in her Finnish Dress
 
 
  
 
 
Website Updates
 

An updated Burials Database as of  September 10, 2024 has been substituted for the previous version. An Excel spreadsheet for all the records is in the Gallery (if you click on the Gallery Link and get a {Misdirected Request} message click on the back button on the menu bar and click on the Gallery Link again) to download and a PDF version is also available in the Gallery for viewing - A great amount of editing has been done to the database since the update in February, 2022. Many of the records only showed the source as a page number for the obituary in the Sudbury Star publications. During the summer of 2023 the obituaries were found on the microfilms of the Sudbury Star, which are located at the Sudbury Public Library on McKenzie Street. The additional information from these obituaries has been added to the database. Also, another column (Death Location) has been added to the database and as this information is found, it is added to the database. 

Thanks to Kari Squarzolo who has photographed many of the gravemarkers and when a grave marker has been sourced, it is marked with Kari S. to acknowledge her contribution.

 

During the last few months information from current obituaries and information from the 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950 death certificates has also been added. The Society has over 9,300 entries consisting of  digital  and paper obituaries, stories and death certificates of Finns downloaded from the Ontario Archives for the years 1904 to 1950. These can be obtained by contacting Marty Neva at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Meeting Dates

With the lifting of COVID protocols, we have recommenced monthly meeting at Finlandia in the Impola Meeting room just inside the entrance to the Finlandia Koti Apartment building. Our next meeting is on September 29th, 2024 at 1pm. As noted in other pages we do not have meetings during the months of June, July and August.
To the members who are not feeling the best these days, please know that you are missed at our gatherings, and continually wished the very best possible, each and every day. 

 


 


 

 




 





Little Penage History

 

This historical writeup about Little Penage was written in Finnish by K. Suutarinen after 1941 as that is the most recent date mentioned in the history.  It was translated by Norma Kauppi & Eila Koski in October, 2014. The original is in the archives of the Finnish Canadian Historical Society, Sudbury.
 

Little Penage (previously Trout Lake) is located in Louise and Dieppe Townships in the area of Sudbury, some eight miles south of Whitefish, which is on Highway #17.
 

The first settlers in the area came here around the time of the First World War. Habitation is mostly on the shores of this lake, which is about one mile long and a little more than a half a mile wide. Residents, which in the beginning were all Finnish were: _. Kauhanen, K. Salminen and Otto Kannakko. Then in 1917, from Toronto, came Matti Kannakko and a little later his brother Aapo. During the same period also settled John Laine, V. Putila, A. Kauhanen and his brother. Some years later also Hjalmar Holmstedt. About the year 1930, at the time of the great depression, permanently moved here A.G. Asiala, and Urho Nurmi, plus also Bruno Tenhunen (who truly has not permanently resided), but is even now living in the area. Also, for many years lived with his brother Hugo, a talented blacksmith.
 

In those times also lived here Onni Hakkinen, J Ahlquist, Elis Kallio, Hugo Niittynen, Reinhold Pehkonen, Heikki Saxberg, Nestori Pietila, K. Suutarinen, Ilmari Makela and Eino Puiras. Later arrivals were K. Tarvainen, Kusti Salminen, Vili Vickman, A. Pigert(?), _. Kuosmanen and Vili Sandberg. Long time owners of homes also were Otto Salo, Einari Kolari, J. Storberg as well as many others whose names this writer does not know. Also Antti Ranta who at this time is a permanent resident. They were depression time arrivals.
 

Also owning places here are two Aimo Makis, F(rank) Tommila, Jack Maki, Mauno Passi, and Mrs. A. Tuuri. Now a days many places are owned by other nationalities, but most, none the less, are Finnish. At one time it could have been said that hardly another settlement of this size could be found in all of Canada with more Finnish saunas than here!
 

In the beginning, life was not easy.  All supplies had to be carried on backs for many miles. Truly, fish and the forest’s game were plentiful, but the game warden came into the picture. One day when he caught Mrs. Salminen taking fish from her net, which was illegal business, he asked her: “Have you a permit?” Replied Mrs: “There runs one; there, two; and there, three!” The good-natured warden left the matter there, for he knew the group of children needed food.
 

During the depression, population growth in the area was at its peak and there was a lot of social activity among the Finns. They were however divided into two groups. One was the Farmer’s Association, which built a community hall. It unfortunately was hit by lightening and burned in 1941.
 

The other group of Finns built a dance platform, but even that disappeared due to the improved employment situation. During the time of the Finnish Winter War, joint coffee socials were held, but after that there were no further joint ventures.
 

As there was no mail delivery service from Whitefish, and since the two groups couldn’t agree, one person from each group went separately to collect the mail, (taking turns within their groups). At this writing, mail is delivered daily.
 

(signed) K. Suutarinen