Sisu Runs Deep in Sointula

By Paula Wild

Finns are noted for their sisu - a combination of self-reliance and fortitude - and it is this strength of character that created and sustains the unique community of Sointula.

Sointula is located on Malcolm Island, which lies between Broughton Strait and the southern tip of Queen Charlotte Strait not far from the northeast corner of Vancouver Island. In 1846 this long, narrow piece of land was named in honor of Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm of the Royal Navy. Fifty-five years later a group of socialist Finns established a utopian commune there.

Finns began immigrating to Canada around 1882 and by the end of the century many had settled on Vancouver Island where they found work in the Dunsmuir coalmines. They were seeking a life free from the oppressive Russian government and the high taxation of the church in Finland but found work in the mines dangerous and life above ground dismal. In 1900 a group of Nanaimo Finns asked Matti Kurikka, a Finnish idealist, to come to Canada and help them establish a utopian society.

Matti Kurikka was a tall man with thick, black hair and blazing dark eyes. He was eloquent, charismatic and passionate and easily convinced others to support his schemes. Under Kurikka’s guidance the Finns formed the Kalevan Kansa Colonization Company and chose Malcolm Island as the site for their utopia.

On December 15, 1901 the first group of five Finns sailed to Malcolm Island. They were not the first to set foot on the island, however. The Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations had visited the island on a seasonal basis to pick berries, fish and harvest clams and, in the early 1880s, several European settlers pre-empted land but none remained for long. In 1895 the Christian Temperance Commonwealth Society attempted to establish a commune on the island but soon abandoned the project.

By June of 1902 there were over 100 Finns on Malcolm Island. They agreed that everyone would work for the good of all, and that women would have the same rights as men. The settlement was named Sointula, the Finnish word for harmony. To promote membership in the colony the Finns started the Aika, the first printed Finnish newspaper in Canada.

The Aika was distributed worldwide and described a thriving community. The reality, however, was a heavily forested island being labouriously cleared by hand. Everyone was willing to work, but many were tailors, shoemakers and poets, unskilled in falling trees, constructing buildings or farming. While the settlers struggled to clear the land, Kurikka wrote articles for the Aika. Among these was a series promoting the emancipation of women. Kurikka believed that women should be able to vote and own property the same as men and that they should also be have the freedom to take a lover or bear a child out of wedlock. Kurikka’s views caused much dissension both on and off the island.

The fall of 1902 there were over 200 people living on the island. A three story communal building was erected to alleviate the housing problem but early in 1903 it burnt down. The fire also killed eleven colonists and destroyed much of the commune’s supplies. In an effort to raise funds, Kurikka bid on contracts to build the Seymour and Capilano River bridges on the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The Finns were awarded the contract but it was grossly underbid and they ended up losing money on the venture. When the weary crew returned to the island in the fall of 1904, the frustrations of poverty and wasted hard work boiled over and free love became the focal point.

Kurikka’s greatest opponent regarding the status of women was his former best friend, Austin Mäkelä. Their friendship had foundered over Kurikka’s impractical ideals and Mäkelä’s Marxist leanings. To compound matters, Mäkelä held Kurikka responsible for the break up of his marriage. The discord between the two men divided the community and, in October 1904, Kurikka left the commune taking approximately half the settlers with him. The remaining Finns struggled on under Mäkelä’s leadership and, in May 1905, the Kalevan Kansa Colonization Company was dissolved.

Still determined to create a good life for themselves, the Finns that remained on Malcolm Island became involved in the fishing and logging industries. Sointula became one of the most prosperous fishing villages on the West Coast and, at one time, the island boasted nine boatyards. In 1931 Laurie Jarvis revolutionized the fishing industry by inventing a drum to roll nets on and off gillnet fish boats. Before the drum fishermen had to maneuver the heavy and cumbersome fishing nets by hand. A few years later, another Sointula fisherman, Ted Davidson converted Jarvis’ drum to use on seine boats.

Even though Sointula was physically removed from mainstream events the Finns didn’t let that stop them from being politically active. They formed their own chapter of the Finnish Organization of Canada and were instrumental in the formation of labour unions for the fishing and logging industries. The majority of Sointula Finns were also socialists and, for a time, Sointula had the reputation as a “hotbed of communism.”

As well as being hard workers the Finns also knew how to have fun. Dances and plays at the hall were weekly events and athletic drills and courses on public speaking and bookkeeping were held on a regular basis. The Sointula Co-op was formed in 1909 and for many years was the governing body on the island. Everyone looked forward to the Co-op annual general meeting, a full day of discussions interspersed by meals known as the “eating meetings.”

For close to seven decades the residents of Malcolm Island lived a relatively insular life, united by a common language, heritage and ideals. Then in the late 1960s a new group of people discovered the island. The newcomers were predominantly from larger urban centres of Canada and the United States and, although they were of varying ages and backgrounds, most shared a common goal - a simple, self-sufficient lifestyle. The long hair and outlandish clothes worn by the young, hippies caused a few conflicts but those that were serious about their ideals were eventually accepted as members of the community.

It is estimated that over 2,000 Finns visited Sointula during its four-year utopia; today, approximately 700 people reside on the island. The Sointula Co-op, the longest continuing operating co-op in Canada, remains the heart of the community and the nearby Finnish Organization Hall continues to be used for meetings, dances and weddings. Weather beaten boat sheds line the beaches, their bleached gray boards a contrast to the lush green foliage of the forest and the wild roses and honeysuckle that cover them in the summer.

In the 1990s drastic changes in the logging and fishing industries altered the economic structure of the island. But those who live on Malcolm Island have weathered change before and a strong sense of that Finnish sisu still runs deep. New island endeavours include the Malcolm Island Shellfish Co-op and the Wild Island Foods Co-op and, to accommodate visitors, numerous B & B’s, cottages and private campgrounds have opened. For those seeking a more remote experience, Bere Point Regional Park on the north shore of the island features eight campsites and is a good spot to watch killer whales and eagles.

Kayaking, cycling and sports fishing are popular activities, as is visiting the Pulteney Point Light Station. The museum, art galleries and many historic buildings and the cemetery are all within walking distance of the ferry. Two new trails – the Beautiful Bay Trail and Mateoja’s Heritage Trail – explore a shaded rainforest and the varied ecosystems of the island. An arts and crafts festival is held every November.