Finnish-Canadian Grand Festival

One of the highlights of the calendar year for Canadians of Finnish heritage is the annual Finnish-Canadian Grand Festival, already in its 63rd year. The Organizing Committee's Chairman, Veli Niinimaa, and the Calgary Finlandia Club assembled a fantastic program of activities, performances, competitions, exhibits, and entertainment in celebration of Finnish culture in Canada. The three-day festival was also timed so that travellers from all parts of Canada could take excursions to the Rocky Mountains and experience a bit of the Old West at the Calgary Stampede.

The Grand Festivals started in Sudbury, Ontario, in 1940 in order to raise funds and materials to help Finland in its war effort. Finnish communities throughout Canada host the festivals annually in order to continue Finnish cultural and sporting traditions, and to pass them on to younger generations. Celebrating cultural identity and history is important to all Canadians.

Highlights of the Grand Festival included a number of musical and theatrical performances. "The Sampo", performed by St. David's United Church in Calgary, was a delightful musical adaptation of the story behind "Kalevala", the national Finnish epic. The Toronto Finnish Theatre presented the Inkeri Kilpinen play "Dear Lotta", a look into the life of the dedicated Lotta-Svärd women volunteers, with great professionalism and love for the characters.

Besides a number of special guests and greetings from both Finnish and Canadian government ministries, the Official Program offered the opportunity for all the Finnish clubs across Canada to gather in traditional costumes, dance and song. On the lighter side, dances, workshops, art shows, children's programs and day camps, sales of arts & crafts, movies, sporting events, lectures, concerts, church services, and more were packed into the Canada Day holiday over the long weekend.

The Grand Festival got a fair amount of local media attention and made the front page of the weekend culture section of Calgary's largest daily newspaper. The reporter who covered the Grand Festival wrote about the "akankantokilpailu" and "saappaanheitto", and said that there were many culturally interesting things that Canadians could learn about Finland.

By Dwayne Weleschuk

December 02

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