Kalervo Oberg, a Famous Son of Sointula
August Oberg was an original member of the Kalevan Kansa, a staunch supporter of Matti Kurikka and his utopian vision. As the treasurer and labour organizer for the colony he was a key member of the Board of Directors. Kalervo was born in January, 1901 when the family lived in Nanaimo so would have arrived in Sointula as a toddler in early 1902. Tragedy struck in January 1903 when the communal building caught fire. The two Oberg daughters, Kalervo’s sisters, were among the eleven who died in the flames. The Oberg family’s plight is described in Paula Wild’s book, Sointula, Island Utopia:
