Beginnings of Sointula: Finnish Settlers & Matti Kurikka
This is the first in a series of three blog posts exploring Sointula’s history, where we learn about why Finns came to Canada, and who was Matti Kurikka, a key figure in guiding the first settlers in Sointula. Later blog posts will look into the settlers who set up Sointula, and the first few years of the colony.
Ps: if you are visiting Sointula this summer, and watching history come to life check out Sointula History Plays.
Part 1: Why Finns Came to Canada and the Visionary Behind Sointula
Sointula has a unique history as a home for Finnish settlers and their descendants, with Finnish journalist Matti Kurikka playing an important role in the founding of Sointula. But why did Finns come to Canada? Who exactly was Matti Kurikka?
Why Did Finns Leave Finland?
Finland, the eccentric, quiet cousin of Scandinavia, is known for sauna, ice hockey, the Moomins, and sisu. It is less known that Finland has only been independent for just over one hundred years. Part of the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917, the oppression from Russian rule and rising conflict between Finnish and Russian nationalism caused many Finns to emigrate abroad for a better life. By 1900, some 300,000 Finns had emigrated worldwide.
Edvard Isto’s The Attack (1899), pictured on the left, is one of the most iconic political paintings in Finnish history. It shows a young woman, symbolizing Finland, defending a book marked Law from the claws of a Russian double-headed eagle. Painted in response to the 1899 February Manifesto, which threatened Finland’s autonomy, the image became a powerful symbol of resistance during the Russification period. Though authorities tried to suppress it, reproductions spread widely, turning the painting into a visual rallying cry for Finnish nationalism.
Canada: A New Home with Familiar Terrain
Canada was seen as an ideal place to settle in for many Finns due to some similarities in the climate and environment. Many Finns settled in locations where there were already other Finns. Being part of a community with a connection to home was clearly important to many Finnish settlers.
From Finland to Australia to British Columbia
Finnish journalist Matti Kurikka (1863-1915) was born in Tuutari, then part of Finland. He had progressive ideas, such as equality between men and women. He was the editor of Viipurin Sanomat (the newspaper of Vyborg) and later Työmies (The Worker), the labour movement’s leading newspaper. In 1899, Kurikka’s rejection of Marxism led him to resign as editor of Työmies.
During this time, Russification was happening in Finland, where Finns were forced to adopt Russian culture because of government policy. Due to Russification and his resignation from Työmies, Kurikka migrated to Queensland, Australia, with other like-minded Finns in 1899-1900. They intended to set up a colony of working people there. While this effort failed, Kurikka was later contacted by Finnish Canadian coalminers near Nanaimo, British Columbia, to become the President of the Kalevan Kansa. Guided by Kurikka, the Kalevan Kansa wanted to establish a “self-sustaining utopia” for Finns on Malcolm Island. This of course came to be Sointula.
Pictured above: Matti Kurikka and his first wife Anna Henriette Heikura. Sointula Museum Collection.
About the Author
This blog post was written by Anna Leppänen, the Sointula Museum’s first remote volunteer. Anna lives in Birmingham, UK, where she works as a museum learning officer. With Finnish parents, she grew up in London while spending summers in Finland and a few years studying in Helsinki. She has a special interest in the experiences of Finnish identity abroad and was excited to learn about Sointula’s unique history. Volunteering with the Museum has given her the opportunity to explore the stories of Finnish settlers in British Columbia and share them through this blog series.
Part 2 of this blog post series will explore why these pioneering Finnish Canadian coalminers wanted to establish Sointula. Click here to read the Part 2.