Ulkosuomalaisparlamentti

Arvoisat lukijat,
The last two USP / FEP, Canada Region, Annual General Meetings were held in conjunction with Finnish-Canadian Grand Festivals organized in Toronto and Thunder Bay. Both festivals had a full program of cultural events, and included USP / FEP (Finnish Expatriate Parliament) information meetings and KSK (Finnish-Canadian Cultural Federation) annual meetings.
The 2016 USP AGM supported four initiatives for the 2017 Congress. They are:
1. Ending USP memberships with the cessation of club activities within 2-5 years of no activity.
2. USP awards be produced and awarded when funding is available
3. Finnish citizenship be made available to the third generation of expatriate Finns
4. Role of observers at the USP Congress be broadened and defined.
Numerous events have been held or planned thus far to celebrate 100 years of Finnish
Independence in 2017. A few examples are listed below:
a. Thunder Bayn Pelimannit will tour Finland in July 2017. Monthly videos of Finnish plays will be
shown in the Labour Temple.
b. Vancouver – numerous activities listed at http://Finland100vancouver.com
c. Edmonton – held Rajaton and Sibelius concerts with Edmonton Sympony Orchesta, including
backstage tour, Pre-concert reception and Symphony Preludes.
d. Winnipeg – three brunches commemorating JL. Runeberg, Minna Canth and Finnish heritage.
The final celebration will be a gala dinner on December 9, 2017.
e. Montréal – the celebrations consist of Vappurieha, Juhannus picnic, films and speakers.
Reception, dinner and dance on Dec. 9.
f. Toronto – concert Feb 5, skating with NHL stars, Finnish movie series and a gala dinner Dec. 3.
Toronto Finnish Theatre Co. has a special customized program of poetry.
g. Sudbury – will host the Finnish-Canadian Grand Festival on June 16-18.
h. Sault Ste. Marie Resthome Society will have a Juhannus party. The Finnish community will
have a Canada 150 – Finland 100 float on July 1. Independence celebrations will be held in Dec.
i. Ottawa – Suomi 100 concert with Emily Losier and Aude Urbancic on April 22.
j. Halifax – Finlandia Club of Nova Scotia will host a centennial Christmas dinner on Dec. 9.
At least six Finnish-Canadian books have been / will be published during this centennial year.
The Finns at Trochu by Shirley Adam, Trochu, AB. Already published.
In the Shadows of a gas Plant by Burt Rairamo, Toronto. Already published.
Rooting for Food by Raili Garth and Kaarina Brooks. Already published.
From Lumber Camps to Corporate Corridors – Finns in the Toronto area by Irina Ilmokari. In print.
Boy from Karelia by Kaarina Brooks, based on WW II memoirs by Väinö Leskinen. In print.
Accomplished Finnish-Canadians by Veli Niinimaa. Expected publication date - November 2017.
The Chairman and the Vice Chairman have submitted the names and accomplishments of 16 candidates for Suomi-Seura ry awards. There are still many more outstanding Finnish-Canadians who have contributed to maintaining Finnish culture in Canada. Their names will be submitted in the fall.
1/2
The centennial projects should be registered with: http://suomifinland100.fi/tehdaan-yhdessa/hae-mukaan/. Suomi-Seura ry celebrates with expatriates. Their information can be found at: http://suomifinland100.fi/project/suomi-100-maailmalla/?lang=en
The centennial festivities will also include Paavo Nurmi 120, Canada 150, Reformation 500 and Karelia 1000 years celebrations.
Communication with member organizations has been active during the last year. Notices and information have been e-mailed to members on as needed basis, and an English summary of Sutinat has been sent monthly to all clubs and many individuals.
Vice-Chairman Maarit Koivunen has set up a closed discussion group: “finnish expatriate parliament canada region”.
All key information regarding USP / FEP activities posted at www.usp.fi -> regions -> Canada.
Information meetings were organized in Montréal, Toronto, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and one was planned for Vancouver Grand Festival in 2018. That location will now change. Many thanks to
the local organizers for their much appreciated help.

For the 2017-2020 period, the focus should be in the following areas:
1. Support Finnish-Canadian Cultural Federation’s (KSK/FCCF) Grand Festivals by organizing USP/FEP AGM at the Grand Festivals.
2. Increase information passage to a larger number of Finnish-Canadians by increasing the number of USP/FEP member organizations. The present membership is 61 organizations, but there are some 20 organizations in Canada that are not yet members. A few will not join because of various reasons of principle, but perhaps 10 or so will consider joining.
3. Maintain e-mail communication with member organizations and the most active individuals, e.g. those who represent non-member groups or attend USP/FEP sessions.
4. Provide an English translation of Sutinat so that non-readers of Finnish, mainly the younger second or third generation Finnish-Canadians, have an opportunity to read Finnish news regarding expatriates.
5. Suggestions for the publication and distribution of Sutinat, recognizing that it is a very good communication tool for expatriate Finns worldwide:
a. The Finnish language used in the publication be “Selkosuomi” as much as possible so that those who emigrated decades, if not more than half a century ago, and those who were born and grew up outside of Finland, can maintain and understand the Finnish
language used in the newsletter.
b. That Sutinat will be aimed as a communication tool also to individuals rather than
exclusively with member organizations.
c. The goal be set at reaching half a million expatriate Finns. That would be close to 1/3
of all expatriate Finns.
d. Use also one or two alternate communication routes (persons) to reach all
organizations.
6. USP / FEP Canada Region continues to look for solutions on how to improve the quality of expatriate life and the functioning of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament. This is facilitated by collecting and submitting initiatives to the 2020 USP / FEP session.
7. USP / FEP Canada Region continues to build pride among Finnish-Canadians by recommending and publicizing worthy candidates for appopriate awards.

Many thanks are also due to the Finnish-Canadian media, which has publicized USP / FEP
information widely and often.
The next AGM will be planned for the 2018 Finnish-Canadian Grand Festival, location TBA.


Veli Niinimaa
Chairman
Canada Region


* Sivun alkuun


Ulkosuomalaisparlamentin pysyvä sihteeristö / Utlandsfinländarparlamentets permanenta sekretariat
/ Permanent Secretariat of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament
SUOMI-SEURA RY - FINLAND-SAMFUNDET - FINLAND SOCIETY
Mariankatu 8, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Tel: +358-(0)9-684 1210, Fax: +358-(0)9-684 121 40
E-mail: info@usp.fi

Päivitetty: 22.6.17 Webmaster