Dr. Veli Niinimaa, Ph.D., was born in Revonlahti, Finland and immigrated to Toronto with his family at the age of 14 in 1964. After completing his high school education, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a BPHE (‘73), M.Sc. ('76) and Ph.D. ('79) in exercise physiology. He taught at the Universities of New Brunswick and Calgary for four years. Veli's sport career began in 1973 when he joined the University of Toronto cross-country ski team and coached it for the following five years. His organizational skills were tested when the home team hosted the annual inter-university competitions in Midland, ON. He arranged the race details, coached the team, raced, and even won a medal a few times. In 1978 Veli started in biathlon at a race at the Kitchener Pioneer Range.
Canadian Friends of Finland, Vancouver
Discover the world of Finnish films, books, music and art through special events, film afternoons and lectures. Enjoy films and books from the library at the Scandinavian Community Centre in Burnaby, BC. Please become a member.
Monday, May 30, 2022
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Notice of Annual General Meeting - Friday, Dec 17, 2021
CANADIAN FRIENDS OF FINLAND
Notice of Annual General Meeting
TAKE NOTICE: The Annual General Meeting of Canadian Friends of Finland will take place at the Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby on Friday December 17, 2021 at 2:00pm to:
1) Consider the Reports of the Directors to the members.
2) Consider the Financial Statement for the fiscal year ended 14th of June 2021.
3) Elect Directors for the coming year
4) Transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.
Masks and proof of vaccination required to attend CFF AGM
Dated 10th November 2021
By the order of the Board of Directors of CFF.
Dianne Kilback, President
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Maple Ridge Museum, Searching for Finnish Heritage in Websters Corners By Dianne Kilback
Here is a quote from that chapter that made me feel proud of my Finnish Heritage.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Operation Ankka - This is a story about a duck. By Geoff Ballance
This first appeared in print in the Canadian Friends of Finland Spring
2020 Newsletter
As is often the case with duck stories, it begins on a cool, misty summer morning by a lake in Finland. My partner Christina and I had been staying at her cousin Tapani's kesämöki, exploring the lake and surrounding countryside. Perched at the end of a small peninsula, the cottage is situated in the ideal location to enjoy the unavoidable peace and tranquility of rural eastern Finland. But alas, our time here had come to an end. It was time to head back to Canada.
I grabbed our bags, threw on my jacket and stepped outside. The faded wooden deck was slowly being painted a polka-dot motif as light rain began to fall. I filled my lungs with cool pine-scented air that crept up from the lake and across the moss-covered forest floor.
Biography: Hulda Wilhelmina Gröhn (Lindgren)
By Dianne Kilback
Hulda Wilhelmina Lindgren was born March 30, 1892 in a village called Myllymäki in Finland. The village was on the shore of a small lake. She was the second oldest of ten children. Shortly after she was born, the family moved to a place called Salmi, about 50 kilometres from Helsinki. The Lindgren family made their living farming and fishing.
Hulda, being one of the older children, helped her father mend and make nets for fishing and sold fish from a market stall in Helsinki. When the oldest son left for America at age seventeen, she also helped with shoeing the horses, a chore her brother normally performed.
Back from the dead: World's oldest Saimaa ringed seal sighted after 28 years
Canadian Friends of Finland Spring
2020 Newsletter
News from Finland Source: Yle-Uutiset
Bottom of For
Venla was first sighted at the end of April and again in May
A rare Saimaa ringed
seal long thought to be dead has been sighted in the southern Saimaa region in
southeast Finland. According to WWF Finland regional head Ismo Marttinen, Venla was photographed in the area in late
April 2020.
"When Venla was transferred to southern Saimaa, she was estimated to be at least five years old. That means she is now at least 33 years old. That makes Venla the oldest surviving Saimaa ringed seal," Marttinen said.
Venla’s habitat is now part of the Taipalsaari municipality. She was also sighted after May Day and the most recent photos of her are from May. She has given birth to many pups during the 28 years she spent in southern Saimaa and still seems to be full of life.
Conservationists suspected that Venla may have left the area or died when no confirmed sightings of her were reported for some time.
"It’s known that seals do live long. The default for a Saimaa seal is more than 30 years," Marttinen observed.