Sisu anyone? by Jori Ballance

It was a cool rainy October day, many years ago. I remember taking shelter in an ancient grove of trees in British Columbia. The old giants that had lost their battle with the wind and elements were lying on their side amongst the ferns, soft green moss coated and comforted them and their fallen comrades.

The stillness was broken by the sound of water dripping from Old Man’s Beard into the puddles on either side of the muddy trail. The funky smell of decaying plant matter infused the moist salty sea breeze creating an elixir that involuntarily made a person inhale slowly and deeply. There was a faded, hand-painted sign that was nailed to an enormous fallen Sitka spruce that kindly stated the obvious, ‘We ask that you not use the trail in extreme weather conditions.’

Maple Ridge Museum, Searching for Finnish Heritage in Websters Corners By Dianne Kilback

Thanks to the covid-19 pandemic I had time on my hands to do some research on the history of Finnish Immigrants to British Columbia.  Searching the internet, I discovered the website for the Maple Ridge Museum.  I was happy to learn the museum had the history of Websters Corners in their archives.   Websters Corners was settled by Finnish people who left Sointula in the early 1900’s after a disastrous fire and differences of opinion in the community.  A group from Sointula founded a community in Websters Corners.  I was pleased to discover there was a book Maple Ridge: A History of Settlement at the Museum.  I contacted Val Patenaude, Director of the Museum and decided to buy some copies of the book.  The Museum has been closed due to Covid-19, but I was able to go and pick up the books through the door of the Museum.  There is a chapter on the Finnish People of Websters Corners.   

Here is a quote from that chapter that made me feel proud of my Finnish Heritage.