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The first Finnish immigrants to arrive in North America were part of a group of settlers who established the colony of New Sweden along the banks of the Delaware between 1641 and 1655. The number of immigrants was small and it was soon assimilated into the American mainstream.

Between 1835 and 1865 several hundred Finns settled in Alaska and many moved down the coast to B.C.(Sointula). Some early immigrants, in Ontario, worked on the construction of the first Welland Canal, which was completed in 1829. The 1986 census estimated that there were 40 565 residents of Finnish origin in Canada.

Finns had been immigrating to North America in large numbers prior to the First World War and continued to do so in the first decade of Finnish independence, primarily for economic reasons. Other reasons for the immigration included religious freedom and a desire to escape compulsory military service in the Russian army.

Canada became the main destination of emigrants from Finland in the 1920's when the U.S. established entry quotas. Finns immigrated to Canada again in large numbers (20 000) between 1950 and 1960, looking for better economic oppotunities than were available in postwar Finland. But since 1960 only a few Finns have immigrated to Canada.

Ontario and B.C. have attracted the largest numbers of Finnish immigrants. Finns settled in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste.Marie, Sudbury, Kirkland Lake and Timmins, Ontario. Before the First World War, some Finns settled in Toronto and their population there increased after the Second World War.

In Montreal Finns have had an active Finnish community since 1920's, but ony a few settled elsewhere in Quebec. In Alberta and Saskatchewan are also some smal Finnish communities. Finns have come to B.C. to work for the CPR, to log, and to farm.

Ulpa Pullekinen
AlF School 1989