Finnish Labour Temple
finnish labour temple also known big finn hall finlandia club finnishcanadian cultural community centre finn hall local landmark located bay street finnish quarter thunder bay ontario built finnish labour temple one point one largest worker hall canada addition centre finnish cultural political life northwestern ontario hall housed historic hoito restaurant museum featured large stage dance floor hall well meeting room various group finnish labour temple served one main location bay street film festival construction finnish labour temple initiated two organization finnishamerican worker league imatra uusi yritys new attempt temperance society formed finnish building company lot hall purchased socialist local june blueprint hall already prepared early december architect cw wheeler building opened door public march holding three consecutive day opening ceremony inscription top building read labor omnia vincet meaning labour conquers already hall referred port arthur finnish socialist local temple socialist local become majority share holder hall connected port arthur branch socialist party canada temperance society basically become committee socialist local december however foreign language local socialist party expelled party new organization called finnish socialist organization canada formed became affiliated social democratic party canada january first annual meeting finnish building company membership voted rent downstairs hall finnish publishing company occupied basement summer moved building next door note first finnishcanadian newspaper työkansa working people published finnish publishing company basement hall also housed several cooperative restaurant billiards room september – trade labour congress canada held annual convention finnish labour temple complementing industry thrift cooperative spirit finnish community commemorative booklet given convention delegate first world war foreignlanguage affiliate social democratic party declared illegal canadian government led many difficulty several finnishlanguage newspaper banned leading organizer arrested time many finnish worker joined rapidly emerging one big union regional support group became majority share holder finnish building company split occurred one big union national convention held finnish labour temple split essentially two different faction finnish socialist believed working class needed political arm finnish syndicalist felt social change could best achieved economic direct action general strike result finnish socialist ousted bought building next door bay street little finn hall became affiliated communist finnish organization canada finnish worker maintained control finnish labour temple affiliated industrial worker world winnipeg general strike collapse one big union syndicalist oriented finn remained affiliated industrial worker world iww auxiliary organization canadan teollisuusunionistinen kannatusliitto canadian industrial worker support circle ctkl group responsible establishing operating hoito restaurant well establishing chain people cooperative store region finnish labour temple acted canadian iww administrative office several year housed canadian news service headquarters industrialisti finnishlanguage daily newspaper iww finnish wobbly also able pay mortgage building iww competed heart mind member communistdominated union held union local well younger generation rapidly assimilated dominant canadian society iww ctkl northwestern ontario became friendship mutual aid society aging membership late following last major wave finnish immigration canada new organization called finlandia club port arthur became majority shareholder hall new wave immigrant generation separated finnishcanadian brother connection social struggle past addition newly arriving immigrant either apolitical conservative associating leftwing activity brutality stalinism finnish winter war despite fact finnish wobbly canada u actively supported aided finland war soviet union denounced bolshevism libertarian socialist perspective since kronstadt uprising finnish labour temple remains highly visible local landmark symbol city temple last remaining finnish cultural centre canada designated national historic site canada ceremony held install plaque marking finnish labour temple national historic site hoito restaurant popular eatery local tourist recently marked increase activity hall new generation local stepped revive breathe new life historic building includes mojakka competition annual finnishcanadian art exhibit summer solstice along traditional dance celebration event like st urhos day make finnish labour temple distinctive tourist attraction thunder bay finnish labour temple home finlandia association thunder bay previous owner building local company walleye magazine seek tour may outstanding debt finlandia association voted liquidate asset including hall group finlandia cooperative created raise money buy building unsuccessful october sale new building private owner confirmed new owner said wanted reopen hoito restaurant convert rest building highend apartment anticipated restaurant would reopen early summer however early evening hour december amid ongoing renovation smoke could seen billowing rooftop hoito restaurant suffered extensive damage massive fire burned finnish labour temple building midfebruary remains building destroyed fire completely demolished removed site property owner anticipates rebuilding recreating former façade structure including iconic cupola also anticipated hoito restaurant would reestablished main floor new building basement existed previously march announced time capsule hidden foundation construction recovered would opened special ceremony later date cooperative finnish history libertarian socialism ukrainian labour temple winnipeg san francisco labor temple senior centre formerly vancouver labor temple event vancouver general strike took place hoito restaurant finnish labour temple website finnish settlement thunder bay lakehead finn project finnish labour temple