Reviews and Extracts
A History of Finnish Businesses in the Thunder Bay Area
What the reviewers are saying:
… .an essential tool for researchers seeking specific references for biographical or economic studies.
…the Thunder Bay Finnish-Canadian Historical Society is to be congratulated for supporting the continued promotion of Finnish culture
Chapter Extracts
Officially called “The International Co-Operative Trading Company, Ltd.†the International Co-Ops were a network of Co-Operative stores owned and operated by customer-shareholders, which was patterned after American models. The Port Arthur Co-Op was incorporated in 1926 and ten years later had branches in Fort William, Pike Lake and Hurkett. The Farmer’s Mercantile and I.A. Klamie’s store in Nolalu were taken over by the International Co-Op Trading Company in the 1930’s and the original Farmer’s Mercantile location operated until 1970.
Extract from Business chapter on the History of International Co-Op Stores.
I immigrated from Alavus, Finland in December 1951. I flew from Stockholm, Sweden to Dorval Airport in Montreal, there I boarded a train, and after two days, arrived in Port Arthur.
I was lucky for I was only unemployed for two days when my aunt Aili Sivunen directed me to Nelson & Kyro Men’s Wear, where Y.W. Nelson hired me to work at his bush camp in the Raith area. I worked at various bush camps for Y.W. Nelson
Extract from His Own Story chapter as written by Matti Niittula *Trapper