Sointula today
Malcolm Island, B.C., is a quiet place, and, generally speaking, that’s how the population of about 650 likes it. Almost as soon as visitors step off the ferry, though, they know they are somewhere unique. “I still haven’t figured out all the differences,” said Susan Ness, who retired to the island where her family’s roots go back to the original colony.
The socialist Finns who founded Sointula left a deep imprint on it that endures today. An unincorporated community, the island has a volunteer fire department, no municipal offices, and no permanent police presence.
A small but excellent museum keeps the island’s history alive, and the Athletic Hall (built in 1931) and the Finnish Organization Hall (1911), which bear signs in English and Finnish, are still used for community gatherings.
Saunas, including some available to tourists, abound. There are Finnish-language books on the shelves of the cozy library, and the arch over the cemetery reads “Koti Niemi” (home peninsula).
Simple markers, often bearing the words “Kalevan Kansa Pioneers,” indicate the graves of Austin Makela and others with names like Ahola, Maki and Pakkalen.
If evidence of the island’s Finnish past is easy to see, the intangible community spirit is just as critical to its identity. “Somebody will always help you,” said Heather Graham. “If there’s some kind of crisis, it’s like somebody presses a bell and people just come and organize themselves into groups to do whatever’s needed. It goes without saying. You don’t have to explain it to anybody.”