The Westward Journey of a Karelian Family after WW II
Post-war Finland was under a huge burden of repaying the Soviet Union
the immoral indemnity imposed by the Allies. As if the loss of 10% of Finland
was not enough. Trying to rebuild lives, and paying Russia - meant hungry
children and a long period of suffering before things would get much better.
We have asked ourselves many times why Stalin's allies allowed this to
happen to the Karelian people. Antti was working at Valmet to produce the
items for Russia that were agreed
upon. One day a friend said to him "I'm going over to get an application
for immigrating to Canada." Antti asked for an application for himself,
filled it in and soon he was on his way to Canada. The family had to stay
behind - in Sweden where Kari spent three years as a war child.
The photo: Eeva, Kari Joronen, SC. (Canada's highest civilian awards, the Star of Courage for conspicuous bravery under conditions of great peril), Osmo, and Meeri (mother) in Svinhult Sweden waiting six months for Antti to send tickets. Then one morning my mother said "we're going to Canada." To me it sounded like "kanala" which means chicken house. First we had to travel from Svinhult, our village in Sweden to Norway. Then we would have to enter the Winter Atlantic. We caught the Norwegian liner Oslo Fjord in Oslo. Yes, it was very rough. We kids were wild, and got lost whenever it was practical. This, fantastic...castle, it was wonderful to us! Those lounges, Coca Cola, swizzle sticks, dunking for apples, it was too much. We landed in Halifax. When we got there, mom bought a loaf of bread on our way to the train, but she was upset that we didn't have a knife to cut it. I said "mom, maybe it's already sliced." And it was. When we arrived at our new home, we discovered that Antti had bought a house with a sauna in a Finnish community on Long Lake near Sudbury. Lucky for me, because I loved to fish, make bark boats, swim, hike, sauna...life was great. But our home would be 4000 miles to the west, in British Columbia. My kids can't image how far I had to walk to school.
Eeva, Kari Joronen SC, (Kanadan suurempia sivili kunnioita "Star of Courage" Urhollisuuden Risti) Osmo, karjalainen pikkupoika muutama vuotta ennen kun tiesin mitään tietokoneista ja äitimme Meeri. Kun Antti lähti Kanadaan, joiduimme odottamaan Ruotissa puoli vuotta matkalippuja jossakin kirkonkylässä nimeltä Svinhult. Lähdimme Norjasta Oslo Fjord nimisessä laivassa Kanadaan, joka minusta kuulusti "kanala." Atlantti oli myrskyinen ja ankara maaliskuussa. Kaikki oli ihmeelistä villeille karjalaislapsille, ja eksyimme niin paljon kun kerettiin. Coca Cola ja kaikki ihmeet suuressa laivassa oli liijan suuri houkutus kuusivuotiaalle Osmollekin. Saavuimme Halifaxiin. ´Äiti osti leivän mutta ei ollut puukkoa millä sitä leikkaa. Minä vaan sanoin että "katsopa, se voi olla valmiiksi leikattu." Ja niin se oli. Kun pääsimme perille Sudburiin, niin purin purkkaa ja söin vihanneksia ensimmäisen kerran elämässäni. (Ja tietenki piti poika ammuuta)