The Finnish Labour Temple was a Finnish-Canadian cultural and community centre and a local landmark located at 314 Bay Street in the Finnish quarter in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
As seen from the intersection of Bay and Algoma
The Finnish Labour Temple in 1910
Front façade
Striking lumber workers outside the Finnish Labour Temple, 1933
Finnish Canadians are Canadian citizens of Finnish ancestry or Finns who emigrated to and reside in Canada. In 2016, 143,645 Canadians claimed Finnish ancestry. Finns started coming to Canada in the early 1880s, and in much larger numbers in the early 20th century and well into the mid-20th century. Finnish immigration to Canada was often a direct result of economic depressions and wars, or in the aftermath of major conflicts like the Finnish Civil War. Canada was often chosen as a final destination because of the similarity in climate and natural conditions, while employment in logging or homesteading attracted landless farmers in the early 20th century. Migratory movements of Finns between Canada and the United States was very common as well.
Thunder Bay, Ontario is home to 14,510 people of Finnish descent, the highest concentration of Finnish Canadians per capita in the country, and the second largest Finnish population in Canada after Toronto which has 14,750 persons of Finnish origin.