Sointula, Malcolm Island, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Malcolm Island is an island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Queen Charlotte Strait near Vancouver Island. It has ferry access from the Vancouver Island community of Port McNeill. Malcolm Island was named for Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm. The main community on Malcolm Island is Sointula. The name "Sointula" (literally the place of chord) means "Place of Harmony" in the Finnish language. It was founded by a group of Finnish settlers, who rowed north from Nanaimo in 1901. They planned on setting up a utopian socialist society known as the "Kalevan Kansa",and wrote to visionary Matti Kurikka in Finland to lead the new community. They were looking for a way out of Dunsmuir's mines in Nanaimo. It was a physically hard life and a devastating fire almost brought the fledgling community to its knees. Financial difficulties continued to plague the group and after working for free for two years on the Capilano Bridge project, the Kalevan Kansa was disbanded. Many of the community members remained on the island and their descendants are still here. As of 2011 it has a population of roughly 800.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Sointula
• Malcolm Island
• Vancouver Island
• BC
• Canada
• Port McNeill
• Alert Bay
• Place of Harmony
• Finnish
• utopian socialist
• Matti Kurikka
• cooperative ventures
• Orca whales
• Bere Point Regional Park
• Practical dreamers
• living Oceans Society
• marine conservation issues

[elssointula]

I am a local, born and raised. It was a little spooky. I definitely saw our island through different eyes. Very enjoyable. :D