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This is a recent photograph of the Malcolm Island Superior School with
an Owner: Sointula Museum. |
The Sointula Museum was founded by a group of ladies in 1972. They were Wilma
Olney, Sylvia Johnson, Annie Johnson, Aileen Wooldridge, and Kay Thompson. The
start
of the collection was housed in basements and attics until one room from the
Superior School was made available. A list of general holdings follows.
Photographs
Documents
Publications
Household Artifacts
Commercial Fishing Materials
Logging Equipment
Books
Sointula Cooperative Memorabilia
Materials of the Early Commune
Sointula Cemetery Records
Special Exhibits
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“100 Years in Photographs” This wonderful photograph is the interior of the community hall in 1932. It is part of the photo exhibit “100 Years in Photographs”. Note the slogan above the stage, the early electrical lights, and the musical instruments. Of particular importance is the stage curtain with its symbolic content and social commentary. That original canvas, measuring about 20 feet by 10 feet and in vibrant colour, is on display in the museum today. Owner: Doris Wirta. |
A committee of eight people spent a year looking at approximately 20,000
photographs owned by the people who call Sointula home. About 500 were scanned
for the permanent collection, and 55 were professionally scanned, enlarged,
and
hung in the museum. We owe a special debt to the more than 50 families and
institutions who loaned their images to the project.
For their support in this project, “Sointula: 100 Years in Photographs”,
we
would like to thank the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada,
SSHRC-CURA Cultural Property Research Collaborative Program at the University
of
Victoria, and the CURA Program community partners: The Royal British Columbia
Museum, The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Heritage Society of British
Columbia, British Columbia Museums Association.
“100 Years of Photographs” is on display in the museum, and the whole
collection
is available in albums and on computer. Included is a database which allows
searches of the collection for specific names, dates, and places.
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“Aika” Newspaper This is the cover of “Aika” dated and printed in Sointula.
Owner:Sointula Museum. |
The “Aika” newspaper was started in 1901 in Nanaimo as the voice
of the Kalevan
Kansa. Its first editor was Matti Kurikka. It was published weekly in Nanaimo
during the early years of Sointula, halted publication for most of 1902, and
resumed as a biweekly in Sointula in 1903. The format of the Sointula editions
is more like a small magazine than a newspaper, probably due to a smaller
printing press. “Aika” ceased publication forever in the fall of 1904.
“Aika” was always a lively publication, usually including news of
recent
developments at the commune, philosophical discussions offered by Kurikka,
Makela, and others, occasional poems, songs, and stories, and always
information on how more Finns could join.
The paper was published entirely in Finnish. However, a Finnish translator,
Miina Jokela, has now rendered most of the significant articles in English.
Her
work is available at the Sointula Museum.
Research
A number of sources are available for research, whether that be academic or
personal. Photocopies or prints of many photographs and documents are available
for a modest charge.
database of 1000 documents and publications
database of photographs
translations
map of Sointula houses, circa 1920