Vapaa Sana

Editorial

31.1.2012

When reading this, January has already turned into February and the traditionally coldest month is behind us.

Toronto weather has altered like a roller coaster all the through the beginning of this year. Minus fifteen temperatures have soon turned to high single digits on the plus side.

The winters, or actually any seasons in the northern latitudes are never alike. Average temperatures can fluctuate widely.

Sometimes the feel of…

On a sunny day the snow village is full of people on the contrary to a day before, when the village was almost as if a ghost town. It was raining, the streets of the village were covered in water and there was no sight of tourists.

Now the bad weather is only a memory, although one of the igloos is closed because of water on the floor.

The world's first snow…

18-vuotias karjalaispoika Ben Järvenpää juoksee Kannaksen kaduilla kotia kohti varmistamaan, että perhe on kunnossa. Ympärillä talot palavat ja pommit räjähtelevät.

Kun Järvenpää lopulta pääsee perille, äiti ja sisar on onneksi ehditty evakuoida kiireellä, mutta huonekalut ja verhot ovat paikoillaan vielä 20.6.1944.

Järvenpää näkee kotinsa viimeisen…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

24.2.2012

The attendance in Finland’s presidential elections advance voting was surprisingly high both in Toronto and Canada. This indicates that the politics of our homeland still mean a lot to the immigrant Finns and they want to participate in things over the pond.

An interest in Finnish affairs has been on the rise during the recent elections. There are plenty of reasons for this. First, the internet has made our world smaller and it’s easier to…

The full moon shining in the sky in one of those wonders that goes unnoticed by nobody. It's staring us like an eye of Cyclop. It causes a tide phenomenon, but does it also induce lunacy as they claim?

When the full moon is on the sun and moon are on the opposite sides of the earth and the illuminated side of the moon faces us.

During the new moon the moon…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

17.1.2012

Even though this year there won’t be a big economic shift, it’s only a matter of years before China will rise to be the biggest economic power in the world.

The United States has been an undeniable economic leader during the past hundred years. For instance Wall Street has been the most important trendsetter in the world economy and the global trade has been measured in the name of omnipotent US-dollars.

China, however, has a huge…

Finland's presidential elections' first round attracted 582 Finnish citizens who polled their votes all over Canada. This is a new record for Finnish Canadian voters.

During the first round of the last presidential elections in 2006 only 336 voted so this year there were 246 more voters.

Toronto was the most popular amongst voters since 201 votes were…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

10.1.2012

Finland has always had a little troubled stand on Sweden. In Scandinavian co-operation we are officially friends, but otherwise rather sulking neighbours. It's a little alike between Canada and the United States.

At least the Canadians know where the Yankeeland is found, while not all the Americans know where Canada is.

We are the biggest trading partners to each other and thus the economic fluctuations affect a lot to which…

Andrea Hansen joined local filmmaker Pirkko Karvonen for a performance at Athabasca University in Northern Alberta on November 7, 2011; part of an ongoing series put on by Science Outreach. Hansen performed for the crowd, and Karvonen showed a documentary about the violinist.

The film documents the life of Andrea Hansen whose mother was from Myllykoski, Finland…