The History of their Scadinaviska Hemmet
The Scandinavian Home Society was formed in 1923 to support Scandinavian Immigrants.
Membership is the open to anyone interested in Scandinavian culture.
In the early 1900s our ancestors immigrated to the Port Arthur area now known as Thunder Bay. Times wee difficult in their homelands in those years.
Constant wars throughout the Baltic States and lack of full time work made their future look bleak. However the New World was not the “land-of-milk-and-honey” they thought it would be. Language was a major issue. Lifestyle, food, transportation and the ability to find work became a major task.
The “old” Scandinavian Home Restaurant became their Valhalla, a “Home Away From Home.” Here they were able to socialize, converse in their own language, read newspapers from home in their own language, get information on jobs, find room and board with peple from their homeland and have their mail sent to the restaurant. Here they intermingled, shared problems, married and assisted each other in times of sickness and death.
Today, we the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, are scattered throughout the city, district and country, displaying the same positive work ethics and citizenry in our great country of Canada which our parents have bestowed in us.
We feel that we have accomplished much in our 90 years history as a society.
Our objective is to keep Scandinavian culture alive through social, cultural and educational activities; and through our up-to-date new “Scad Restaurant” and the “Hemmet”, our multipurpose club room.
Our restaurant is known for its friendly atmosphere and delicious home-style cooking. We specialize in Scandinavian pancakes served with maple syrup or whipping cream, huge BIG VICKING breakfast, Swedish split-pea soup, a hearty Finnish soup called Mojakka, homemade pies and cakes and much, much more.
We are open seven days a week.
We dedicate this book to Scandinavian past, present and future.
