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December 2018
Nordic News240 Sparks Street, PO Box 55023, Ottawa, ON K1P 1A1
Halfmanar cookies from Iceland
Renatus’ Kayak
Dr. Rozanne Enerson Junker is a CNS member who divides her time between San Francisco and Blue Sea, Quebec. She has a PhD in political science but has also studied anthropology, history and economics. In 2008, her interest in her Norwegian and Danish roots (six of her great grandparents were Norwegian and one was Danish) led her to sign up for an excursion to visit Viking sites in Iceland, Greenland, Baffin Island, Labrador, and Newfoundland. On her return to California, she visited her uncle, Elwood (Woody) Belsheim, to tell him about her trip. But it turned out that Woody was not really interested in the Vikings - all he wanted to know was whether she had visited Hebron, a small settlement at the northern end of Labrador. In Rozanne’s talk to the CNS on October 17, she told us how her visit with her uncle resulted in what was to become a new excursion into a very different past.
Hebron was originally established by the Moravian Church as a mission to convert the Inuk to Christianity. Rozanne’s Uncle Woody was stationed at a secret weather station there as a young American G.I. during World War II. He and six others recorded the weather measurements needed to ensure the safe delivery of over 10,000 military planes to European Allies, and coded them so they couldn’t be read by German U-Boats offshore. At that time, in addition to the Moravian mission, Hebron included a trading operation , one Newfoundland Ranger, and some Inuk families.
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Hebron
There was not much to do in such a northern, isolated settlement, especially in winter. Luckily for Woody, an Inuk named Renatus Tuglavina took him under his wing. Woody was impressed with the skills of the Inuk and their ability to flourish in such a harsh environment. He told Rozanne that when they went hunting together, he saw that Renatus had removed the sights from his guns. His shot was so straight that he never missed and never wasted a bullet or killed what wasn’t needed. Everything he killed was shared with his community. Renatus had a daughter named Harriot. She spoke no English but Woody applied himself to learning the Inuks’ language and he and Harriot became close. Woody credited Renatus and Harriot with helping him to maintain his sanity during his stay at the weather station.
On August 3, 1945, Woody had no choice but to leave Hebron. The War was ending and there was no longer any need for the weather station there. Before he left, Renatus presented him with a model sealskin kayak. Woody presented Harriot with his graduation ring and two pillows. For the rest of his life, Harriot stayed on Woody’s mind. He hoped that she had married someone who appreciated her kind nature and would care for her. He asked Rozanne if she would find out what had become of her, and he gave her the model kayak Renatus had presented to him in 1945. Rozanne knew she needed to bring that kayak back to Labrador.
And so began a multi-year research and writing adventure that would take Rozanne across the U.S.A. and Canada many times in search of Moravian, Hudson’s Bay Company, Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial archives. She did research at Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian War Museum and eventually travelled to Devon, England in search of a key figure in Renatus’s life.
Rozanne’s book, “Renatus’ Kayak,” starts out with the interesting story of the northern weather stations in World War II, both German and Allied, and we learn how important they were to the overall War effort. It then moves on to the peculiar story of Hebron itself - the Moravian missionaries who settled there almost 200 years ago, the trading post, government employees and other Europeans who lived there at various times, and the Inuk who interacted with them in different ways and with different results. It is no surprise that the characters of the individuals themselves was the key to either mutual respect or complete lack of understanding. The book
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explains how Woody’s early life experiences made him one of those who was curious and open to others. Renatus’s strong spirit and individuality shine through in the various mentions of him that Rozanne uncovered in her research.
Rozanne felt deeply compelled to pursue this quest, and encountered many remarkable coincidences that assisted her and encouraged her to continue. The resulting book immerses us in a time and place that is now history. The Inuk of Hebron were forced to transition from one kind of life to a completely different one in 1959 as their entire community was moved further south to Nain, on the central coast of Labrador. The kayak that Renatus presented to Woody and Rozanne’s book about it, its creator, and its origins, have been placed in a new cultural centre in Nain. And so this small, poignant moment in time that encapsulates such significant events in Canadian history, lives on.
CNS member France Rivet’s company Polar Horizons is the publisher of “Renatus Kayak.” Polar Horizons concentrates its efforts on historical research, enabling the Inuit community to rediscover a part of its history that is hidden in the archives and thus contributing to the processes of reconciliation and healing. “Renatus Kayak” can be ordered directly from the Polar Horizons bookstore.
Krumkaker from Norway
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Events of Interest
• Keep an eye out for the Swedish film “Border” (Gräns). It was highly recommended to me by my sister, who saw it in Toronto. I’m not sure if it’s showing in Ottawa yet (I couldn’t find a listing for it at the time of writing) but the Ottawa Citizen gave it a great review (https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/movies/border-makes-for-a-delectably-chilly-bedtime-story-on-a-cold-winters-eve/wcm/29d0b9f4-653e-4e41-8384-0d3eab1673f3), so it must be coming soon if it isn’t already here.
• The 11th annual European Union Christmas Concert will take place Friday, December 7, at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica on 385 Sussex Drive. Doors open at 6:30, and the concert begins at 7:00. Admission is free.
• The Finnish Christmas Church Service is on Sunday, December 9, at at St Peter's Lutheran Church, 400 Sparks St. Ottawa, at 3:00 PM. Note that this will be Pastor Matti Terho's last service with this congregation. Entry from side door only. Doors are locked during the service.
• The Swedish Club in Ottawa will be celebrating Lucia on Saturday, December 8. Please see the poster on page 11 for details.
• The award-winning Canadian ensemble Gryphon Trio will be partnering with Nordic Voices in Chamberfest on Friday, February 1 at Dominion-Chalmers Church. Based in Oslo, Norway, the members of Nordic Voices were educated at the State Academy of Music in Oslo and the National Academy of Operatic Art in Oslo, where they specialized in opera, composition, church music and pedagogy. In 2014, Nordic Voices was honoured with the Artist of the Year award by the Norwegian Society of Composers. For more details about the concert and to book tickets, please go to http://www.chamberfest.com/concerts/2019-0201-01/
Swedish pepparkakor
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Martti Lahtinen’s Bucket List - 100 Days in Finland, Part 2
In this second instalment of Martti Lahtinen’s five-part series, Martti elaborates on the concept of a bucket list and introduces Barney, as he waits for the medical all-clear to fly to Finland for 100 days. Hilde Huus
Bucket List destination to die for by Martti Lahtinen
It's said the term “bucket list” attained notoriety in popular culture 10 years ago, accelerated by a movie of the same name starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. In short, it's defined by a list of “To Do” Items to check off before you die – that is, before you kick the bucket. Punch up Google and find no end to bucket lists; plug into images and discover the variety of visuals that carry them. Believe me: you will expire without having viewed them all.
Two of Martti’s buckets on the right in his own, very Finnish, sauna
You will discover that the bucket list items encompass desires to experience moments that one might deem desirable or pleasurable – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, for instance. You will also find the compilation to involve less of the aesthetic or adventurous, but more of the status- or success-oriented – to make a million dollars, perchance. The goals aside, I list two types of people
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on the planet: those who merely hang onto the bucket, and those who manage to let go of the handles, to empty its contents before life washes away the option. I'm of the latter group and have been all my life, circumventing as best I could two major hurdles: opportunity and money. Or maybe three, not to forget health.
Not wishing to beat the kicking the bucket analogy to death, I must add this vinaigrette, although somewhat dated, to the mix. My daughter Kalli gave birth in October 2009 – Sawyer is my grandson’s name – and the event at first arrived with aftershocks. I became a grandfather, and I couldn't get my head around being called “Grandpa.” Sawyer and I got along just fine, and our falling asleep together while watching a coma-inducing Ottawa Senators hockey game on TV during my first solo babysitting gig cemented our bond. But the grandad thing? Jeez, I felt old.
Meanwhile, Sawyer’s attendant needs relegated Kalli’s cat, Barney, to the second tier of affection-seekers in their Aylmer home. Barney began to show signs of ADD – Attention Displacement Disorder – and his initial curiosity about the wailing bundle that needed constant feeding, patting, burping, diapering, escalated into cat-niptions on his part. With his I'm Pissed Indicator crossing the red zone, Barney began peeing on the furniture and the baby’s paraphernalia near Kalli’s preferred feeding station to signal his dropping to No. 2 in popularity, forcing my son-in-law Charlie and Kalli to make a hard choice: keep Sawyer or keep Barney. The cat lost out, and a phone call to the grandparents signalled his free agent status.
Barney
Barney arrived in Chelsea with his carrier, leftover cat victuals, a bottle of laxative and, of course, the dumper – including the plastic poop strainer. Nobody willingly leapt into the caring and nurturing of the new family addition, but because Barney’s hours paralleled those of an acknowledged night owl, who was fingered for the food, water and waste detail? Right: good ol’ Grandpa. At about the same time that Barney claimed his squatter’s rights in my downstairs man cave, I ran across a news item that shook me, albeit briefly: “A cat with an uncanny ability to detect when nursing home patients are about to die has proven itself in around 50 cases by curling up with
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them in their final hours.” This was the subject of a book, “Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat,” written by Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor at Brown University. The doctor suggested that Oscar was able to detect ketones, the distinctively odoured biochemicals given off by dying cells.
Even today, nine-plus years later, our Barney curls up and sleeps at my feet, which might explain the distinctively odoured biochemicals. I do change socks regularly. But I do have a ticker problem – arrhythmia – and the family doctor and a cardiac specialist are in the medical loop should the condition become worrisome. Meanwhile, I see the bright side. A 75-year-old fart with a heart condition gets a CAT scan from Barney every night, in exchange for my feeding him and cleaning out his litter box. And should I ever have reason to question the prognoses of the GP and cardio specialist, I would ask Barney for a turd opinion. It could be news to die for. Litterly.
Meanwhile, I'm going to miss Barney during my One Hundred Days In Finland, while I empty my bucket – being careful not to kick it.
Postscript I learned after landing in Finland that Barney wandered about our three-storey house as if in a daze for a week, searching for his keeper and bedmate. Barney searched all the rooms and all the closets multiple times and even clawed open the sauna door -- all in vain.
A few days before leaving, my Finnish friends in Oravi were laying bets at the daily coffee sessions as to how Barney would greet me on my return after 100 days away. Either he would pee on my shoes in disdain or he would rub up against my shin, just like old times, to reestablish our bond. I would have been devastated -- probably needing intervention -- had Barney, after a long minute of hesitation -- not chosen Option B.
“Martti’s Lahtinen’s Bucket List” series continues in the January issue.
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Viking Gala 2018
This year’s Viking Gala, on November 8, was in honour of the 100th anniversary of the independence of Iceland. The Ambassador of Iceland, His Excellency Pétur Ásgeirsson and his wife Ms. Jóhanna Gunnarsdóttir were the guests of honour.
His Excellency Pétur Ásgeirsson and Ms. Jóhanna Gunnarsdóttir
We were very pleased to meet and welcome to Canada His Excellency Thomas Winkler, Ambassador of Denmark, who attended our Gala with his mother, Mrs Anne-Birthe Winkler.
His Excellency Thomas Winkler and Mrs Anne-Birthe Winkler
His Excellency Vesa Lehtonen, Ambassador for Finland attended with his wife Ms. Pirjetta Manninen. Ambassador Lehtonen congratulated Iceland in his remarks and proposed a toast to its independence.
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A delicious gourmet Nordic meal was prepared and served by the culinary students of Collège la Cité. The evening began with intense competition among tables to complete a quiz about Iceland that had been prepared by Tim Mark and Costa Kapsalis. Guests also enjoyed two songs (one in Icelandic) sung by CNS Vice-president Trygve Ringereide with piano accompaniment by Cecilia Ignatieff. To complete the evening, storyteller Gail Anglin told her own entertaining version of the “Saga of Erik the Red.”
Left to right, Marian McLennan, Trygve Ringereide and Cecilia Ignatieff
The delightful surprise of the evening was a video greeting by none other than the First Lady of Iceland, Ms. Eliza Reid. She grew up near Ottawa, Ontario and attended Bell High School with the daughter of Costa Kapsalis, who arranged this special greeting.
The whole CNS Council contributed to the success of this wonderful evening, but special mention must be made of Hanne Sjøborg, who took the lead and made sure every detail was just right. Many thanks to Astrid Ahlgren who took all the photos at our Viking Gala 2018!
Hanne Sjøborg and Henry Storgaard
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CNS President Karin Birnbaum
Lucia Fehr and CNS Treasurer Lennart Nylund
Finnish Joulutortu ~ ! ~10
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Danish klejner
Contributions to Nordic News We appreciate receiving your articles and news to include in the Nordic News. Please email them to the editor, Hilde Huus, at [email protected]
Canadian Nordic Society Co-ordinates Our website is www.canadiannordicsociety.com, and you can contact us by email at [email protected]. The CNS council list, including email addresses and phone numbers, is available at: http://www.canadiannordicsociety.com/council.html And the CNS has its own, very active, Facebook page.
Join CNS or Renew your Membership You can join CNS or renew your membership online, by mail, or in person. We encourage you to pay online using PayPal. This is the quickest and most efficient method. If you prefer, you can pay in person when you attend one of our luncheons or speaker events. Please speak to any one of our Council members. Online To pay online, go to the CNS website (http://www.canadiannordicsociety.com/join-cns.html) and complete the membership form . Payment may be made through PayPal. Note: it is not necessary to have a PayPal account.
By mail Please print and complete the membership form below, enclose a cheque payable to the Canadian Nordic Society and mail to:
Canadian Nordic Society 240 Sparks Street Box 55023 Ottawa, ON K1P 1A1
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! Canadian Nordic Society !
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