A Scandinavian Heritage
200 Years of Scandinavian Presence
in the Windsor-Detroit Border Region
by Joan Magee
With a Foreword by
The Hon. Paul Martin, PC., C.C., Q.C.
Dundurn Local History Series: 3
Toronto and London
Dundurn Press
1985
Acknowledgements
The members of the Norden Society of Windsor wish to express their appreciation to the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada for the generous grant which allowed the preparation of the manuscript and the publication of this book.
For their encouragement and support, the author wishes to thank Ken Alexander, Social Development Officer of the London Field Office of the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada; the Embassy of Norway in Ottawa for the Norwegian Government Travel Grant which permitted research in Norway during August 1983; Solveig Greve, of the Picture Collection of the Library of the University of Bergen; Maria McMillan, Information Officer of the Embassy of Sweden in Ottawa, for arranging an opportunity to carry out research in Sweden under the auspices of the Swedish Institute in 1981, and for providing research materials on Sweden; Oivo and Ruby Nikander, Pat Eaves, Birgitta Zetterstrom, Kirsti Stipanicic, and Evelyn Meyer for their work as research assistants in gathering material for the survey of Scandinavians in Essex County; and the Scandinavians of Essex County for their inspiration and support.
The publisher wishes to acknowledge the ongoing generous financial support of the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council.
J. Kirk Howard, Publisher
Copyright © Joan Magee 1985
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise (except brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press Limited.
Editor: J.K. Howard
Design: Ron and Ron Design Photography
Typesetting: Q Composition Inc
Printed by: Les Editions Marquis, Canada
| Dundurn Press LimitedP.O. Box 245, Station FToronto, CanadaM4Y 2L5 | Dundurn Press Limited71 Great Russell StreetLondon, EnglandWC1B 3BN |
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Magee, Joan, 1928 — A Scandinavian heritage
(The Dundurn local history series ; 3)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-919670-88-1
1. Scandinavian-Canadians — Ontario — Windsor Region — History.
2. Finnish-Canadians — Ontario — Windsor Region — History.
3. Scandinavian-Americans — Michigan — Detroit Region — History.
4. Finnish-Americans — Michigan — Detroit Region — History. I. Title.
II. Series.
FC3099.W55Z7 1984 971.3’32004395 C84-099152-5
F1059.5.W5M34 1984
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Magee, Joan A Scandinavian heritage : 200 years of Scandinavian presence in the Detroit-Windsor border region. — (Dundurn local history series; no. 3) 1. Scandinavians — Ontario — Windsor 2. Canada — Emigration and immigration — History 3. Scandinavia — Emigration and immigration — History 4. Windsor (Ontario) — Social life and customs 3. Scandinavian Americans — Michigan — Detroit — Social life and customs 6. Detroit (Michigan) — Social life and customs I. Title 971.3’32004395 F1059.5.W5 ISBN 0-919670-88-1
A Scandinavian Heritage
200 Years of Scandinavian Presence
in the Windsor-Detroit Border Region
by Joan Magee
With a Foreword by
The Hon. Paul Martin, PC., C.C., Q.C.
Dundurn Local History Series: 3
this book is dedicated to
Sylvia Bildfell Hough
who generously shares her
Icelandic heritage
Table of Contents
1 Beginnings: 1000 A.D. to 1850
2 A Perilous Journey: 19th Century Norwegian Emigrants in Transit Through Canada
8 Scandinavians: A Cultural Influence in the Community
9 The Scandinavians of Essex County in 1984: A Survey
Appendix 1: Toivo Niemi’s Story
Appendix 2: Scandinavian and Finnish Population of Windsor, Ontario (Census Metropolitan Area) 1981
Appendix 4: Ethnicity: Windsor, Ontario and Essex County, Scandinavian and Finnish, 1981
Appendix 6: Origins of the Population of Windsor, Ontario: Scandinavian and Finnish, 1921-1971
Appendix 7: Origins of the Population of Canada Census Dates, 1871 to 1971