Varpu Lindström was born in Helsinki, Finland, and immigrated to Canada with her parents, 1963, as a young teenager, attending secondary school in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and obtaining university degrees at York University, including a Ph.D. in History, 1986. Currently Professor of History and Women’s Studies and the Chair of the School of Women's Studies, York University, she has also served as Master, Atkinson College. Dr. Lindström is a specialist in Finnish Immigration History. She is recognized in Finland for informative radio programs on a variety of historical and current Canadian topics. Lindström is the founder of Canadian Friends of Finland, a volunteer organization promoting cultural programming and exchanges between Canada and Finland since 1982. She was recipient of Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, First Class, 1991. Varpu’s Husband, Börje Vähämäki, was born and raised in Vaasa, Finland, receiving his academic degrees at Abo Academy (Åbo Akademi) in Turku, Finland, including his Ph.D., 1984. After teaching Finnish Studies at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, he moved to his current professorship at the University of Toronto where he specializes in Finnish linguistics, Finnish literature, and Finnish folklore. Vähämäki is the author of several books on the Finnish language, including textbooks. He is also the founding editor of the Journal of Finnish Studies and an accomplished literary translator. He was awarded Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, First Class, 1998. In this view, Börje celebrates his wife Varpu’s 50th birthday at their home, Villa Harmony, Beaverton, Ontario. [Photo, courtesy Pauline Gustafsson]

His father was born in Finland, had changed his surname from Lakaniemi to Salo, migrated several times throughout northern Ontario, including Copper Cliffand Magpie, near Wawa, before settling in Sudbury, 1918. Four years later, the Salo family returned to Finland, leaving behind young Wilf, aged 15, to fend for himself. Over the next decade, Wilf Salo worked on the railway, for various mining companies, at lumber camps, even took up wrestling and driving taxicabs, before marrying Nellie Pernu, of Sudbury, and settling down as floor manager for Silverman’s Store, 1929-1965. Wilf is best known for serving as Sudbury’s official Santa Claus. For over 50 years, his reputation grew far and wide. He not only served Silverman’s as Santa but was Santa Claus for the Shriners, the Lions Club, the General and Memorial Hospitals, Police and Fire Departments, Retarded Children’s Association, the CNIB and, of course, Sudbury’s own Santa Claus Parade. His TV Santa started on CKSO-TV in 1952 and lasted 35 years. Knowing how to say “Merry Christmas” in 14 different languages separated this Finnish Canadian from all others who were Santa Claus pretenders. [Photo, courtesy Oiva Saarinin]