1983 / 1984 - 1983 / 1984

The first annual meeting of the Society was held on March 27, 1983 at Voima Hall, and Leo Raaska and Aino Krats were elected as Chairman and Secretary. The Board of Directors then began the process of selecting a site for the proposed facility. Mindful of Korpela’s promise to provide the necessary land in the Minnow Lake area, and with the support of the majority of its members, action was taken to acquire planning approval for the rezoning of 27 acres of rural land off Fourth Avenue. Such permission was granted by the Regional Municipality of Sudbury in the fall of 1983.

On October 3, 1983 the promised land transfer from Oliver Korpela to the Finnish Rest Home Society was finally accomplished. By this time the membership roll had grown to 960. According to Leo Raaska, the Society probably constituted the largest Finnish- based organization of its kind in Canada.

Oliver Korpela – “I will donate the land.”

At the second annual meeting of the society held at same Hall on March 25, 1984, the proposed design for Phase I of the seniors’ complex was endorsed. The plans for the self-care facility were prepared by Seppo Kanerva from the Toronto firm of Sedun & Kanerva. Leo Raaska and Aino Krats were elected for another year.

A major step forward occurred on May 14, 1984 when Nickel Belt MP Judy Erola announced a $20,000 grant from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to help cover the $60,000 cost of preparing the preliminary plans for the first phase of the project. On July 17 Erola announced that CMHC had given its final approval for up to $4.5 million to complete the 90 units associated with Finlandia-Koti. The approval was granted under the private and non-profit section of the National Housing Act. The construction contract was awarded to Acme Building and Construction Ltd. on September 11.