Fire Ravages Iconic Finnish Labour Temple
The Finnish Labour Temple (Finlandia Club), home of the world-famous Hoito Restaurant, caught on fire just after 7 pm last Wednesday evening. Large crowds gathered in the Bay-Algoma Historic District to watch as firefighters tried to save the iconic Thunder Bay landmark.
Image by Michael Hull, sourced from Facebook
The Finish Labour Temple was undergoing renovations after being purchased by a developer last year. The renovations included converting part of the upstairs into condominiums as well as reviving the renowned Hoito restaurant located in the basement. Known for its plate-sized Finn pancakes, the restaurant was set to re-open in June 2022.
The fire began somewhere in the upper levels of the building and quickly spread to the top part of the structure. Thick clouds of smoke ascended into the night sky, and as the fire spread, tall flames were visible through the roof and the emblematic turret. Thunder Bay firefighters attacked the fire from the exterior, working tirelessly throughout the night to extinguish the blaze.
The cause of the fire currently remains unknown. Thunder Bay Fire Prevention started its investigations on December 24th; however, they were paused for the holiday weekend and are set to resume this week.
Brad McKinnon, the new owner of the Finnish Labour Temple, stated that the structure is a complete loss after suffering extensive fire and water damage. The 111-year-old building, designated as a national historic site in 2015, is one of Thunder Bay’s most famous landmarks. A symbol of Finnish culture in Thunder Bay, this devastating fire certainly marks a loss for the Finnish community and Thunder Bay as a whole. In the week that has followed, the Thunder Bay community has been united in remembering and honouring the building via photos and stories shared on social media.
Image by Michael Hull, sourced from Facebook
This fire, however, does not mean a loss of history. According to an article from TBNewswatch, McKinnon intends to rebuild and restore the cultural icon.
The Finlandia Co-operative of Thunder Bay, who had signed a lease with McKinnon to revive the Hoito restaurant, expressed their shock and disbelief regarding the fire, noting that “we all lost something important last night”. Amidst the sorrow though, they stated that “this is not the end of the story”.
Their statement made on Facebook concluded with the Finnish saying “Yhteistyö on voimaa” which means “Collaboration is strength”.