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The ferry trip to Sointula in the cold, clear waters of Queen Charlotte Sound, is a voyage into the past.

A second wave of independence-seekers arrived in the 1960s, dedicated to preserving Sointula’s peaceful atmosphere.įishing is the mainstay of the economy of Sointula, but tourism is rapidly gaining importance, as travellers seek out the clean air, clear waters, and the outdoor fishing, whale watching and scuba diving opportunities offered on Malcolm Island.

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The Finnish language is still spoken today, saunas are common, and the phone book is full of Finnish names. Utopia may have floundered, despite the dedication and hard work, but the Finns remain. Financial problems finally forced the colony into liquidation in 1904, with the land being returned to the government in return for a loan to repay the colony’s creditors. In January 1903 a tragic fire at the community hall claimed the lives of eleven people, and their plight worsened when the community became divided over Kurikka’s philosophy and leadership. The struggle was long and hard, the pitfalls and setbacks were many, and the colony faced increasing financial difficulties.

The small, picturesque fishing village of Sointula, a Finnish word meaning harmony, began as a Utopian colony in the early 1900s, when a playwright named Matti Kurikka led disgruntled Finnish coal miners from Nanaimo out of their pits and into the northern wilderness.įishermen, farmers and loggers, their dream was to lead independent, self-sufficient lives in harmony with nature.