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July/August 2019 Vol 90:06 $5.95
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Commemorative Edition Celebrating 90th Anniversary of Swedish Press
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Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine WA 98230 for $45 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR Peter Berlin Peter@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com
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CONTENTS ( July/August 2019 ) 4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News 7 Swedes in the News 8 Landskapsnyheterna Business 9 Business News Heritage 10 Ernie Poignant Turns 100 Feature 12 The History of Swedish Press
Road to 2045 20 Sweden: Flygskam and Greta-Mania Lifestyle 21 Top Sju 22 Books: Elinor gör kanada svenskarna synliga
Greta Thunberg featured on the cover of Time.
Hemma Hos 24 Design: ‘The Future Begins Here’ at Sweden’s ArkDes Museum 25 Treats à la Shirley and Peter Swedish Press Connects 26 SCA – Combining Swedish with Compassion 27 SWEA – En hälsning från SWEAs grundare
REPRESENTATIVES Calgary: Carin Pihl +1 403 931 0370 Thunder Bay: Elinor Barr +1 807 344 8355 Toronto: Gunilla Sjölin +1 905 751 5297 Winnipeg: Nancy Drews +1 204-668-7262 Los Angeles: Birgitta von Knipe +1 310 201 0079 New York: Timothy Lyons +1 732 685 3747 San Diego: Sue Eidson +1 858 541 0207 ADVISORY COMMITTEE Björn Bayley, Peter Ladner, Brian Antonson, Christer Garell, Anders & Hamida Neumuller SUBSCRIPTION rates per year $45, 2 years $75, 3 years $115, 1 year abroad $115. Digital edition $32. Subscribe Toll Free at 1 866 882 0088 or at www.swedishpress.com. ADVERTISING visit www.swedishpress.com/advertise-us for advertising rates. Call +1 360 450 5858 or +46 725 607800. SweMail TRANSLATIONS to English of the Swedish parts of Swedish Press are available free of charge every month. Visit http://biolson.atspace.cc/swemail/ © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent of Swedish Press is strictly prohibited. Unsolicited material is welcome, but never the publishers responsibility. Enclose stamped self-addressed envelope for return. Statements and opinions expressed by the writers and claims in the advertising are their own and do not necessarily represent Swedish Press. CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT No. 40010214 Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to Swedish Press, 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada
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Interviews 14 What has Swedish Press meant to you? Heritage 18 Fritiof Andersson i själva verket – En folkkär äventyrares biografi, del 2
Above: SWEA Ireland celebrating SWEA 40th anniversary. Below left: Statue of Evert Taube in the Old Town of Stockholm. Photo: Stefan Holm
In the Loop 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet Swedish Heritage in British Columbia: The Opening 31 Press Byrån
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Letters to the Editor Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedishpress.com and we’ll be happy to publish them. A note from May (Nordell) McCaskell who is a long-time subscriber of Swedish Press. I was born 1 year after the Swedish Press in Vancouver B.C., Canada, in 1930. My parents Oscar and Ida Nordell attended a Christmas dinner in 1935 put on by “Farbror Olle Lindfors” to promote Swedish heritage in Vancouver. He was then editor of the Swedish Press, and remained so for many years. As part of the entertainment, my sister and I sang “Blinka lilla stjärna där” and “Ett litet fattigt barn jag är”. I spent a year in Sweden with my mother in 1937–1938. Starting 1944, for 8 years, I went dancing at the Swedish Community Hall. I was Midsummer Queen in 1946, and also became involved in many concerts as a Swedish Folk singer and piano accompanist for several years. I took time off to get married in 1952, had 4 children, then back to the Scandinavian community to play piano for several Lucia Fests and many years for the Norwegian choir. Due to my many musical activities, I am sure I was mentioned in the Swedish Press often. I wrote an article
on “A broken surströmming tin” on the North Vancouver Ferry. “It was in dry dock the next day for airing out”. (Article submitted in the1990s.) I was also asked by editor Anders Neumüller to write about the visit of Robert Sund, the Swedish choral conductor, when he visited Vancouver. At 89 I will continue to read the Swedish Press for as long as I can. May (Nordell) McCaskell Delta, British Columbia Swedish Press and Museum are a team Swedish Press was 47 years old in 1976, when the Swedish American Museum opened in Chicago. The two institutions have prospered together through the past five decades. Founded in 1929 as Svenska Pressen, a four-page black-and-white weekly, the publication has developed into a 32-page, full-color monthly magazine that is filled with artwork and articles about Swedes and their institutions around the globe. News about events in Swedish Chicago has appeared regularly in Swedish Press. Several pages of the March 2017 issue were devoted to the feature section, “A Touch of Sweden in Chicago,” about the growth of Andersonville since the community was
displaced by the Chicago fire in 1871. The 1988 relocation of the Museum to the historic three-story Lind Hardware building was big news. King Carl XVI Gustaf agreed and attended the ceremony, as he had during the 1976 grand opening. We at the Swedish American Museum are thankful to have enjoyed close relationships with the publishers of Swedish Press – the Neumullers from 1984 to 2012, and the Fredrikssons during the seven years since then. Stephen Anderson Museum volunteer, Swedish American Museum, Chicago, Illinois Dear Swedish Press, Our Club is grateful for the opportunity to post our activities each month in the Swedish Press; a publication of distinction. Marie-Louise Capote Publicity, Swedish Club of SE Michigan Whether your Swedish is fluent or rusty, we hone your language skills by publishing some articles in Swedish. But never despair: you will find English translations online thanks to our valiant team of volunteer translators. Simply go to http://biolson. atspace.cc/swemail/ and you will find translations of all Swedish articles going as far back as to August 2007.
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from the Editor’s Desk
Swedish Press at 90: Back to the Future We need your support!
Swedish Press strives to create a high quality magazine for you, but the costs are considerable and ever-increasing. Please consider making a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on page 29. Tack!
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I
was 18 years old when I travelled to America for the first time. People sometimes asked me where I came from. When I told them “Sweden,” I occasionally received the following answer: “Well, I have never travelled abroad, because I think I should get to know my own country first.” To me that was – and still is – completely backward logic, because I believe that one needs to live abroad in order to develop a healthy perspective on one’s own country. With that in mind, and after spending 25 years on the move from country to country, I accepted an invitation from a publisher to write a modest little book called “The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Swedes.” My intent was to offer interested readers a cheeky but also a reasonably accurate snapshot of the Swedish mindset. The book is still selling well; foreign visitors to Sweden and Swedish expats seem to love it, while “domestic” Swedes complain about its satirical take. In the process of writing the book, I had to update my understanding of Swedish current affairs. I read various Swedish newspapers but found their reporting too myopic for my purposes. I was looking for the wider picture, and this is where Swedish Press served as an invaluable source of information. Now that I have become the Editor of our magazine, I still find much of my information about Sweden not via Svenska Dagbladet or Dagens Nyheter (and certainly not in the tabloids Aftonbladet or Expressen), but rather in The Guardian, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and similar non-Swedish broadsheets. As for events and activities in Swedish communities in North America, we learn about them mostly from local movers and shakers whose contributions we publish in Swedish Press. The objectives of Swedish Press are not all that different from those of Svenska pressen 90 years ago. As Elinor Barr writes in our Feature article (page 12), the primary goal back then was to allow “Swedish immigrants to keep in touch with ongoing events in the Old Country.” This is still very much the case. However, Swedish Press differs from Svenska pressen in that it also aims to help maintain Swedish traditions in North American communities that value their Swedish cultural and linguistic heritage. And – as you will have noticed – our magazine is no longer a scant four pages printed in black and white as in 1929, but a glossy, colourful 32-page publication. Unlike the human lifespan, the 90th anniversary of our magazine does not spell the beginning of the end. Far from it: we are already busy preparing the autumn issues by collecting material from our subscribers, advertisers, loyal contributors and external sources. Thank you all for being such true and faithful friends of Swedish Press. Stay with us, and the magazine will bring you Swedish-inspired news for many more years to come!
Peter Berlin Editor Peter@Swedishpress.com July 2019
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Explosion, Gunfire and a Fear of Deportation Massive Explosion in Linköping
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n Friday, June 7, a huge explosion damaged an apartment block and injured 25 residents in central Linköping. Miraculously, nobody was killed. Initially, a gas leak was suspected to have caused the blast, but it is now clear that the explosion took place in front of the building rather than inside. The pressure wave from the blast was powerful enough to push in window frames, shatter furniture and damage walls inside the apartments.
The explosives are thought to have been placed in a “box bike” parked in the bicycle shed adjacent to the building. The bicycle in question would have been a 3-wheeler used for local delivery of goods contained in a big box. The nature of the incident suggests that it was caused by criminals rather than terrorists. While looking for the culprits and their motives, the police are focussing their attention on the residents in the building, based on the hypothesis that the explosion might have been an act of revenge.
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Man Shot by Police in Malmö
hree days after the Linköping explosion, a man jarred travellers in Malmö’s Central Railway Station by repeatedly slamming his bag on the floor and shouting in broken English that it contained a bomb. The police were called and ordered the man to lie
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Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
down on the floor. Instead of complying, he warned the officers that he carried a gun. The officers then incapacitated the man by shooting him in the legs. Bomb experts subsequently detonated the bag; on examination of the remnants, they found no trace of either guns or bombs. At least the police did not shoot the man in the head. He is now recovering in hospital and will be available to explain his motives.
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An Embassy on Wheels
he Swedish ambassador to the UK has embarked on a tour of the UK using a chartered bus painted blue and yellow, affectionately labelled the “Embassy on Wheels.” His goal is to meet with Swedish expats and company representatives to offer them
reassurances about their legal rights in the context of a possible “hard Brexit.” It is not widely known that London has more Swedes than any other city outside of Sweden. There are around 100,000 Swedish expats living and working in the UK. They are becoming increasingly worried about their future as the prospect of a “hard Brexit” looms. A hard Brexit means that the United Kingdom would leave the European Union at the end of October with no trade and immigration deal in place. If this were to happen, EU residents in the UK are asking themselves if they will lose their right of abode, employment and healthcare benefits. While a hard Brexit would inconvenience the expats, it would be even more traumatic for the 1000+ Swedish companies operating in the UK because of the potential introduction of trade tariffs. Foremost among these companies are Ikea, clothing company H&M, and security firm Securitas. Overall, the UK is Sweden’s 4th biggest export market, while Sweden is the UK’s 8th biggest market. Below: Torbjörn Sohlström, the Swedish ambassador to the UK, kicked off the tour in Brighton. Photograph: Andrew Hasson
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Swedes in the News
Swedish Literature and Spotify Collaborations Selma’s Biography Jag vill sätta världen i rörelse is a new biography about Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, written by Swedish author and journalist Anna-Karin Palm. It will be released on August 30. Lagerlöf, who is one of Sweden’s most celebrated authors and teachers, saw her first novel Gösta Berling’s Saga published in 1891 at the age of 33. Also celebrated for novels such as Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige and Jerusalem, Lagerlöf became the first female writer to take home the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909. In her new biography, Palm uncovers the story of a strong woman with a desire for freedom. Jag vill sätta världen i rörelse is going to be available in hardcover and on CD.
Princess Madeleine’s new book Stella och hemligheten
with Karini GustafsonTeixeira and Marie Oskarsson, tells the story of a nineyear-old girl named Stella who moves to Sweden with her family. While in Sweden she becomes friends with another young girl who shares a terrible secret with Stella. Princess Madeleine’s book brings up issues such as self-esteem, trust and the importance of standing up for oneself. Stella och hemligheten includes a supplement with questions for further discussions about the book. Ek Welcomes the Obamas
Jag vill sätta världen i rörelse, about Selma Lagerlöf.
Bernadotte’s Children’s Book Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s new children’s book Stella och hemligheten is now available in Swedish bookstores. The book, which Princess Madeleine wrote
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle.
Swedish media services provider Spotify and its founder Daniel Ek have announced that former U.S.
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are developing a podcast for the streaming service. According to the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground (with whom Spotify signed), the former U.S President and First Lady will “develop, produce, and lend their voices to select podcasts, connecting them to listeners around the world on wide-ranging topics.” We will be listening.
After finishing their concerts in Sweden, Gyllene Tider will end their tour with performances in Trondheim and Fredrikstad in Norway. In conjunction with the tour the band is also releasing a last album called Skrot och Korn. Soccer for Life
Golden Tour
Former UEFA president Lennart Johansson. Photo: Sverigesradio
Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider is celebrating 40 years together by going on a farewell tour starting in Halmstad, Sweden on July 4. The group, consisting of musicians Mats Persson, Göran Fritzon, Anders Herrlin, Micke Syd Andersson and fronted by Roxettesinger/songwriter Per Gessle, is one of Sweden’s best-selling bands and well-known for hits such as Flickorna på TV2, Sommartider, Det är över nu, Kung av sand and Gå & fiska! – all songs that will most likely be played during the tour.
Lennart Johansson, one of Sweden’s leading sports officials, passed away on June 4 at the age of 89 after a short illness. Johansson has served as chairman and president of Swedish soccer team AIK, chairman of Swedish Elite Football (Svensk Elitfotboll), president of the Swedish Football Association (Svenska fotbollförbundet), vice chairman of the International Football Association Fifa, and is – with his years in service between 19902007 – also the longestserving president of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) to date. Johansson was elected into Swedish Football’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
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[Landskapsnyheterna] SKÅNE I Helsingborg rehabiliteras cancersjuka 11-årige Anton Bengtsson genom att umgås med hästar. Efter flera operationer som resulterade i att Anton varken kunde tala eller gå, bestämde sig hans mamma Anna Bengtsson för att anmäla honom till Söderåsens Forsgård ridsjukgymnastik. Både Anton och Anna är glada över beslutet och tycker att gymnastiken ger goda resultat. – Han har fått mycket bättre balans, och hans finmotorik är grym nu, sa Anna Bengtsson. Anton trivs bra på ridsjukgymnastiken; han tycker om att rida, klappa och borsta hästarna. Anton har även en favorithäst – islandshästen Dropie. – Innan vi hunnit ut från gården frågar han direkt när vi ska tillbaka till Dropie igen. Han vill till och med att vi ska köpa marken här bredvid, sa Anna Bengtsson.
Anton har hittat en ny vän i favorithästen Dropie. Foto: Markus Hjortsman
HALLAND Malin Johansson från Jönköping blev ordentligt förvånad när hon var ute med familjen och fiskade utanför Glommen, Falkenbergs kommun. Utanför båten cirkulerade nämligen en sex – åtta meter lång vikval. – Det var jättehäftigt. Jag har aldrig varit med om något liknande, sa Malin Johansson. Malin filmade händelsen och kontaktade sedan Kennet Lundin, marinbiolog vid Bohusläns museum som efter att ha tittat på bilderna kunde fastställa att det var en vikval familjen sett.
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– En tydlig vikval. Man ser det på det vita tvärbandet vid bröstfenorna och på att ryggfenan är ganska stor och hög, sa Lundin. Enligt honom är det inte särskilt vanligt att man stöter på vikvalar i området där familjen befann sig. – Jag är jätteavundsjuk. Det kryllar inte av dem här, så man måste ha stor tur om man ska få se dem, sa han.
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SMÅLAND HÄRJEDALEN
ÅNGERMANLAND
MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND
DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND
Foto: Anna Simonsson På bilden: Klass från Kungsholmens Grundskola under deltagande av skräpplockning i Vi Håller Rent 2019.
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DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE
Stockholm
GOTLAND ÖLAND
BLEKINGE
Malmö
Jönköpingsborna värnar om naturen! Drygt 22 200 personer i länet har nämligen deltagit i organisationen Håll Sverige Rents årliga kampanj genom att plocka skräp. Deltagarna har bland annat plockat stora mängder plast och förpackningar. Saker som kan hamna i haven om de inte återvinns. – Allt fler upplever att nedskräpningen är ett stort problem och våra hav är fulla med plast, sa Johanna Ragnartz, vd på Håll Sverige Rent. I år deltog nästan 700 000 svenskar runt om i landet i Håll Sverige Rents kampanj. Med skräpplockningen hoppas organisationen skapa medvetenhet. – Framförallt hos barn och unga. Barn är ofta mycket bättre än vuxna på att ändra beteenden och säga till när andra skräpar ner, sa Ragnartz.
– Ett tag flyttade second hand ut på nätet, men nu börjar det återigen bli så att folk träffas fysiskt, sa Henrik Bjelkstål på Umeå Studentkår. – Det är trevligt att fler organiserar spontana loppisinitiativ på egen hand. Intresset för loppisarna på Umeå Universitet växer det också. I början var det inte så stort, men nu börjar det växa. Det blir som en inlärningsperiod, efter ett tag börjar folk känna igen grejen och då kommer fler, sa Bjelkstål. På bakluckeloppisarna kan man hitta bra saker till bra priser. – Det är bra för studenter som har tajt ekonomi som kan fynda och hitta bra grejer från varandra, sa Bjelkstål.
VÄSTERBOTTEN För andra året bjuder Umeå Studentkår in till utomhusloppis och så kallad ”bakluckeloppis” på Umeå Universitet. Bakluckeloppisarna har även blivit populära på andra håll i Sverige.
Bakluckeloppis. Foto: SVT
[Business] News From Rolling Heads to Rolling Bearings Heads Rolling at Swedbank
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By Peter Berlin wedbank, one of Sweden’s biggest banks, has seen both its CEO and Chairman depart within a week of each other. The bank has been embroiled in a scandal involving money laundering on behalf of Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs. While the CEO was dismissed outright, the Chairman left voluntarily on the grounds that the turmoil at the bank distracted him from his other duties as CEO of a company that processes forest products. Three other Board members have also opted to resign. Göran Persson, the former Swedish Prime Minister, has been nominated as the new Chairman, and replacements
Göran Persson has been nominated as the new Chairman of Swedbank. Photo: Josefine Ejemalm
for the other three Board members have also been proposed. Approval of the candidates by Swedbank’s shareholders will be sought at the bank’s extraordinary general meeting to be held on June 19. The money laundering saga would provide plenty of material for a blockbuster novel. The Ukrainian chapter involves the country’s former president, Viktor F. Yanukovich, and his payments to Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager who has
been convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud. The transaction via Swedbank’s Baltic subsidiary was first revealed following the leaking of confidential documents from the Panamabased law firm Mossack Fonseca which secretly helped the super-rich to avoid taxes. The ever-thickening plot was brought to public attention by a program on Swedish television. Swedbank is currently being investigated by Swedish and U.S. financial regulators.
No More Taxfree Onboard SAS
Intelligent Swedish Whisky
This autumn, Scandinavian Airlines will stop selling tax-free alcohol, tobacco and perfumes on its international flights. The reasons given are a change in passenger purchasing habits and the weight of the merchandise. Every saved kilogramme translates into a saving in fuel consumption. Cutting back the fuel consumption is one of several ways in which the airline plans to meet its reduction target for harmful jet exhaust by 2030. Every little bit helps.
Most people associate whisky with Scotland, Ireland and the United States. It may therefore come as a surprise that Sweden has over 100 whisky distilleries. The biggest of these, Macmyra, is about to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) to create new and irresistible flavours. Traditionally, Master Blenders, who are responsible for whisky flavour development, can spend their whole lives tasting and experimenting to create the best flavours possible. This may be about to change. Together with Microsoft and Fourkind – a Finnish technology consultancy with expertise in AI – Macmyra is now creating the world’s first whisky developed using AI. This is also the first time that a complex consumer product recipe has been created with machine learning. The possibilities for different whiskies are apparently endless.
A Lose-Lose Situation SKF, the Swedish manufacturer of industrial seals and bearings, has five factories in Mexico. Their output goes primarily to the automotive and machinery industry in the US. Following President Trump’s threat to impose a stepwise increasing import tariff on Mexican goods,
SKF bearings. Photo: Yuttana Udomdangaram
manufacturers in Mexico were faced with the dilemma whether to absorb the tax or pass it on to their US customers. SKF is opting for the latter solution as a matter of policy. At the time of writing, an agreement has been reached between the US and Mexico to stave off the imposition of tariffs. However, should the tariffs ever go ahead, the measure would either contribute to making American cars and machinery more expensive, or cause SKF to lose its competitiveness, possibly with job redundancies as a result.
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H ERITAG E
‘Swedish Press definitely launched my career...’ Ernie Poignant Turns 100 By Gary Poignant
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twist on the stork-and-baby fable was Ernie Poignant’s first introduction to creative storytelling. Now still active as a cartoonist at the age of 100, he says his parents’ humour prompted him to always look at real-life events in a light-hearted way. Ernie was born February 4, 1919, 70 km east of Vancouver, B.C., in the family farmhouse on the Matsqui Prairie, just south of the Canadian National Railway line. “In those days, a milk train used to travel past every morning, so when I got curious about where I came from, the folks didn’t say the stork brought me. They said I arrived on the milk train,” he recalls. Eventually, Ernie realized his parents were joking. But the prairie boy didn’t mind. Not at all. Soon after, his grandmother, Hulda, introduced him to cartooning. “I was about four years old. ‘Grandmaw’ showed me how to draw a stickman,” said Ernie. He looked at the sketch and noticed that something was missing. He grabbed a pencil and drew a line to connect the legs.
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“‘Grandmaw’ smiled and so did I,” recalls Ernie. He was soon doodling every chance he got, adding that the first lesson – like everything else inside the family home – was in Swedish. “All of our neighbours were Swedish, so we were taught Swedish,” said Ernie. There were dozens of Scandinavian families living in the fertile Fraser Valley. Ernie’s grandparents, Carl and Hulda, arrived in the Matsqui community of Ridgedale along with other Swedes and Norwegians in the late 1890s. The couple, from Stockholm, moved first to Illinois where Ernie’s father, Albin was born. The family finally settled in Matsqui. His mother, Hedvig Danielsson travelled from Linköping, Sweden to live with an uncle in Matsqui. Albin and Hedvig met at the Matsqui Swedish Baptist Church and married in 1917. Ernie clearly recalls how his love for drawing was taking hold. “I was with a friend and we were playing with a wooden toy, and it hit me that this wasn’t for me. I’d rather doodle and draw.” When the Second World War began, Ernie left his dad’s poultry farm to enlist with the Canadian army.
“Grandmaw” Hulda on the left and Ernie’s first drawing lesson from her when he was about four years old.
While stationed at Ontario’s Camp Borden, a live mortar exploded close to him and permanently damaged his hearing. Despite the injury, he remained on active duty at military bases in Canada throughout the conflict. On the side, he continued to draw, and several of his cartoons appeared in military publications. After the war, his family’s connections played a role in Ernie landing a job at the weekly Swedish Press in Vancouver. “My parents knew the publisher, Matt Lindfors, because – well – all the Swedes knew each other. Anyway, Matt asked me if I wanted to learn the printing business. ‘Of course,’ I said.” Ernie made the move to downtown Vancouver to work in the broadsheet newspaper’s backshop
H E RI TAG E
as a linotype operator and page layout compositor. “It definitely launched my career,” said Ernie, adding that he contributed several cartoons during his two years with the Swedish Press. He moved in 1949 to a similar job in the central B.C. town of Quesnel where he was hired as a compositor with the Cariboo Observer. He also produced a weekly editorial cartoon. While sketching a cartoon on a napkin in a café, he caught the eye of a young waitress named Rose Zack. Romance followed and the couple married in 1954. They had two children before moving south in 1958 to Maple Ridge. Ernie was now a compositor at the weekly Gazette and was continuing his weekly gig as a cartoonist.
Ernie and Rose celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on May 29, 2019.
But Ernie, an outgoing man, wanted to experience a personal reaction to his drawings. Prompted by a story in a U.S. magazine, he trained himself and started performing chalk talks. He created a variety of illustrated stories he would use during his performances, including his personal testimony as a new Christian called From the Bottle to the Bible. He also delivered secular presentations, including one where he would sketch a duck, add a few lines, and turn the duck into a duck hunter. He also introduced his Initital Drawing, a creation where participants
print their initials on a blank sheet of paper and pick a favourite animal. Ernie then draws a personal storyboard using the two letters and a sketch of the animal. During the Christmas season he was either drawing for crowds at a department store or at a heritage museum. For 30 years he entertained children at the BC Children’s Hospital, Canuck Place and Ronald McDonald House. In 2003, eight years after Matsqui amalgamated with the City of Abbotsford, Ernie returned to his old hometown. He was soon using his knowledge and artistic skills to become a noted local historian. In 2011, he was given a life-time achievement award by the Abbotsford Arts Council for his countless chalk talks and performances. In 2012 he raised more than $8,300 for Abbotsford’s Canuck Place children’s hospice through the sale of his second cartoon book, Poignant Moments. Ernie and Rose, who have three grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, now live at a residential care facility in Abbotsford. Ernie, who continues to draw and entertain, is set to publish his third book of cartoons – Welcome to the Past. “I may be slowing down, but I’ve still got my marbles,” said Ernie.
He gives high praise to family, friends and, most of all, to his wife of 65 years. “My success would not have been possible without her,” he continued, pointing out that most of his cartoons were created in ‘Rose’s Kitchen.’ In early February, family and friends joined Ernie to celebrate his 100th birthday. Graham Harrop, editorial cartoonist for the Vancouver Sun, attended the party and said he
Ernie, centre, celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends this past February.
has always been inspired by his mentor. He says, “The delightful whimsy of Ernie Poignant’s cartoons speaks of a quieter, gentler time. Ernie is one of a kind.”
Welcome to the Past!
CARTOONIST CELEBRATES 100 YEARS. by Ernie Poignant
Printed in Canada by Globe Printers, Abbotsford, BC
97973 Ernie Poignant Book cover2.indd 1
All proceeds from the book go directly to Heritage Abbotsford and the Trethewey House Heritage Site.
2019-05-15 8:58 AM
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 11
THE HISTORY OF
SWEDISH PRESS
Elinor Barr is the author of Swedes in Canada: Invisible Immigrants. The book includes the history of newspapers and magazines that allowed Swedish immigrants to keep in touch with ongoing events in the Old Country. The book is beautifully written and belongs on the shelves of every North American with Swedish roots. It is available on Amazon. Elinor has kindly given us permission to reprint the chapter that describes the origin and evolution of Swedish Press since its inception in 1929. You can read more about Elinor in Lars Sönnergren’s article on page 22 (in Swedish).
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 12
T
he only Swedish newspaper still in existence in Canada, Swedish Press, was established in Vancouver in 1929 as the Swedish-language Svenska pressen. British Columbia’s first Swedish paper, the weekly Svenska Vancouver posten (The Swedish Vancouver Post) had been founded in 1910 by Oscar Sundborg, a snuff manufacturer from Chicago. Although circulation hit 2,500 the following year, both Sundborg and his newspaper disappeared in 1914. It was two Finland Swedes, Helge Ekengren and Paul Johnson, who founded Svenska pressen. Ekengren provided space in the same building as his travel agency, and the first issue was dated 24 January 1929. The four-page weekly gave equal space for news from Sweden and Finland. When Ekengren left in 1933, Matt Lindfors became editor, assisted by Rud Manson, who had already worked there for three years. Nobody knew that Rud was married, or that he was never able to earn enough money to bring his wife to Canada as they both wanted. Their profoundly moving correspondence came to light only after his death. Financial difficulties dogged Svenska pressen, despite inventive appeals and refinancing schemes. In 1936 Lindfors sold the paper to Seattle’s Svenska posten, which printed his weekly Vancouver page. Less than a year later he got
it back and changed the name to Nya svenska pressen (The New Swedish Press). In 1943 it was reorganized as a private company under the name Central Press Limited, having purchased its own printing equipment. A board of directors was elected and shares sold to pay capital expenses. At this time Lindfors was busy elsewhere, and Einar Olson took over as editor for five years, followed by Rud Manson until Lindfors returned in 1961. Maj Brundin wrote articles under the pseudonym Röksignaler (Smoke Signals) and also served on the paper’s board of directors. Lindfors was a tireless promoter of Sweden and things Swedish, especially among children. As Farbror Olle (Uncle Olle) he wrote a weekly column in Swedish, and in 1935 founded a club called Vårblomman (The Spring Flower). Members performed on his local CJOR radio program Echoes from Sweden just before Christmas, with prizes for those who signed up new members. The year before he had founded a young people’s club, Diamanten (The Diamond), also based on a weekly column, which by 1938 had 600 members. Farbror Olle organized the first of many summer camps at Swedish Park, which usually wound up with a public music program presented by Diamanten as well as races, vocal solos, and a public dance with live music. Naturally these activities were duly reported in Nya svenska pressen.
The paper faced another crisis in 1984 when the editors, professional journalist Jan Fränberg and his wife, Vicky, decided to return to Sweden. By this time the paper was publishing only ten issues a year. “The problem,” lamented Jan, “was that the subscribers were dying.” At this point Nya svenska pressen was one of only five surviving Swedish newspapers on the continent. While it was true that original subscribers were dying, it was also true that most of their children and grandchildren could not read Swedish and did not have strong feelings towards Sweden. Immigration had virtually halted during the years from 1930 to 1950 because of the Depression, the Second World War, and reconstruction in Canada. When North America became a favoured destination once again, many immigrants had already learned English at school as a compulsory subject. The loss of subscribers, coupled with escalating printing costs, sounded the death knell for hundreds of ethnic newspapers in North America.
Sture Wermee, who had worked as typographer and sometime editor since 1952, was determined that Nya svenska pressen should survive. Along with Swedish consul Ulf Waldén and others, he scouted around for an editor and found Anders and Hamida Neumüller. The couple agreed to try it for a year as a monthly, with the backing of the Swedish Press Society. They switched the name to Swedish Press/Nya Svenska pressen, adopted a smart magazine format, and started producing the paper on a Macintosh computer. The Swedish Charitable Association, which raised money through bingos, funded purchase of the new equipment and the first issue came out in January 1986. Continuing to contribute were journalist Ann-Charlotte Berglund, cartoonist Ernie Poignant, and Sven Seaholm, the paper’s poet laureate. New contributors included Mats Thölin with sports, Adele Heilborn with news from Sweden, and Roberta Larson with reports from the Swedish Canadian Rest Home. Editor Anders Neumüller credited Canada’s multicultural policy and Vancouver’s Expo ’86 with generating enough advertising revenue to see Swedish Press through its critical first year. He also came close to meeting his goal of doubling the number of subscribers. Since then, Swedish Press has become an international resource, keeping readers informed in an interesting way
about happenings in Canada, Sweden and the United States, very little of which is included in the mainstream media. At the end of 2012, Claes and Joan Fredriksson purchased Swedish Press from Anders and Hamida Neumüller who retired and moved back to Sweden after a successful run of the magazine for 27 years. Claes and Joan revamped the magazine and are now producing a full-colour edition featuring the innovation and imagination that Sweden brings to the world. Readers are treated to stories on design, travel, music, fashion, and culture while enjoying a round-up of selected news. Other features include interviews with distinguished personalities and award-winning companies, along with stories on traditions and heritage. In 2016, Swedish Press received an award for “Excellence in Editorial Concept Art and Visual Presentation” from the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada.
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 13
WHAT HAS SWEDISH PRESS MEANT TO YOU? We asked a handful of our faithful subscribers, readers and contributors to describe in a few words how Swedish Press has influenced their perception of Sweden and Sweden-North America. We also invited suggestions regarding future content and the best way to reach a wider readership. Here is what they told us.
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 14
Anders and Hamida Neumüller Publishers & Editors, Swedish Press 1986 to 2012
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fter six years in retirement we still miss our dear readers and supporters from the time we were editors 1986-2012. Your phone calls, kind notes with renewals and, above all, meeting so many of you all over the continent was what kept us and Swedish Press going! You are so lucky to now have Peter, Joan and Claes continuing publishing history with quality content and a great glossy look. (We could never afford full color except for the electronic editions!) Svenska Pressen started out in December 1928, just in time for “the dirty thirties”, and one could write a book about its adventurous ups and downs, with one editor even giving up his apartment and sleeping on the printing press to save the newspaper. But financial problems persisted, and in the November 1985 issue the only professional editor that Swedish Press had ever had, called it quits. That is when we were talked into trying to save Swedish Press. We had come to Canada with our two small daughters for a two-year sabbatical, never imagining that we would stay on for 31 years and that Swedish Press would become such a big part of our lives. The first thing we did after we took over Swedish Press was
to redesign the bi-weekly broadsheet into a monthly magazine so that it could be computerized. Next we used all the ideas from the former editors for subscription drives and competitions. While they had had radio programs, we read Swedish news on both a weekly television program and a radio program. They sold music records while we sold books and “Three Crowns” gifts and wear. They even published the all-English Scandinavian Post for a few months just like we did with our quarterly Scandinavian Press (that is now published by the Allen Larson family in Minot, ND). We even took readers on a trip to Scandinavia. Through exclusive interviews with the King, Queen, Crown Princess, Archbishop, and Prime Minister, we came to understand the importance of Swedish Press, and we were also touched when celebrities like Ann Margret, Björn Borg, Candice Bergen, Astrid Lindgren and Isabella Rossellini (but not Greta Garbo who used to pick up the paper at Nyborg & Nelson in New York) opened their otherwise closed doors for us. They were all thrilled to discover a surviving Swedish paper in North America. Running Swedish Press was a tough job. We could not have done it without the help of Swedish organizations and businesses in North America – not to forget so many friends and contacts in Sweden who contributed in so many different ways. Retiring after 74 issues of Scandinavian Press and 312 of Swedish Press, we have stopped writing, but Hamida still dreams of compiling a cookery book with the fantastic recipes we ran in Treats, and Anders has not given up on editing a book with the works of the 150 Swedish cartoonists we featured in Swedish Press. He would also like to publish in Swedish the virtual trip we did on the magazines’ NordicWay site to 548 interesting Swedish American places that most Swedes have never heard of. Stay tuned!
Gregg White
Executive Director, Swedish Council of America, Minneapolis
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or the past several years, Swedish Council of America has been a regular contributor to the Swedish Press [CONNECTS] program. This has permitted SCA to reach a whole new audience with information about how we support organizations and scholars across Swedish North America. We are very grateful for this opportunity, one that is rarely offered to a nonprofit such as ourselves. We salute Swedish Press as it celebrates its 90th Anniversary. Ten times a year, the magazine provides interesting and informative articles for and about Sweden and Swedish America. We know how much work it takes to consistently produce such a fine product and we salute Peter, Joan and Claes for their stellar efforts. Their dedication to a quality product will ensure the magazine’s longevity for decades to come. [
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Swedish Press Connects
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Swedish Council of America
Swedish Press Connects
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Swedish Press Conne cts
Swedish Council of America
By Gregg White, SCA Executive Director
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Swedish Coun cil of Amer ica
And the Winners are...
This summer’s calendar is filled with Swedish events!
By Gregg White, SCA Executive Director
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New Nordic Cuisine
American Swedish Historical pring is perhaps the most exciting time of year at Museum, Philadelphia,
Swedish Groups
Thrive and Prosper
By Gregg White, SCA Swedish Council of America. This is when SCA Pennsylvania to preserve the Nordic Executive Director heritage in Western announces the recipients of its annual grants cycle. www.americanswedish.org Eastern Iowa. Illinois and The announcement wasfood made by Dr. Anne-Charlotte CA Proclamations Focusing on Nordic rom Vikings in MinToday its membersh are granted “View of Fort Orange, 1652” Sojourning Strangers Conference Courtesy of by the SCA Board ip stands at 150, Harvey, SCA Grants Committee Chair, after the SCA of Directors to recognize trends of the past 20 years, neapolis to disco in Len Tantillo. Augustana Students. including many significant milestone The Board of Directors approved this year’s grants at its annual affiliated organizati this exhibition explores Seattle, you could s in the American Scandinav ASA is an associate chapter of ons’ histories or outstandin meeting intraditional March. food and province of mainland Sweden to the ASHM in 1938. ian Foundation, achieveme spend the whole g Opensin New York, nts made headquartered by public figures and an affiliate of in Swedish“This year SCA is funding seven museum exhibitions, North America. At September 2018. contemporary innovation, summer crisscrossing North the Swedish Council the 2018 America, based of in Minnesota. the campus of Augustana Autumn SCA Meeting held four performance groups, one conference local production and global and three projects America experiencing dozens on College in Rock Island, meritoriou aimed at youth,” Harvey.culture “Someand recipients are large three BISHOP HILL HERITAGE ASSOCIATION, BISHOP HILL, IL Illinois reach,said restaurant of remarkable shows, exhibits s groups had their historic with milestones Swedish fine dining. Photo: Tina SCA institutions while others represent grass-roots programs The Nordland Band Concert will be part of the Bishop Hill Proclama marked home cooking. and performances – each tions. SCA congratul Stafrén/imagebank.sweden.se ates them that are important in their local area. The SCA Grants Midsommar Music Festival on Saturday, Juneall! 23, 2018, in focused on Swedish heritage Viking helmet. Photo: LindHill, Chapel CommitteeNordic sees this as a good cross-section of activities in Jenny Bishop IL. –InInaddition, about Scandinavian Museum or culture. And as been the case honour ofa workshop Gustavianum, Uppsala its 150th Anniversa In 1850, ry weMuseum, know just how important folk songs will be held in the Steeple Building Museum. Both Universitet Swedish America a group Nationaland Nordic Seattle, Washingtonfunding for over four decades, Swedish of ten Swedish immigran Lutheran ts establishe fromas SCA can be to each of these groups.” the congregat concert and are free and open to the www.nordicmuseum.org Council of America is supporting many of these projects d apublic. ionworkshop in Andover, IL. It Jenny Lind, the was named after the great pleasure of informing the various groups Swedish part of its annual grants program. Participate and enjoy!“I have Renowned famous 19th century singer, $1,500OLD who donated that they will be receiving an SCA Grant for their project,” SWEDES FOUNDATION AND HISTORIC SITE, so the photojournalist Hasse congregat ion could start the building. This said SCA Executive Director, White. “In fact, as year, theWILMINGTON, DE Jenny Lind Chapel Persson covered theGregg United The Vikings Begin! (JLC) commemo rates the entitled, often as possible, I like to deliver the check in person or150th anniversa The 17thry annual Sweden History conference States for Swedish news American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota of theNew move from the original the “new” visit the organization tothe personally “Sojourning Strangers: Swedes and Germans buildingin church in 1868. outlets from 1960s towitness just what kind www.asimn.org tothe Soon, over a thousand immigran of impact SCA has onand their community. Middle-Atlantic Colonies” will be held inSwedish November 2018. ts from Moline to the 1990s, also served That is one of the This major exhibition details the emergence of a distinct Peoria called this their own. congregat It will explore the interactions between individuals Eventuall asmy thejob!” official photographer Viking culture in late iron-age Scandinavia, as seen best parts of ion or y this became the “mother”of tion of the Here are examples of organizations being funded groups that led to better understanding the experiences of Vasa congregaAugustana of some New York’s legendary through the lens of rich archaeological material contained Lutheran Park – In honour Church in America. of its 65th Anniversa SCA54 Grants. A complete Mid-Atlantic Swedes and Germans between 1638 and Begun 1783. Studio nightclub. This list of 2018 SCA in recently excavated Viking graves from Sweden andby this year’s ry in the early 1950s, Grant recipients and the projects funded is available on the Vasa Park outside exhibition provides a rare the Baltic region. Curated by Gustavianum, an Uppsala has been a place of Chicago for families to gather Andy Warhol and friends. SCA website, www.swedishcouncil.org. SWEDISH AMERICAN MUSEUM, CHICAGO, IL look inside the 1970s most University museum. and enjoy the great outdoors as they Photo: Hasse Persson Studio 54 celebrated their The Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera exhibit will exclusive party scene, and Swedish heritage. and Beyond: A Swedish Lens on a the group has expanded to present the traditions Today AMERICANshowcases SWEDISH Persson’s HISTORICAL MUSEUM, showcase the puppets and set that were once a part ofNordic the Turbulent America iconic Dressing with Purpose: countries to people of all the PHILADELPHIA, PA renowned Kungsholm restaurant in Chicago from 1941 of all cultures. photographs of the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, Belonging and Resistance Not just Scandinav ians but the general The exhibition From the Heart, by Hand: to 1971. and newsmakers fromMade Muhammad AliCelebratto Richard Nixon to The exhibit will highlight the history and perforin Scandinavia pate in the annual public particiMidsommar Festival ing 80 years ofDylan. Hemslöjd at the ASHM will introduce mances of the Kungsholm puppets. Associated eventsthe will Bob Museum of International Folk in June as well as Fish Boil held in fall. Bringing a taste the rich tradition of hand craft in Sweden to the museum’s include lectures, tours of the original Kungsholm building Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico to the Chicago area of Scandinavia is key to Vasa Park’s visitors through a remarkable gift of 64 textiles from every on Michigan Avenue, and more. Autumn 2018. www.internationalfolkart.org continuing success. This exhibition examines Resources on the SCA website: www.swed three dress traditions A directory of 150+ ishcouncil.org Swedish organizations Details of SCA Award today – Swedish folkdräkt, of Merit Details of SCA Proclamation nominations Norwegian bunad, and s bestowed SCA is Swedish America’s community foundation. Our mission is to promote American SCA Award Nomination Scandinav ian Association Sámi gákti – exploring forms knowledge and appreciation of Swedish heritage and culture in North at Augustana – In Honour of its American life and to strengthen contemporary cultural and educational their contemporary uses, 85th Anniversary Thethis ties between North America and Sweden. We achieve by providing American Scandinavian Associatio aesthetics, and meanings grants to organizations, scholarships to youth, recognition SCA is Swedish America’s n was founded in 1934 bytoaleaders groupand of Scandinavians in light of two centuries of communications to the community – all focused on furthering our mission. knowledge and appreciationcommunity foundation. Our mission Caption: Swedish folk costumes. living in the Quad area. Just as they is to promote Swedish Presswww.swedishcouncil.org | May 2018 [24] of Swedish heritage City Photo: Carrie Hertz social and political change. were then, the goals American life and and culture in North to strengthen contemporar of the ASA are to stimulate and promote ties between North interest in relations America and Sweden. y cultural and educational between the U.S. grants to organizations and culture We Swedish Press | June 2019 26 and all five of the , scholarships to youth, achieve this by providing communications to Nordic countries, recognition to leaders the community – all and and www.swedis focused
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on furthering our mission.
Kristine Leander
Executive Director, The Swedish Club, Seattle
M
y appreciation of Swedish Press goes back quite a few years and predates Joan and Claes Fredriksson’s role as the publishers of this fine magazine. I’ve watched it mature and take a more sophisticated tone to the topics that permeate the magazine, namely, what does it mean to be a Swedish-American and how does one maintain a connection to Sweden or make a new connection with modern Sweden? Unlike my father’s era when being called a “tow-headed Swede” was the worst insult a school-aged child could endure, being Swedish or SwedishAmerican is chic in Seattle these days. But what’s a person to do if the Swedish relatives are long lost, flying over frequently isn’t an option, or one doesn’t speak good Swedish? Read Swedish Press, of course! From election news to business, from politics to recipes, I get informed about contemporary Sweden when I read Swedish Press. I also trust Swedish Press. I feel like I’m getting a balanced view of events and news. Maybe I’m naïve about Swedish news, but I don’t detect either censure or commendation in the reporting. Just the facts, all about Sweden. I love the magazine!
Christina Hallmert
Internationell ordförande, SWEA International, Inc
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om internationell ordförande i SWEA, som fyller fyrtio år i år, är det särskilt roligt för mig att få gratulera till Swedish Press 90-årsjubileum! När jag tillträdde för snart fyra år sedan var Swedish Press en ny bekantskap för mig, men jag förstod mycket snart vilket värdefullt och viktigt forum det är, särskilt i Nordamerika. Jag läser varje nummer av tidningen med stort intresse och förundras ständigt över det stora engagemang som förenar oss Sverigefrämjande organisationer och forum. Det är så viktigt att få synas tillsammans och visa hur viktiga var och en av oss är, med olika målgrupper och olika syften, men med Sverige som gemensamt förtecken. Jag brukar säga att vi alla är små gulblå partiklar som direkt eller indirekt marknadsför Sverige, och vi gör alla ett strålande arbete! Eftersom jag är bosatt i Europa, skulle jag förstås önska att tidningen skulle få ett bredare internationellt fokus, något jag samtidigt förstår utmaningarna med. Självklart är det viktigt för SWEA att även fortsättningsvis ha goda relationer med Swedish Press och vi ser fram emot viktiga framtida projekt och samarbeten. Många gratulationer till jubilaren och tack för allt viktigt arbete ni lägger ner!
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 15
Kristi Robinson
Regular contributor, Design section of Swedish Press
H
aving no Swedish heritage, and having not even met a ‘real life’ Swede in person until I was an adult, I’ve had an unexplained affinity for Sweden for as long as I can remember – the language, the culture, the landscape, the music, the list goes on. The opportunity to contribute to Swedish Press on a regular basis keeps me on top of what’s going on in the art and design scene, and the depth of creative talent coming from Sweden constantly amazes me. I learn as much from writing these articles as I hope all of you learn by reading them. As a reader of Swedish Press myself, I love that the magazine keeps me connected to current events and all things Swedish. Practically everything I know about Sweden is because of Swedish Press. Looking ahead, in thinking about what kind of content would be a great addition to the magazine, it would be nice to have a focus on Swedish youth and young adults who are making a difference. There are many young Swedes who are leading positive change or improving the lives of others, and it’s something worth sharing.
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 16
Birgitta von Knipe
Regular contributor and Swedish Press representative in Los Angeles
H
aving read the magazine Swedish Press for so many years, it has been an honor to be able to contribute to the magazine’s contents. Swedish Press is such a wonderful, all-encompassing magazine covering all issues, all industries, people of all walks of life, politics, traditions, culture and Swedish events domestically and globally. I have never seen a magazine like it. Writing VIP interviews for Swedish Press has been a tremendous experience – learning about, connecting, and meeting with so many interesting people I would otherwise never have encountered. They have included CEO’s, celebrities, politicians, entertainers, composers, and designers of all kinds. It has influenced me to look for new interviews and get creative in asking different types of questions. Now that I am a parent of twin baby girls, I would love to see parentand-child articles related to resources, practices and ideas on how parents globally raise bilingual children successfully; also how to find the right educational modalities and implement our traditions so our children get a sense of our Swedish roots. I believe this would help boost a younger audience for Swedish Press.
Don Sjöberg
Swedish Press Subscriber since 1999 Edmonton, Alberta
K
eeping Swedish Press in print for 90 years is an amazing achievement. The publishers are to be commended for their dedicated efforts, past and present. As a subscriber who enjoys the magazine and sees the importance of its continuance, I believe this anniversary year is an opportunity to renew and extend the interest in Swedish Press. Seeing Swedish Press for the first time at the Winnipeg Swedish Cultural Club, I phoned for a subscription. My call was answered at the home of Anders and Hamida Neumüller who took the order and asked about my Swedish connection and involvements. They were looking for stories and ways of giving voice to Swedish organizations in North America which they did for 27 years. Thankfully, the magazine continues by publishers, Claes and Joan Fredriksson, who are producing full-colour, attractive and informative editions. Will Swedish Press survive the digital age? I have no answers but I know what I can do: personally encourage new subscribers by telling, showing and offering a gift subscription. Whether Swedish Press continues for another 10 or 90 years, the effort is worth doing now.
Publisher, Swedish Press since 2013
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AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITHWITH THE THE UK COLUMNIST WHOWHO LOVES SWEDEN. AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW UK COLUMNIST LOVES SWEDEN.
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE UK COLUMNIST WHO LOVES SWEDEN.
NYA SVENSKA PRESSEN EST. 1929
Vol. 78: 6
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AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE UK COLUMNIST WHO LOVES SWEDEN NYA SVENSKA PRESSEN EST.1929 www.swedishpress.com Vol 83:5 $3.95
Swedish PRESS
S edish Press SWED iSH exclusive interview with the SAnUKWED iSH PRESS columnist who loves Sweden
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE UK COLUMNIST WHO LOVES SWEDEN NYA SVENSKA PRESSEN EST.1929 www.swedishpress.com Vol 83:5 $3.95
NYA SVENSKA PRESSEN EST. 1929
An exclusive interview with the UK columnist who loves Sweden P WITHRTHE S WHO SLOVES SWEDEN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW UK E COLUMNIST MAY 2012 Vol 83:5 www.swedishpress.com $3.95
N Y A STraditions VENSKA PRESSEN Midsummer
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Midsummer Traditions Stockholm Tips Stockholm Tips Midsummer Traditions Göteborg Tips Göteborg Tips Malmö Tips Stockholm Tips Malmö Tips Göteborg Tips Malmö Tips
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AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE UK COLUMNIST WHO LOVES SWEDEN.
JUNE 2007
Vol. 78:Vol. 6 78: 6
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s publisher of Swedish Press for the last six years, I have had the great pleasure of learning more about my own country Sweden, my adopted country Canada and also about the US. In the process of developing our version of Swedish Press, Joan and I have also come to know many devoted people in North America who uphold Swedishness, and others in Sweden eager to connect with the emigrants new and old in North America. Our challenge and opportunity have been to tie all of this together while also delivering a quality, glossy, colour magazine to all our readers Filippa K. Stockholm Tips. Midsummer Göteborg Tips. Traditions. Malmöto Tips. shift and managing the pressure to digital channels. As we know, many of our dearest and most loyal readers are not getting any younger, and they do not necessarily want to read a digital magazine … even if this might be the trend in other countries like Sweden where both cash and newspapers have Swedish all but disappeared. So as we prepare for the final decade before Swedish Press turns 100, we are figuring out, 1) how to grow our reader base in print and digital, 2) how to get more reader input and interaction, 3) how to simplify our process (no more check payments) and lower costs and,
JUNE 2007 JUNE 2007
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eminisences: I remember looking at a very thin newspaper called the Swedish Press and not being able to read it as it was in Swedish. Hearing Swedish spoken by my mother and aunts and uncles. Names of family friends Wickström, Andersson, Axelsson, Sjöholm, Lindfors, Brundin, Johnson, Eastman Hagmans. Trips to the Swedish Park in North Vancouver, watching the adults cooking in the cookhouse, dancing on the stage, dancing in the Rotunda. My mother teaching folkdances and I am still dancing! Moving to Sweden in 1948 and going to school where no-one spoke English, you learn quickly. Arriving back to Canada 7 years later not knowing if you are Swedish or Canadian. Getting married and almost forgetting Swedish. Belonging to the Swedish Club of Victoria and speaking Swedish again – what joy! Helping to keep our traditions and food and customs alive and well. Being part of the Swedish Press 80th birthday party and now the 90th. Congratulations. Gratulerar!
Claes Fredriksson
PM40010214 R9409
Swedish Press Subscriber since 1997 Sidney, British Columbia
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE UK COLUMNIST WHO LOVES SWEDEN
Annabelle Beresford
most importantly, if and how we can motivate Peter our Editor and Joan our Designer and Producer to keep on doing the fabulous work they are doing for another 100 issues. For our collective benefit I ask that you give this some thought. Please come back to us with your suggestions which we will be publishing for further debate in the magazine. On a final note, we are thinking of turning the magazine slightly greener and sharing news from Sweden, Scandinavia and Scandinavian North America that supports the climate and the environment. We would like to call this new direction Collective Resilience SWEDiSH PRESS by Swedish Press, as it relates back to PRESS Filippa K. Stockholm Tips. Filippa K. Nordic immigrants Stockholm Tips. theGöteborg resilience our Tips. Midsummer Göteborg Tips. Midsummer Traditions. Malmö Tips. Traditions. Malmö Tips. showed and are still showing when faced with moving to North America. Thank you for your support during the last 6 (+84) years. Looking forward to checking in with you again when we reach one hundred!
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NYA SVENSKA PRESSEN
MAY 2012 Vol 83:5 $ 3.95
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5
2012
www.swedishpress.com
PRESS All exclusive interview with the UK columnist who loves Sweden
Midsummer Traditions Stockholm Tips Göteborg Tips Malmö Tips
Designing various covers and logos before the new Swedish Press launch at the end of 2012. The bottom right is the final selection.
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 17
H ERITAG E
‘Kaptenen får delirium och slås ned av styrmannen...’ Fritiof Andersson i själva verket – En folkkär äventyrares biografi, del 2 Av Frank Orton Fritiof möter Författaren våren 1910 År 1909 är Författaren bl a i Port Adelaide på den australiska sydkusten, där han lär känna Karl-Alfred Bolin. Påföljande vår är han i London och träffar Bolin i kön av arbetssökande sjöfolk på ett shippingkontor. Där träffar han också för första gången Fritiof Andersson, som han senare kallar ”sin gamle barndomsvän”. I april får de tre hyra på Princess of Wales av London, en stor vacker paddle-steamer,8 som gör så mycket som elva knop. Den har sålts av Great Eastern Railway till bolaget Mihanovich y Compañia i Buenos Aires och skall nu gå dit via Bahia do Brazil9 under befäl av sin kapten, Mr Jackson, en engelsman med rötter i Nova Scotia. Besättningen består med några undantag av ett fruktansvärt EastEnd-slödder. Redan första dagen ombord blir de tre kamraterna bestulna på alla sina tillhörigheter och resan blir också i övrigt dramatisk. Myteri utbryter nämligen. Fritiof lyckas rädda kaptenen undan en rasande och utsvulten besättning genom att fånga honom med lasso och hala upp honom på kommandobryggan. Där stänger de tre kamraterna in honom i navigationshytten, dock med whisky till tröst. Besättningen planerar att sänka fartyget, som är högt försäkrat. Om kaptenen är i maskopi med besättningen eller ej, är något oklart. När Författaren en natt står till rors, får han se förste styrmannen stuva ned
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 18
mast och segel i skeppsbåten. Författaren kallar på sina kamrater, som upptäcker att fartyget är läck. De tre lyckas emellertid få besättningen att under pistolhot sätta i gång pumparna och man tar sig till Santiago, den största av Kap Verde-öarna.10 Där fängslas myteristerna. Färden mot Sydamerika fortsätter på ett fiskefartyg med svensk besättning och de tre kamraterna blir vänner för livet. Storm på väg till Hamburg vintern 1911 I januari påföljande år, dvs 1911, är Fritiof i Huelva i Andalusien i södra Spanien. Nu har han blivit lättmatros och går ombord på Aldebaran av Bergen, en gammal ångare på 1 800 ton. Med last av kopparmalm har hon destination Hamburg via Valencia. Redan i Gibraltarsund möter emellertid dåligt väder, som ger styrmannen stora skälvan, och i höjd med Santandér blir det storm.11 Allt av bräder går överbord, livbåtar krossar två man,
fockmasten går av, kommandobryggan spolas bort och skylightet till maskinen bryts sönder. Med ett tjut i visslan faller till slut t o m skorstenen i däck. Kaptenen får delirium och slås ned av styrmannen. Stormen varar i sexton dagar, besättningen kommer inte ur sina oljekläder och rå potatis blir till slut deras enda kost. I Hamburg arresteras besättningen för myteri. Styrmannen, som ju slagit ned sin kapten, förses t o m med handbojor. Emellertid medger kaptenen inför rätta att han druckit två flaskor Black & White varje dag under färden. Detta får domaren att släppa alla i besättningen med motiveringen att ”Sådant läder som kaptenen, det ska sådan smörja ha!” Under och efter första världskriget Fritiof och Författaren träffas därefter vid flera tillfällen i Sydamerika. Tillsammans genomkorsar de Pampas till häst, tränger fram till Rio Priméro
Originalskiss till Evert Taubes målningar på Park Avenue Hotel, utford av Evert Taube januari 1958.
H E RI TAG E
i norr och är spårvagnskonduktörer i Córdoba FCCA.12 Under första världskriget gör de sedan olika sjöresor tillsammans, blir flera gånger beskjutna och tas vid ett tillfälle till fånga i Cardiff. De exercerar beväring i svenska flottan år 1917 och instiftar bl a H M Thules, sedermera Niords, frivilliga manskapsorkester och madrigalpatrull. Efter kriget återses de flera gånger, dels ombord på transoceana fartyg, dels i Genua, Messina och Barcelona, men också på Molinaris taverna i London. Under namnet Fritto Andorra sysslar Fritiof där med att spela banjo och rita skepp för fem shilling stycket. Från Gula floden på 20-talet Någon gång på 1920-talet äger ett av dessa transoceana möten rum i Röda havet. Fritiof är på väg med den finska fullriggaren Taifún från Ostindien till Godahoppsudden och möter en svensk ångare på väg norrut med Författaren ombord. Fritiof berättar för Författaren vad han varit med om. Han har varit vid Gula floden i Kina, blivit rånad i Shanghai och gift sig med dottern till mördaren Tu Wai. Hon hjälper honom att komma vidare till Singapore. Där på ett torg, utan pass och pengar, känns han igen av Sveriges konsul,
kapten Fredrik Adelborg. Fritiof förklarar att han vill återvända till Göteborg. och bjuds hem till konsuln, där den söta konsulinnan bjuder på te och marmelad. Konsuln utrustar honom med såväl vita kläder som svenskt pass och tio pund som lån. Fritiof mönstrar på en ångare, som i Siam får last av djur till Hagenbecks i Hamburg.13 Söder om Ceylon råkar man in i en hemsk cyklon. Folk och djur går överbord och till sist är det bara Fritiof och en elefant kvar ombord. I en sydvästmonsun driver man in till Camarin på Malabár.14 Mer hinner inte Fritiof berätta, innan Författaren måste återvända med sin styrman till det egna fartyget och får se Taifún styra bort för alla sina tjugotvå segel. San Pedro, Antwerpen och London på 20-talet Vid ett annat tillfälle, någorlunda vid samma tid, är Fritiof ombord på skeppet Mirrabooka, som med dunkande motorer och dundrande propellrar går mot Västindien och Colón
vid Panamakanalens atlantinlopp.15 Det är ett svenskt fartyg på väg från Göteborg till San Pedro.16 Man siktar Haiti och i Sargassohavet glittrar det kring delfiner, som följer fartyget. Under 1920-talet är Fritiof under en tid också andre tatuerare hos en tatueringsprofessor i Antwerpen med examen från Tokyo. Författaren konstaterar att det ”enligt Nordisk Familjebok [är] individer av utpräglad underklass, som utövar tatueringskonsten, men man bör tilllägga: samt Fritiof Andersson!” Fritiof är emellertid också i London, där han under angenäma stunder spelar bordtennis med en lady, och på hennes baler bidrar han till den musikaliska underhållningen med bl a ping-pong-valsen ”När jag var en ung caballeiro…”. I den skildrar han som bekant hur han i yngre år på Piazetta Patrulla i Rio17 träffar en stilig fanciulla.18 Det är den skönsjungande Valencia, som enligt egen utsago ”lever för kärlek, för solsken och sång”. I den andan umgås också de två tills hans pengar tar slut. Då säger hon farväl och blir i stället primadonna hos direktören på Teatro Colonna. Fritiof får i sin ensamhet nöja sig med att spela cello i den tropiska kvällen. I nästa nummer: Carmencita 1932 och flera år senare i Nizza.
En ”paddlesteamer” är det som på svenska kallas en hjulångare. ”Salvador Bahia, hamnstad i Brasilien, ofta benämnd Bahia.” (Palm-Stenström, Den svenska sångboken). 10 Här utnyttjar Taube på nytt (se fotnot 6 ovan) poetens rätt att uttrycka sig fritt, när han diktar ”Vi kom till Santi-ago, en stad på Gröna ön”. ”Gröna ön” kan inte gärna syfta på något annat än Kap Verde, där det emellertid inte finns någon stad, som heter Santiago, men väl en ö, den största i ögruppen, med huvudstaden och flera hamnar. 11 Santandér är en stad på den spanska Biscaya-kusten, belägen några mil väster om Bilbao. 12 Córdoba FCCA är huvudstad i provinsen Cordoba, belägen närmare 70 svenska mil nordväst om Buenos Aires vid östra foten av Sierra Cordoba. Staden grundades av jesuiter år 1573, har biskop och universitet och är Argen-tinas näst största stad. Rio Priméro flyter genom staden. 13 Den berömda djurparken. 14 Kap Camarin är Indiens sydspets; Malabarkusten, eller Pepparkusten, sträcker sig därifrån längs Indiens västkust upp till Goa. 15 Colón är alltså beläget på den karibiska kusten vid Panama-kanalens norra (och västra!!) ändpunkt. 16 San Pedro är en beteckning på många orter och vattendrag i spanskspråkiga delar av världen. Vad Taube här haft i tankarna (om alls någon särskild plats) är oklart. 17 Någon sådant litet torg finns enligt uppgift dock inte i Rio. 18 Fanciulla är inte, som man kanske skulle tro, portugisiska eller spanska utan italienska för flicka eller ung kvinna. 8
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 19
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Road to 2045
Road to 2045
Sweden: Flygskam and Greta-Mania By Mattias Goldmann, Fores
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n just one year everything can change. A year ago, hardly anyone had heard of Greta Thunberg, but now the sixteenyear-old is on the cover of Time, talks to the UN and the EU, and leaves Arnold Schwarzenegger feeling starstruck. The school strike that she started now gathers over a million people in more than 100 nations, many of them countries with little tradition of citizen protests and engagement. Ms Thunberg does not applaud
Sweden: E-Scooter Market Skyrocketing Amidst Turbulence By Anna Lindén, 2030-secretariat
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ot even a year ago, sharing mobility was facing a major backlash in Stockholm. The shared bike system Stockholm had had for almost a decade, closed down and was not replaced by anything. Then, in September 2018, the Scandinavian micromobility company Voi launched the first fleet of e-scooters in Stockholm. Since then, they have skyrocketed. E-scooters are becoming a common way of transportation in a growing number of Swedish cities. Five cities have them today. Stockholm has five operators, will soon have even more – and we
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 20
or approve of half-way measures; climate change is real, and reducing emissions drastically is urgently needed. “I don’t want you to feel hope, I want you to panic,” she says, in stark contrast to other leading climate thinkers who believe we should coax and encourage change, step by step. In her strict version of climate activism, Greta certainly walks the talk. She does not fly, eats vegan and has not accepted a single company endorsement, since she does not believe consumerism is the way forward. And it has inspired a whole world; in France national news now talk about “flygskam” without even translating the Swedish word for “fly shame”, and in Sweden domestic aviation is down by almost ten percent which many attribute to Greta. Greta embodies a new wave of citizen’s demands: “If it is not sustainable,
I am not part of it.” When discussing this Generation Greta-approach, companies often point out that these young, bright and often female activists are exactly those they want to recruit – and if the companies are not seen as being in line with the climate requirements, Generation Greta won’t hand in their cv’s. In Sweden, Greta has been criticized by conservative thought leaders, who point out that she is only a child. Her answer is “don’t listen to me, listen to science,” quoting the IPCC reports that point out the need for immediate and drastic emissions reductions across the board. Is Greta a flash in the pan? She herself believes so, and soon the media frenzy will be over. But by then millions are ready to carry on with her – and the scientists’ – demands for reducing emissions, here and now.
also see new entrepreneurs for shared e-mopeds and other kinds of shared micromobility. The boom did not come without turbulence. The e-scooters were parked here and there in the streets and on sidewalks, were driven recklessly, were seen to be part of many accidents, and were claimed to break down after just a few weeks. An attitude study showed that half of the residents in Stockholm were negative towards this new mode of transport, and people above 65 years of age were the most negative. It became obvious that a closer dialogue between the city and the operators was needed. The Stockholm city council recently decided to sign an agreement with each operator regarding parking and speed limit issues, as well as where the e-scooters can and cannot be used. Some misunderstand-
ings have also been clarified: The business model of renting out e-scooters by the minute simply wouldn’t work if they were only used for a few weeks before they had to be scrapped. This shows the progressiveness of Stockholm, which will thus refrain from banning the scooters and instead join cities like Paris in seeing the e-scooters as part of tomorrow’s sustainable mobility. Expect Stockholm to continue to lead the way for sustainable transport, with e-scooters from Voi and others as important parts of Photo: Voi the equation. Fores (which includes the 2030-secretariat) is a Swedish think tank devoted to questions related to climate and environment, migration and integration, entrepreneurship and economic reforms, as well as the digital society.
[Lifestyle]
Top Sju
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Summertime is upon us, and so is partaking in the Swedish tradition of “kräftskivor,” a popular gathering of friends and family celebrated by devouring Swedish (or imported) crayfish and imbibing small quantities of Swedish liquor called “snaps.” Of course, all the while singing Swedish drinking songs (snapsvisor). Kräftskivor – as we know them today – originated during the first decades of the 20th century, primarily among the upper classes of society. Nowadays, the parties are enjoyed by all Swedes and usually take place in August or September. Popular side dishes include savory pies, cheeses and homemade bread. While most Swedes enjoy their crayfish au naturel, some prefer dipping them in a sauce like aioli.
The streets of Stockholm city fill with people during the annual LGBT “Stockholm Pride” festival. This year’s colorful event, beginning on July 29 and ending on August 3, features a grand pride parade, concerts and shows by bands such as “Village People” and “Weather Girls”, as well as workshops and debates. Stockholm Pride attracts people from all over the world and welcomes anyone who wants to join in support of gay rights. The festival’s main area “Pride Park” is located in the Östermalm district, while the pride parade starts at City Hall on Kungsholmen. For more info about the event, see www.stockholmpride.org.
Crayfish party. Photo: Patrik Svedberg/imagebank.sweden.se
130,000 One of Norrland’s most popular public events, “Luleå Hamnfestival,” takes place on July 10 – 13 in central Luleå. The family-friendly event, which normally welcomes up to 130,000 visitors, features music by Pajala pop-group “The Magnettes” and Luleå-based metal-band “Machinae Supremacy”, as well as other fun activities such as dancing, fleamarkets and a huge airbag
for jumping. Luleå Hamnfestival also features great food by local restaurants and cafes. Lunch and dinner may be enjoyed in one of the many temporary restaurant tents on site. The festival is free to all. More information on www. luleahamnfestival.se.
2019 On IKEA’s website, the store’s summer collection SOMMAR 2019 is described as “Bright colorful decoration for grey days. Our summer collection with colorful, playful, summery prints helps you to forget the clouds outside.” The fun collection consists of LED solar powered lamps, lanterns, pots, bright towels, cushions and unscented candles – all in bright colors and fun summer themes, such as flowers and sunglasses.
1700 Sweden’s biggest outdoor museum Skansen in Stockholm also has a lot going on this summer. Enjoy performances by musicians and dancers, or experience what the 18th century was like in and around Skogaholms herrgård (manor). Harvest is celebrated at Skansen in
August. Towards the end of the month visitors are invited to take part in activities related to the theme “Linen and Wool.”
2 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is expanding their vegetarian menu, served in SAS’s “Plus” class, with two new items. The added meals, based on mushrooms and cauliflower, are made from ecological products by Scandinavian producers and form part of the airline’s environmental and health-conscious menu “New Nordic” launched two years ago. The new vegetarian items are offered on flights lasting at least 80 minutes.
5 Stockholm and Visby are popular tourist attractions amongst Swedes this summer, according to a recent survey by hotel and travel search website www. momondo.se. The top 5 most searched for Swedish flight destinations this summer were 1. Stockholm, 2. Visby, 3. Kiruna, 4. Luleå, 5. Gothenburg. The top 5 most searched for Swedish hotel destinations this summer were 1. Visby, 2. Linköping, 3. Jönköping, 4. Helsingborg, and 5. Umeå.
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 21
[Lifestyle] Books Elinor gör kanadasvenskarna synliga Av Lars Sönnergren
Boken som hon skrivit heter “Invisible Immigrants”, vilket betyder osynliga invandrare. Men Elinor Barrs bok om svenskarna i Kanada fungerar precis tvärtom – kanadasvenskarna blir synliga. Hennes bok är en skattkista för alla som är intresserade av svenskfolket i utvandrarlandet Kanada.
väster, grannlandet Kanada, är också ofattbart stort. Ytan är mer än 22 gånger Sveriges. Ändå har Kanada och kanadensarna ofta hamnat i skymundan av sin mer skrytsamma granne i söder. Så det var lätt för de cirka 100 000 utvandrade svenskarna att genom åren praktiskt taget “försvinna” ute på prärien eller i de stora skogarna i Kanada. Elinors egen farmor grät av ensamhet för att hon inte hittade någon att umgås med borta i storskogen utanför det lilla samhället Stanley i delstaten Ontario. Familjen var fattig. Farfadern var för gammal för att arbeta på någon farm. Men arbete hemma i stugan hade Elinors farmor ju med make och åtta barn. Tre av barnen fick snart arbete och kunde sända hem pengar.
Har svenskt påbrå
Tidigare sjuksköterskan Elinor Barr lärde sig svenska som pensionär och har nu skrivit en innehållsrik bok om svenskarna som utvandrade till Kanada.
F
ast lite rätt har hon nog i alla fall. När vi talar om det stora landet i väster menar vi ju oftast USA. Det andra, lite mer osynliga landet i
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 22
Ja, Elinor har svenskt påbrå. Hennes far var bara nio år när han fick utvandra. I Sverige hette han Anton Berglund, där borta döptes han om till Tony Berglund. Han var född 1898 i Skog i Ångermanland. När han vuxit upp fick han arbete vid den kanadensiska järnvägen. Men Elinor Barr menar ju något annat än geografin när hon talar om osynlighet. Svenskarna i Kanada valde ofta att ligga lågt, anpassa sig och i tysthet göra en hedervärd insats i det kanadensiska samhället. I USA framhöll svenskarna mera sin svenskhet. Elinor Barr utbildade sig till sjuksköterska. Efter att sönerna kommit började hon läsa på universitet 1968. Intresset var historia. När hon blev
pensionär bestämde sig Elinor Barr för att lära sig svenska. Nu är hon 80+ och har bakom sig många böcker och artiklar om historiska ämnen. Detta uppmärksammades i Winnipeg av prästen Don Sjöberg, tidigare något av biskop för lutheranerna ute på prärien.
Började skriva 2001
– Han ringde mig redan 2001 och föreslog att jag skulle skriva om svenskarnas historia i Kanada, berättar Elinor Barr. Jo, det ville hon gärna, och nu är hennes bok på 554 sidor utgiven av University of Toronto Press. Det enda villkor som hon ställde var att få hjälp med pengar till resor över det vidsträckta Kanada för att kunna hitta alla historiska dokument. 65 000 kanadadollar insamlades. Mycket pengar kom från olika svensk-kanadensiska föreningar och enskilda personer. De som skänkte minst 100 dollar kom med i boken. Där står till exempel att Luella Lind skänkt pengar till minne av sin far, farfar och farfars far. Ernst Valdemar Lind var utvandrad från Tanumshede i Bohuslän. Luella skänkte också pengar till minne av sin farbror Karl Vincent Lind. Många andra personer bidrog också på annat vis till bokens tillkomst. De hittade olika upplysningar och kunde översätta gamla brev och dokument från exempelvis svenska till engelska.
Tusen svenska namn
– Jag tror att jag har med över 1 000 svenska namn i min bok, berättar Elinor Barr. Ofta finns det också
Books någon ort hemma i Sverige angiven. Hennes bok är en skattkista av minnen från etableringen i Kanada. Även om upplysningarna ibland är fåtaliga är det lätt att röras av de livsöden som återspeglas. Borta i till exempel Manitoba finns en sjö vid namn Wickstrom Lake, Wickstromssjön. Den fick sitt namn 1973 till minne av Fred E Wickstrom, som stupade under andra världskriget. Men det är inte bara sorgliga tankar som väcks. Nils Nilsson från Åmål turnerade på 1930- och 1940talen tillsammans med irländaren Les Frost med gitarr och dragspel och sjöng för de utvandrade. De sjöng till exempel Livet i finnskogarna och Nicolina. De uppträdde på dansbanor, men också i radio och fick spela in skivor. Kanadasvenskarna bildade föreningar av olika slag. I Winnipeg döptes IOGT-logen till Stridshjelten. Inom IOGT var det inte tillåtet med dans, men gamla svenska ringlekar fick förekomma. På en bild från 1930-talet sitter svenskarna Helmer Staffanson och Olof Malmquist fint uppklädda på gräsmattan i Swedish Park i Vancouver och tävlar om vem som är bäst i fingerkrok.
Vanliga arbeten
Många svenskar fick vanliga arbeten som hantverkare, i skogen eller på lantbruk. Till eftervärlden finns bevarade många anteckningar som den svenske farmaren Edwin Thomeus i Magnolia i Alberta gjorde om livet på landet i början av 1900-talet. Han var mycket svensk och beredd att
ställe döptes till Hembygden. I Wetaskiwin gick svenskarna samman med andra skandinaver och bildade ett skandinaviskt sjukhus.
Hittade guld
Omslaget till Elinor Barrs bok om kanadsvenskar
återvända hem till Sverige och strida för svensk räkning om unionskrisen med Norge hade lett till krig. När svenskarna var inblandade i järnvägsbyggen kunde stationerna få svenska namn. En station fick namnet Upsala 1876. Även borta i Kanada ändrades stavningen, vilket fick till följd att Upsala döptes om till Uppsala. Men ett samhälle med den gamla stavningen Upsala finns ändå nära Thunder Bay, där Elinor Barr bor. En liten stad heter Westerose. Den förste bosättaren där, Johan Norström, tyckte att eftersom dalkarlarna i närheten döpt ett postkontor till Falun så kunde han uppkärksamma sina hemtrakter och Västerås. Några svenskar kom till Kanada för att bli pälsjägare. Hotell och restauranger startades, ibland med namnet Stockholm. Något sådant
Charlie Anderson hittade guld och ska 1899 ha haft en förmögenhet på en miljon dollar, men han blev ruinerad genom en skilsmässa. Under depressionen på 1930-talet radikaliserades en del svenskar. Emil Sandberg utvisades från Kanada då han varit ordförande för en kommuniststyrd organisation. Ja, så kan man bläddra i Elinor Barrs mycket innehållsrika bok och läsa om livsöde efter livsöde. När svenska ishockeyspelare började komma till Kanada på 1970-talet blev svenskheten mer synlig. Och nu finns Ikea i alla Kanadas större städer – den svenska osynligheten har försvunnit. Alla dokument som Elinor Barr använt i sin forskning finns arkiverade i 29 boxar på universitet i Manitoba. För några år sedan uppgav cirka en kvarts miljon kanadensare att de hade svensk härstamning på endera fars- eller morssidan. Även här i Sverige lär det nog vara många som har anknytning till någon kanadasvensk. Ibland är vår anknytning indirekt och omedveten. Många har nog läst författaren Sven Delblanc. Han var född 1931 på Swan River Hospital i Manitoba. Sven Delblanc och hans släkt är omnämnd i Elinor Barrs bok. Lars Sönnergren är pensionerad journalist bosatt i Västerås.
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 23
Hemma hos
‘The Future Begins Here’ at Sweden’s ArkDes Museum
[Design]
By Kristi Robinson
C
urated at the V&A Museum in London ‘The Future Begins Here’ has travelled to Stockholm where it’s currently on exhibition at ArkDes, Sweden’s Architecture and Design Museum. Comprising over 80 ideas of what the future might hold, the objects on display have been designed by universities, research labs, designers, and even governments. Solutions to environmental issues, ethical topics about how we treat death with cryonics, and how we manoeuvre through daily life with technologies designed to make things easier are just some of the seemingly radical, but entirely real objects on show. All the objects are currently released or in development, and give us an authentic look at designs and technologies that could shape our future world.
Kryonikarmband by Alcor Life Extension Foundation is worn by those who have chosen cryonics. The body is frozen at death and when, or if, technology exists will be brought back to life. Photo © V&A
French-Japanese environmentalist, engineer and inventor, Cesar Yung-Harada was part of the cleanup effort in the 2010 BP oil spill. Experiencing the devastation firsthand, he saw how ineffective the boat trawling booms used by fishermen
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 24
Protei- an autonomous oil spill cleaning robot. Photo © Cesar Jung-Harada
to clean up the oil were. This sent Yung-Harada on a mission to design an autonomous sailing vessel that could efficiently clean up without exposing people to the toxic spill. The result was ‘Protei’, a robotic boat with a shape-shifting hull that allows it to bend like a fish, pulling a long oil-absorbing boom behind it. While Protei has yet to be used for an oil spill, it has opened up exciting possibilities for how it can be modified and used for other applications like collecting plastic from the ocean, or monitoring coral reefs. Swiss-born Yves Behar and his San Francisco based design studio Powerfuse address the issue of mobility in the aging population. Behar’s ‘Superflex’ aura powered body suit is designed to increase muscle power and make movements like standing up or sitting down much easier. Intended to be worn
‘Aura Powered Suit’ by Yves Behar adds muscle power to the user’s movements. Photo © Superflex
under clothing, the suit provides torso support and augments gluteal and hip strength by reacting to the body’s natural movements and giving a little boost. Low profile pods are located on the back and legs, which inconspicuously house intelligent machinery. The designers say they hope that Superflex will offer “profound physical and emotional benefits” and will “expand and extend our human potential”.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy boosters making a landing after being launched into orbit. Photo © SpaceX
Traditionally, when a rocket is launched into orbit it is either abandoned in space or destroyed during atmospheric reentry. SpaceX, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk who also acts as the company’s lead designer, has manufactured the world’s first reusable rocket, Falcon 9. The latest version, Falcon Heavy, has been used to send cargo to NASA’s international space station and a portion of it came back to earth by landing on an ocean-floating platform. At this point in time they are only able to re-use the first stage of the rocket, but they are working towards modifying the upper stage of the two-stage rocket to make it fully reusable. ‘The Future Begins Here’ is on now until Aug 4. For more info visit https://arkdes.se
Hemma hos
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e first met on a ship 50 years ago. The ship was the s/s Canberra which set out from Vancouver BC in February on a round-the-world cruise. Shirley was headed for Australia where she planned to meet up with her boyfriend, while Peter was disembarking in Japan to return to Sweden on the Trans-Siberian Railway. To cut a long story short, Shirley boarded the train with Peter. In December that same year we travelled full circle and were married on Vancouver Island.
Shirley is a Canadian speech therapist turned textile artist. Her specialty is Kumihimo, a traditional Japanese braiding technique which she teaches at conferences in the UK, the US, Canada and … Japan (like bringing coals to Newcastle). Peter the Swede has spent most of his career designing and launching satellites into space. His job led us to spend several years in Holland, France, Germany, Russia, and England. This lifestyle originated our motto: “If you marry a foreigner, you should always live in a third country” (because then you can complain about the host country without offending each other). We have two sons, one daughter, and eight grandchildren ranging in
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age from 2 to 24. The oldest grandchild is about to have a baby, which will make us great-grandparents … scary thought! One of the challenges of an international marriage is to accommodate each other’s culinary tastes. Peter, who in his bachelor days would never have dreamed of mixing sweet with salty, now happily spreads maple syrup on his Canadian bacon. Shirley loves Swedish pickled herring, Jansson’s frestelse and pytt i panna (but she has so far been spared the abomination of inhaling and ingesting surströmming). We like the “chefy” idea of deconstructing the pytt i panna, as shown in the photo. In Sweden, the meat, potato and egg ingredients of pytt i panna are usually fried together and end up looking like a dog’s breakfast. Serving the ingredients separately (“deconstructed”) makes the dish look
Deconstructed pytt i panna Ingredients: • Onions, chopped • Potatoes, diced • Beef, or any left over meat, diced • Optional: bacon bits (“lardons”) or sausage • Eggs, just the raw yolks, or fried • Butter or oil • For extra flavour, prepare a dressing: – 1 tsp mustard – 1 tbsp cider vinegar – 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil – Plenty of chives and fresh dill.
more appealing and allows each guest to compose his or her plateful according to taste and dietary preferences. By Shirley and Peter Berlin
One advantage of pytt i panna is that there is nothing much to measure; you just make as much as you think your family and friends will eat. You can also vary the proportions, using left-over meat and vegetables.
Preparation: If raw, parboil the potatoes. You can use the same frying pan throughout, if you wish; the flavours accumulate. If using bacon, fry and set aside. Keep warm. Fry the onions, adding butter if necessary. Set them aside and keep warm. Fry the potatoes. Set aside. Brown the meat – not too long if you want it rare. Mix in the dressing. Fry the eggs if not using the yolks for sauce. Assemble on a large rectangular platter (warmed). Add any crusty bits remaining in the pan. Yum! Serve into bowls (warmed), with an egg yolk, as pictured. The egg cooks as it is stirred in and makes a tasty sauce. Garnish with pickled red beets and green pickles, dill or sweet. Add Worcestershire sauce or brown sauce if you like it. For Swedish ambiance, light a candle. Relax and enjoy. Variations on the theme: Add other cooked root vegetables with the potatoes – carrot, parsnip, sweet potato. Try other spices for seasoning: thyme, marjoram, or oregano. Add herbs: chives, parsley, dill. Busy Day version: Pour yourself a glass of a refreshing beverage and sip as you work. Remove suitable leftovers from the fridge. Chop and dice. Fry in order. Mix, taste and season. Add an egg or two for each hungry person. Serve and enjoy!
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Swedish Council of America
Combining Swedish with Compassion By Brian Kays, SCA Communications Intern
W
orking with migrants and refugees faceto-face on a regular basis, Elizabeth (Liza) Johnson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is intimately familiar with the struggles facing newcomers entering a new country. Since high school, Liza has been an active volunteer for Our Savior’s Community Services (OSCS), a social service organization that assists immigrant and refugee families with housing, life skills, and other kinds of aid. On a more personal level, Liza’s grandmother came to the United States as an immigrant from Ireland in the mid-1960s. Says Liza, “I have first-hand knowledge of what it means to enter a new land and having to navigate systems that are not always meant to help you.” She realized early on that Gustavus Adolphus College was a perfect fit for her – an institution that values the daily struggles experienced by migrants around the world.
Elizabeth is the recipient of the 2019 SCA Swedish Language Scholarship, nominated by Gustavus Adolphus President Rebecca Bergman. President Bergman states that “[Elizabeth] is curious about the world around her; she is able to offer her view diplomatically and compassionately [in addition to being] open-minded, ambitious, and independent. She will step outside of the halls of Gustavus to pursue the DIS Stockholm program in the field of Public Health in Stockholm, Sweden.”
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While in Stockholm, Elizabeth, who is a double major in Political Science and Scandinavian Studies at Gustavus, will explore Sweden’s social welfare policies pertaining to the most recent wave of refugees from countries like Syria and Somalia. “While in Sweden, my goal is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Swedish migration policy, compare such policy to the United States’ migration policy, and ultimately explore methods how the United States can better serve migrants arriving at its borders.” Additionally, Elizabeth wants to immerse herself in Swedish language and culture as a complement to her public health studies. “It is my intention to engage in all possibilities that I am given to speak, read, and write in Swedish,” she states. “This will come in the form of living in studentboende among Swedish students, conducting research projects where I may have the opportunity to speak Swedish with government officials through interviews, and keeping up with politics by reading policy briefings in Swedish.” Accomplishing such tasks is completely within Elizabeth’s character, according to Chad Winterfeldt, Cantor for Gustavus’ Christ Chapel. “She is a self-motivated learner and possesses a high level of maturity and integrity. […] I know that once she commits to doing something, she will follow through with quality.” We look forward to reading about Elizabeth’s experiences on SCA’s website after her return.
DIS in Brief: DIS is a study-abroad foundation with locations in Copenhagen and Stockholm that provide upperdivision undergraduate programs taught in English, offering high-impact learning experiences with a broad curriculum.
SCA is Swedish America’s community foundation. Our mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of Swedish heritage and culture in North American life and to strengthen contemporary cultural and educational ties between North America and Sweden. We achieve this by providing grants to organizations, scholarships to youth, recognition to leaders and communications to the community – all focused on furthering our mission. www.swedishcouncil.org
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Swedish Press Connects
Swedish Women’s Educational Association international
En hälsning från SWEAs grundare Av SWEA International
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lla Sweor önskas ett roligt och minnesrikt 40-årsjubileum! Var än ni firar i världen går mina varma och tacksamma tankar till var och en av er. Det var lättare att tänka på och följa er alla i begynnelsen, då vi det första Agneta Nilsson njuter under 40-års festen hos SWEA Orange County året 1979 var 120 medlemden 20 april 2019. mar i SWEA Los Angeles. I slutet av 1981 var vi, tillsammans med SWEA Orange County och SWEA San Diego, 350 och idag är vi nästan 7000 medlemmar. Det är nästan svårt att ta till sig! Men var säker på att jag tänkt mycket på SWEA och dess medlemmar de senaste månaderna och läst ovanligt mycket som våra duktiga SWEA International-damer har satt ihop. Så mycket historia på vår hemsida, SWEA.org, om allt man skulle kunna tänka sig. Min egen sida där är fylld med saker jag har haft roligt med under årens lopp, så gå gärna in och läs. (Se swea.org/oversikt-sweas-grundare/) Att få ha glädjen att kunna följa den otroliga utvecklingen inom SWEA under dessa 40 år är en glädje och ära för
mig. Tur att jag endast var 37 år när jag började det hela i mitt garage i Manhattan Beach, så att jag fortfarande är ung och vital och någotsånär kan hänga med i den otroligt snabba utvecklingen de senaste åren. Vi är så lyckligt lottade att alltid ha haft otroligt duktiga och arbetsvilliga svenskor som genom åren har format SWEA till den bästa av alla organisationer som jag kan tänka mig. Våra nuvarande Sweor inom SWEA International, som håller i rodret med fast och klok hand, är en stor källa till glädje, och så har det varit under alla 40 år. Dessutom har vi så många dedikerade volontärer i varenda avdelning som gör att maskineriet fungerar bra och har gjort det nu i 40 år. Jag sätter stort värde på den uppskattning och tacksamhet som jag åtnjuter var än jag reser, Sweor så väl som deras män. Mitt kära garage i Manhattan Beach var ett lyckokast från första stund och ingen är gladare och stoltare än jag. Ett varmt och innerligt tack till er alla som varit med att bygga upp detta spännande och unika nätverk världen över, vad månne hända inom nästa 40 år? Njut nu av 40-årskalas runt om den vida SWEA-världen! Jättekramar från Agneta Nilsson SWEAs Grundare och Chairman Emeritus
SWEA är ett globalt nätverk för svensktalande kvinnor i ett 30-tal länder. SWEA grundades för 40 år sedan i Kalifornien och har idag ca 7000 medlemmar. SWEA är den största ideella Sverigefrämjande organisationen utanför Sverige och vårt syfte är att främja det svenska språket samt sprida svensk kultur och tradition. Varje år ger SWEA drygt 2 MSEK till donationer och stipendier. www.swea.org
SWEA Singapore: Ballonger
SWEA Dallas: Fyra Sweor inrammade
SWEA Budapest: En samling Sweor
SWEA Genève: Alla samlade
SWEA Örestad: Några Sweor
SWEA Göteborg: Gamla museivagnen
SWEA Washington DC: Några Sweor med Ambasadören
SWEA Moskva hälsar
SWEA North Carolina: Tårtan!
SWEA Zürich: Sweor i folkdräkt
SWEA New Jersey: Ballongerna
SWEA Seattle: Några Sweor och hästen
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CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org Ongoing – Art exhibit, “The Master of Ancient Mythology,” by Bengt Lindstrom, through Sep 22. Jul 1-28 – Hours of the Brunk Children’s Museum in the Swedish American Museum, Chicago, are extended all month to correspond with regular museum hours: Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat-Sun 11-4. Jul 6 – Sat 11 am: Opening exhibit of art by Lennart Setterdahl, through Sep 29. Jul 19-Aug 2 and Aug 19-23 – Mon-Fri: Annual Travel the World Summer Day Camp for children who have finished kindergarten through 5th grade to learn about crafts, food, music, dance and play of different cultures. Jul 25 and Aug 29 – Thu 1 pm: Walking tours of Andersonville. Jul 26-28 – Fri-Sun: Andersonville Sidewalk Sale. Aug 7 – Wed: Taste of Andersonville. DETROIT Swedish Club of Southeast Michigan 22398 Ruth St, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 Info: 734-459 0596 www.swedishclub.net Jul 14 – Sun 2 to 3:30 pm: Potluck Aug 11 – Sun 2 to 3:30 pm: Potluck MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org Ongoing through Aug 4 – Exhibition: Kinetic: Danny Saathof – These sculptural installations by Danny Saathof capture the steady change of time. Ongoing through Oct 27 – Exhibition: The Vikings Begin – This extraordinary new exhibition features dozens of early Viking artifacts from boat graves, organized by Uppsala University in Sweden and its museum, Gustavianum, which is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Viking and pre-Viking objects. Jul 11 and Aug 8 – Thurs 6 to 10 pm: Summer Lawn Party on the unsurpassed grounds of the Turnblad Mansion. 8
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Jul 24 – Wed 6 to 8 pm: Allsång på ASI. Jul 28 – Sun 12 to 5 pm: Minneapolis Vintage Market at ASI Aug 23 – Fri 6:30 pm: Kräftskiva – Crayfish Party 2019 in ASI’s outdoor courtyard. PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org Ongoing through Sep 22 – Outdoor Adventures: Navigating the Nordic Way – People from the Nordic nations love being outdoors. Join ASHM in exploring the history of Nordic navigation, compasses, and the modern-day sport of orienteering. Jul 11 – Thurs 5:30 to 8 pm: Summer Concert – Jenny Lind’s America – presented by Soprano and Harpist Zoe Vandermeer and New York pianist/ conductor Richard Nechamkin. PORTLAND New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society PO Box 80141 Portland OR 97280 www.newsweden.org Aug 19-24 – Swedish Language and Culture Camp for children ages 7-13. For information please visit Trollbacken.org. SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org Jul 4 – Thurs Door open at 7 pm: Fourth of July Party at the Club. The best spot in Seattle for watching fireworks. Barbecue dinner by Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ in Ballard. Folk dancing! RSVP: 206-283-1090. Nordic Museum 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107 Tel: 206-789 5707 | nordic@nordicmuseum.org www.nordicmuseum.org Jul 8 to 12 and Jul 29 to Aug 2 – Mon to Fri 9 am to 3 pm: Kids Summer Camp – Two sessions of camp this year for boys and girls ages 7-11. Aug 16 – Fri 6 pm: Summer Crayfish Party in the Museum's East Garden. 18
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WASHINGTON, DC Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-467 2600 | www.swedenabroad.com ambassaden.washington@gov.se Exhibitions on display until August 11 – Open Saturdays & Sundays 12 to 5 pm, free admission at House of Sweden Glacier – In conjunction with the Icelandic Chairmanship in the Arctic Council, Embassy of Iceland hosts a photo exhibition in House of Sweden by Ragnar Axelsson (RAX), one of Iceland’s most prominent photographers. Siri Berg: Statements – A retrospective by one of the world’s foremost abstractionists. Urban Challenges – This exhibition presents some of the social, economic and technological solutions proposed by Sweden to absorb the impact of our rapidly growing urban environment while leaving the environmental legacy next generations deserve. VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scancentre.org | www.scancentre.org Aug 18 – Sun 4 to 9 pm: Danish House Society’s Annual Family Barbeque – Contact: davebuchmann@hotmail.com to reserve. All countries and ages welcome! WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assn of Manitoba 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 | Tel: 204-774 8047 | Reservations at: svenskclub17@gmail.com Aug 4 – 17: 6 to 11 pm: Folklorama Festival – Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the largest and longest running multicultural event of its kind in the world! The Scandinavian Pavilion is open Aug 4-10 featuring performances of our Scandia Fun Folk Dancers, delicious assortment of Scandinavian culinary delights, unique and interesting displays of culture, plus assortment of items to purchase. Aug 21 – 5 to 7:30 pm: Kräftskiva – Traditional Crayfish Party with all the fixings; In partnership with IKEA, 500 Sterling Lyon Parkway. 28
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[Ads] and Info Swedish Press Classified Alberta Organizations Svenska Skolan i Calgary bedriver undervisning för barn 3-15 år gamla på lördagar kl 9:30-12. Alla barn är välkomna. Undervisningen sker på svenska. Kontakta Svenska Skolan genom Scandinavian center 403-284-2610 eller skicka epost till contact@swedishschool.com. Läs mer om vår skola på www.swedishschool.com BC Organizations Scandinavian Business Club Monthly meetings feature business speakers. Guests and new members welcome. Call SBC: 604-484-8238. Visit us at www.sbc-bc.ca Scandinavian Community Centre Scandinavian Community Centre Beautiful setting for weddings, parties, birthdays, meetings and seminars. 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC info@scancentre.org 604-294-2777 www.scancentre.org Svenska Kulturföreningen Ordförande Ellen Petersson 604-970-8708. Kassör är Linda
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Olofsson, 604-418-7703 www. swedishculturalsociety.ca. Email: swedishculturalsociety.ca @gmail.com Sweden House Society President Carina Spencer Email: swedenhousechair@gmail.com, Vice president Rebecca Keckman, Treasurer Ron Spence Swedish Canadian Village Beautiful Assisted Living Residence & Senior Subsidized Apartment Buildings Located in Burnaby, British Columbia. Ph# 604-420-1124 Fax# 604-420-1175 www.swedishcanadian.ca Swedish Club of Victoria Dinners, Events and Meetings, for information contact Annabelle Beresford @ 250-656-9586 or Swedish Club of Victoria Facebook. Washington Organizations Nordic Museum has moved to a beautiful, brand-new building! In Seattle, 2655 N.W. Market St., Ballard; 206-789-5707.
Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206-283-1090. Open Wednesday evenings for supper and games, Friday for lunch and dinner. Pancake breakfasts on first Sundays of the month. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw.org
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 29
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Sista ordet
“Immigrants” being transformed with Canadian Art... Swedish Heritage in British Columbia: The Opening By Dorothy Carlson
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he gate is open, the signs are up, and blue & yellow balloons are swaying in the breeze. The doors to our new Heritage Room are wide open, and inside the canapes, wine and saft are waiting to be served. Members of the Heritage committee – some in folkdräkt – are ready to welcome the donors who supported the project. The guests arrive, and our Thank You celebration begins!
Some of the Heritage committee members dressed up in folkdräkt for the Grand Opening.
As the guests move into the room and enjoy refreshments, they are treated to Swedish folk music. This space will house artifacts and documents of the personal stories from Swedish immigrants to British Columbia. For today there is only one display case, along with the cabinet from Sweden with a date that might be 1743 in the original faded paint. Information about major donors is on display for guests to read. Our emcee, Astrid Switzer, introduces the musician, Bo Olsson, who performs a short version of Emigrantvisan and then explains the story to the audience. The programme begins with the formal recognition that we
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Swedish Press | July/August 2019 30
Artist Birgit Cook with her wonderful painting.
are on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Kwikwetlan people. A warm welcome is extended to all! The first speaker, Laila Axen, is introduced as the driving force behind the creation of Swedish Heritage in British Columbia. Laila begins by noting that this is such an auspicious occasion as to warrant wearing her very special hat, and so it turned out to be … a black silk top hat! She asked that the donors present stand as she called their names and explained how they have assisted in the creation of the Heritage Room: the SCRHA Board of Directors, the corporate donors, the Societies and the individuals. The Heritage Room will be open on weekends from 1 to 3 pm, starting Sept. 15th. A sincere Thank You to everyone!
President of ERV PARENT Ltd Karl Brunner who donated the Swedish Tarkett flooring is seen here with Laila Axen of Swedish Heritage in BC and the Honorary Swedish Consul Thomas Gradin.
The Honorary Consul of Sweden, Thomas Gradin, thanked the committee for the invitation and congratulated Laila on her upcoming birthday. He led us in both English and Swedish versions of Happy Birthday, complete with the Rahs! The Honorable Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed, reminded us that we are all immigrants to Canada. The Mayor of Burnaby, Mike Hurley, extended his congratulations and looks forward to the future displays. Anders Nordin, President of the Swedish Canadian Village societies, congratulated the committee for making the idea a reality and said that
From left to right: Sav Dhaiwal, a Burnaby City Councillor, Mike Hurley, the Mayor of Burnaby, and the Honorable Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed.
the Board is happy to have had the opportunity to help. He introduced Birgit Cook and Lennart Osterlind as members and local artists who took on the challenge of creating paintings for the very old and ornate Swedish picture frames. Everyone was delighted with these truly beautiful landscapes of the west coast. The old frames are “immigrants” being transformed with Canadian art! The programme ended with our emcee welcoming everyone to partake of the fine Swedish tradition Fika. A fitting conclusion to such a happy occasion!
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