This grant allowed Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple (FFLT) and seniors from the Keskipohjalaisten kerho (KP club) to visit and reconnect with isolated “Orphan seniors,” to gather their stories, photos and home movies to celebrate their personal histories and the contributions they have made to immigrant communities. The interview subjects were people isolated geographically, by language or by physical impediments and were unable to reconnect with the broader community. We had volunteer Seniors leading the design and execution of the oral history project, documenting the contribution of immigrants and isolated elders to the Thunder Bay Region.
The historical testimony and audio-visual materials gathered were edited and subtitled and hosted on a YouTube Channel and website and education streaming channel OTT. Seniors received technical support from digital media experts, researchers and historians. This project encouraged seniors to play an important role in their communities by volunteering, participating in and taking a leading part in the gathering of oral histories from isolated immigrant seniors in the region. We also discussed Elder Abuse and resources to combat it. The oral history series were produced with the support of skilled youth technicians who guided them through the production process.
The project began with a short workshop from historian Ronald Harpelle about the ethics and approach to gathering oral testimony. Next filmmaker historian Kelly Saxberg trained the project volunteers how to conduct interviews on video. Research was done to find these isolated seniors, we selected willing participants and made initial contact by phone and then planned home visits. After a series of home visits to establish a connection and explain the project, interviews were scheduled. We coordinated transportation for seniors willing to leave their home and meet with a group for a social event and interview session, we scheduled interviews in groups to be recorded at Trinity United Church and Soumi Koti retirement home. The Oral History Group decided on the method of gathering the data from the other seniors. We had several events and workshops held weekly at Trinity United Church and organized a senior’s concert and dance to socialize and expand our potential interviewees. Prior to COVID we had hoped to screen the recorded interviews for the seniors with a dinner and dance. In replacement of this we organized a virtual live streamed series where we had seniors submit pre-recorded music performances, poems, dances, choirs, and greetings. Hosted on the FCCF (Finnish Canadian Cultural Federation) an organization that FFLT and the KPclub are associated with. Resulting in 37 participants with a total of 1237 views from Canada, USA and Finland.
This project has support from the KP Club, The Finnish Canadian Cultural Federation, TheDepartment of History at Lakehead University, the Trinity United Church, Vox Popular Media Arts Festival, Club Cultural Francophone de Thunder Bay.