Varpu Lindström Explained

Varpu Lindström
Birth Place:	Helsinki
Discipline:	History, women's studies
Main Interests:	Social history of Finnish women in Canada
Notable Works:	Letters from Karelia

Varpu Lindström (1948–2012) was a Canadian historian and educator. She was the leading expert on the social history of Finnish women in Canada.

Personal life and career

Born in Helsinki, she emigrated to Canada as a teen in 1963 with her family.^[1] She was a respected historian and professor of History and Women's Studies at York University. She founded the Canadian Friends of Finland friendship society in 1982, which encouraged cultural exchanges between the two countries.^{[2] [3]} Her research contributed to the creation of Kelly Saxberg's^[4] 2004 historical documentary Letters from Karelia about the fate of Finnish Canadians lured back to Soviet Karelia only to be killed in Stalinist purges of the 1930s.^{[5] [6] [7]}

Lindström died in 2012.

Selected publications

• Book: Lindström, Varpu. The Finnish immigrant community of Toronto, 1887-1913. 1979. Multicultural History Society of Ontario. 0969091656. Toronto, Ont.. 9282945. registration.
• Book: Lindström-, Varpu. Defiant sisters : a social history of the Finnish immigrant women in Canada, 1890-1930. 1988. National Library of Canada. 0315358041. Ottawa. 18873954.
• Book: Melting into great waters : papers from Finnforum V. 1997. Finnish Studies Program, University of Toronto. Lindström, Varpu, 1948-, Saarinen, Oiva., Vähämäki, K. Börje., Finn Forum (5th : 1996 : Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ont.). 0772780528. Toronto. 42145492.
• Book: Lindström, Varpu. "I won't be a slave!" : selected articles on Finnish Canadian women's history. 2010. Aspasia Books. 9780978348885. Beaverton, Ont.. 645753246.
• Book: Lindström, Varpu. From heroes to enemies : Finns in Canada, 1937-1947. 2010. Aspasia Books. 9780986716416. Beaverton, Ont.. 689503970.
• Book: Lindström, Varpu. Letters from an immigrant teenager : Varpu's letters to Kaisa, 1963-1965. 2012. Aspasia Books. Vähämäki, K. Börje.. 9780986716423. Beaverton, Ont.. 773473749.
• Book: Lindstrom-Best, Varpu. The Finns in Canada. 2018. Ottawa, ON, CA. 1027687850.

Awards and honours

• She was one of the first to receive York University's Atkinson Teaching Award in 1989.^[8]
• In 1992, she was awarded the Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, First Class, in recognition of outstanding service to Finland and Finnish Canadians.^{[9] [10]}
• She received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012.^[11]
• The University of Toronto hosts an annual memorial lecture in her honour.^[12]

External links

• Letters from Karelia (2005). NFB.
• Canadian Friends of Finland
• Varpu Lindström fonds, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, York University Libraries.

Notes and References

1. Web site: F0558 - Varpu Lindstrom fonds. archivesfa.library.yorku.ca. 2019-03-08. 2019-07-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20190708003934/http://archivesfa.library.yorku.ca/fonds/ON00370-f0000558.htm. live.
2. News: VARPU LINDSTRÖM Obituary. 2012-06-25. Toronto Star. 2019-03-08. 2024-05-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20240501045058/https://prebid-server.rubiconproject.com/setuid?bidder=amx&uid=340dee99-45a2-4ece-9b71-7680a21741dd&do=www.legacy.com. live.
3. Web site: Friends at York University honoured Varpu Lindström. Embelton. Sheila. 2010. Vapaa Sana. 2019-10-13. 2011-03-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20110321073924/http://www.vapaasana.com/Varpu%20Lindstrom%20with%20YorkU.htm. live.
4. Web site: Kelly Saxberg's . 2019-03-08 . 2023-04-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230419204842/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0768271/?ref_=tt_ov_dr . live .
5. Web site: How Finnish-Canadians Became Victims of Stalin's Purges The Canadian Encyclopedia. Dwyer. Mary. 2013-12-13. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. 2019-03-08. 2019-01-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20190106164610/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/how-finnish-canadians-became-victims-of-stalins-purges. live.
6. Web site: YFile » Letters from a lost brother. yfile-archive.news.yorku.ca. 2019-03-08. 2024-05-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20240501045045/https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2004/11/18/letters-from-a-lost-brother/. live.
7. Web site: Varpu Lindström. IMDb. 2019-03-08. 2017-02-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20170215040816/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2056357/. live.
8. Web site: Varpu Lindstrom Obituary. 2019-10-12. 2012. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013033118/https://rskane.ca/tribute/details/3688/Varpu-Lindstrom/obituary.html. live.
9. Web site: Varpu Lindström fonds - Archeion. www.archeion.ca. 2019-06-25. 2020-10-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20201031140009/https://www.archeion.ca/varpu-lindstrom-fonds-2. live.
10. News: Johnson . Phil . York professor wins Finnish award . Toronto Star . 1992-02-13.
11. Web site: Varpu Lindstöm fonds. 2019-10-12. 2019-07-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20190708003934/http://archivesfa.library.yorku.ca/fonds/ON00370-f0000558.htm. live.
12. Web site: Varpu Lindström Memorial Lecture. 2019-10-12. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013033117/http://sites.utoronto.ca/slavic/PDFs/Events/Lindstrom_lecture.pdf. live.