Rosies of the North

Based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple takes its name from one of Canada’s most recognizable symbols of working-class and immigration history in Canada. Not only was the Finnish Labour Temple the location of the founding meeting of the Social Democratic Party of Canada, which was the foundation for what is now the New Democratic Party, it also served as an Industrial Workers of the World headquarters and has a long history of connection to the working-class. In 2015 the Finnish Labour Temple was designated a National Historic Site in recognition of the commitment of Finns to collective action and their influential role in Canada’s labour movement in the first half of the 20th century.
Since 2018 we are now a registered charity.
The Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple are pleased to announce that we have been granted charitable status by Revenue Canada. This is a very important step forward in our efforts to promote an understanding and appreciation of the role of immigrants in the building of Canadian society. We are one of the few registered charities in Canada with a mandate that focuses on immigration, history and labour and we have a track record for getting things done.
Charitable work is key to making local communities, the country and the world a better place. This is why the Canadian governments offer significant tax credits to encourage all Canadians to give generously to charities they believe in. If you already claim charitable donations on your annual tax return, you know the difference government tax incentives can make.
In the past the Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple operated as a not-for-profit organization and we were unable to provide donors with charitable tax receipts for their donations. Of course, this limited our ability to raise funds for the work we do. But, from now on any donation of $20 or more to the Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple is eligible for a tax receipt. This is significant because provincial and federal tax credits add up and, depending on where you live. You can receive up to 53% of your donation back at tax time.
Giving starts with a passion to support charities and causes and the Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple is an option for anyone who appreciates our efforts to educate people about Canada’s immigration and labour history. Educators founded the Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple and we contribute to the education of Canadians in a variety of ways. We can make your charitable donations work harder for the things you believe in.
Our mandate is to advance education by providing publicly available scholarships, bursaries, and other forms of financial assistance to university students; to advance the public’s appreciation of the arts by producing high quality educational media and performing arts such as reports, books, articles, plays, films, and music, and making these available to the public; and to advance education by conducting research projects regarding the historical and cultural legacy of immigration to Canada and disseminating the results of the research to the public.
This year, consider donating to the Friends of the Finnish Labour Temple and follow us on Facebook to keep up with our activities and announcements. Below you will find a number of examples of our recent endeavours and elsewhere on this website you can find other information about who we are and what we do. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our organization or how you can support us.