THUNDER BAY - A community staple in the Bay/Algoma Street area is celebrating an important milestone this month, one that began as a simple place to get a home cooked meal, to becoming one of the city’s defining restaurants.
The Hoito is celebrating its 100th birthday on Tuesday, having first opened its doors on May 1, 1918.
“It’s not the oldest restaurant in Canada or Ontario, but 100 years is definitely worth celebrating,” said Paula Haapanen, member of the Finlandia board and president of the Hoito.
The Hoito was established to provide bush workers a place to get a home cooked meal when in Port Arthur. Along with the Finnish Labour Temple, both of which are in the same building constructed 108 years ago on Bay Street, the Hoito served as a hub for the community and other businesses soon began popping up throughout the area.
“The building was established in 1910 by Finns, people part of the labour movement, and people moving west into Canada,” Haapanen said. “This was a place where people got together and a place that fed workers and a place you could come and meet people or a place to find jobs. It’s definitely been a significant part of our history and acting as an anchor for the community.”
Throughout its history, the Finlandia, which operates the Hoito, has had its fair share of troubles, including the launch of a fundraising campaign to raise $15,000 in order to keep the doors open in 2015.
“We are still not out of the woods,” Haapanen said. “We are making our way one pancake at a time. We do appreciate our customer’s patronage and we would encourage more and more of that if at all possible. I like to think we are slowly and surely making our way forward.”
Haapanen added that the restaurant has made some recent changes, including restructuring staff and changing some pricing, with some prices going up and some going down.
But despite the troubles, Haapanen said the Hoito remains one of the city’s best known restaurants, which is in large part because of the classic Finnish pancakes.
“The Hoito Pancake is unwavering and eternal,” she said. “But the Hoito wouldn’t be what it is without the employees, especially the frontline staff. We want to share the impact they’ve had on people’s lives.”
To celebrate the 100th birthday, the Finlandia will be hosting a reunion for past and present staff of the Hoito in May, as well as launching the #HalooHoito campaign for people to share their memories of the restaurant.
And there should be no shortage of memories and stories for a restaurant that has been around for so long and has cemented itself as part of the community and a part of history.
“It’s a testament to how the Finns quietly but persistently make their way as a part of the community,” Haapanen said.
