THUNDER BAY — The accession of Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has left members of Thunder Bay's Finnish community quietly celebrating the historic occasion.
The Nordic nation officially became the 31st member of NATO at a ceremony Tuesday at the alliance headquarters in Brussels.
Pasi Pinta, the honorary consul of Finland in Northwestern Ontario, said Finns around the world have been looking forward to this day ever since the country submitted its application almost a year ago.
He said this is the last step for Finland "getting out of the shadow of Russia, the Soviet Union, and then Russia again," so its significance is profound.
"One hundred and six years of independence that's seen several wars, has seen Finland moving from a Russian grand duchy to independence in 1917, has seen Finland integrate with the European Union in the early 90s, and now the defence alliance in 2023. It's a progression that has levelled the playing field for a very small country that's a neighbour to a very, very large and sometimes hostile country."
Pinta said NATO provides Finland with a level of security it has never had previously.
Russia is unhappy with the move, but he said it's had over a year to come to terms with it.
"I believe that Russia realizes Finland has been a great neighbour and will continue to be. There's no changing geography," he said. "Finnish people have been trustworthy and good neighbours
"I think Russia understands the new reality of what they've created with their own actions. They can only look in the mirror and see who the culprit is for Finland's accession to NATO, and hopefully Sweden after this."
Despite the importance of the event, Pinta expects it will be marked in a typically low-key way.
"We don't usually make a big fuss about things. There's a lot of joy in the hearts of people of Finnish extraction and everybody whose sympathies lie with Finland. It's very much a personal celebration, I think."
He added, though, that "Maybe April 4 will be known in Finland from now on as NATO day."
