Member Organizations

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2021

Contact:
AnnaKarin Tornqvist
(604)649-6222
swedenhousechair@gmail.com
Anna Holmberg Dixon
(604)562 8111
annaholmbergdixon@gmail.com

VANCOUVER, BC – Sweden House Society (SHS) and SWEA Vancouver would like to
announce a legal change in their association.

Due to a legal point of incompatibility between SHS and SWEA policies and reporting
requirements – with SHS’s requirement as per the BC Societies Act to report the member
contact lists of all of its member organizations and SWEA Vancouver’s inability to provide
such list (due to SWEA International policy) – SWEA Vancouver can no longer legally be a
member organization under the SHS, effective immediately.

Both SHS and SWEA Vancouver highly value their long and positive relationship and remain
committed to fostering an ongoing partnership and to finding new and exciting
opportunities for collaboration.

Please stay tuned for more from SHS and SWEA Vancouver. Both organizations value
member input, and will establish a joint working group in the coming months to explore
ways in which SHS and SWEA Vancouver can continue to collaborate and support each
other going forward.

For more information on SHS, please visit https://scancentre.org/sweden/about-sweden-house-society/ and for more information on SWEA Vancouver, please visit https://vancouver.swea.org/. All inquiries can be directed to the contacts listed above.

ORDER OF RUNEBERG #124

The Order of Runeberg is a fraternal organization founded in 1920 in the U.S.A.  The Canadian Lodge began in Vancouver in the early 1920’s.  The purpose of the Order was and still is to unite men and women of Finnish birth who speak and understand Swedish.  This group is primarily known as Finn-Swedes.  With the decline of immigration, the Lodge expanded to include any nationality as long as the said member was and is interested in Lodge activities.  Currently the club members meet 8-9 times a year for social activities, fellowship and food. Their main focus is scholarships and through their affiliation with the International Order of Runeberg, they contribute to the International Scholarship fund as well as the Finland House Society at the Scandinavian Centre. The club has a local membership of some 50 + and always welcome new members of any nationality. Contact person: Annabelle Kergan, Secretary  –  (604) 291‑7601  /  iakergan@telus.net

RUNEBERG CHOIR

The Runeberg Chorus was originally founded by Swedish speaking Finnish immigrants and has been in existence since the 1920’s. Its repertoire consists of songs in all the Scandinavian languages. Norwegian and Danish speakers join the choir for performances and the program can be fitted to the event. Swedish songs are always part of the program. The choir practices at the Scandinavian Community Centre on Wednesdays at 1:00pm. Anyone interested in joining, please contact Dianne Kilback (contact information below). The choir performs throughout the year, but is especially busy at Christmas time, with events at the Seniors Homes, Scandinavian Centre and Church services. We also perform at midsummer and other events. There may be changes to practice times and location due to Covid-19

For information contact: Dianne Kilback, president –dkilback@shaw.ca

SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS CLUB

The Scandinavian Business Club is an Associated Club of the Scandinavian Community Centre which promotes Scandinavian traditions, Business networking, and good fellowship at dinners and special events.

Visit us online at www.sbc-bc.ca if you’re interested in joining and taking part in club activities. Or check out the SBC Newsletter.

Contact: Paul Andreassen, telephone: (604) 484-5345

SWEDISH CULTURAL SOCIETY (SVENSKA KULTURFÖRENINGEN)

The Swedish Cultural Society is the organization for you who feel a connection to Swedish People, Culture and Traditions!  We organize traditional cultural events, host activities involving Swedish art, music, movies and dance and offer Swedish language courses both for adults and children.  As a member you will receive a monthly newsletter, opportunity to participate in member activities, discounted tickets for cultural events and much more.

Website: www.swedishculturalsociety.com

Email address: swedishculturalsociety.ca@gmail.com

SWEDISH SCHOOL OF VANCOUVER

SWEDISH LANGUAGE CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

The Swedish School of Vancouver provides an after-school program for children in language and cultural studies. The school was established in 1978, and is a not-for-profit organization run by its members. We offer two hours of language immersion a week, with programs for children from preschool to high school. Our programs are designed by Svenska Distans and follow the curricula developed by the Swedish Department of Education (Skolverket) for after-school studies in the Swedish language. The Swedish School of Vancouver has a website as well as a public Facebook page.

Website: svenskaskolanvancouver.org

Facebook: Swedish School in Vancouver

SWEDISH LANGUAGE CLASSES FOR ADULTS

Swedish Classes for adults are offered at the Scandinavian Community Centre. The classes are held in the evenings from 7-9 pm. With a focus on conversational Swedish, we have a wide range of classes from beginners to advanced. Class sizes are small and all course durations are about 10 weeks.

New Beginner courses start every September and January. For more information click HERE.

SWEDISH CANADIAN RESTHOME ASSOCIATION

The Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association is a not-for-profit society, which owns and manages the care of three buildings in Burnaby, namely: The Swedish Canadian Manor, Gustav Vasa Place and the Swedish Assisted Living Residence.  The rental buildings are subsidized by BC Housing and the assisted living residence is subsidized by BC Housing and under the authority of Fraser Health.  The property is collectively called the Swedish Canadian Village and is an important site for low-cost housing for seniors in Burnaby.

Web site: http://www.swedishcanadian.ca/

Contact person: info@swedishcanadian.ca   or phone  (604) 420-1124

Please also see Swedish Heritage in BC

SWEDISH HERITAGE B.C.  MUSEUM & ARCHIVES

Our Museum was founded in 2018 under the umbrella of the Swedish Rest Home Foundation, and it is located in the Swedish Village in Burnaby, B.C.

We are the first and only Swedish Heritage Museum and Archives in Canada. Our doors opened to the public in September 2019. We offer a range of exhibits sharing the Swedish immigrants’ culture and values in B.C.   We welcome people of all backgrounds and ages to our 1,000 square-foot museum which is wheelchair accessible.  We are working on setting up our archives documenting the Swedish settlers from 1870s and up until 1950s, and how they shaped this province for future generations.  Swedish was not only spoken in Sweden. There are Ukrainian Swedes, Estonian Swedes and Finn Swedes who maintain their Swedish language, traditions and cultures in B.C.

The Museum is run by volunteers.  For more information please visit our website:  http://swedishheritage.org/  where you can sign up for volunteering or make donations.  You can also contact us at: mailto:swedishheritagebc@gmail.com . Our address is: 1812 Duthie Avenue, Burnaby, B.C. There is free parking on the street. Look for the red doors.

THE WALLENBERG-SUGIHARA CIVIL COURAGE SOCIETY (WSCCS)

The Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society (WSCCS) was formed in 2013 by members of the Swedish and Jewish communities.  The WSCCS continues the legacy of the annual Wallenberg Day events in Vancouver: it recognizes and honours individuals who, at great personal risk, have helped others by acting against unjust laws, norms, or conventions.  At the January 2015 event, WSCCS presented the first Civil Courage Award to Ujjal Dosanjh, to acknowledge heroic acts in today’s world. Contact: info@wsccs.ca Website: www.wsccs.ca