SWEDISH IN TORONTO

5000 Swedes live in what Marshall McLuhan called The last great city not yet devastated by progress

CN TOWER
Name one building in Toronto and the CN Tower (301 Front St., 416-360-8500) is sure to come to mind. It is the world's tallest free standing structure. It is also the city's only famous Swedish construction, having been built by The Foundation Company of Canada, which was at that time controlled by the Skanska (ex-Skånska) construction conglomerate. The tower was constructed with Skanska's "slip form" slowly but continuously moving upwards while the concrete was poured inside the mould that was gradually reduced to give the tower its tapered shape. Take one of the four glass-faced elevators up the 1815 feet tall tower. (You are recommended to swallow at least five times during the 70-second trip). From the observation decks you can see as far as Rochester, New York or you can see an audio-visual show with scenes of the tower being struck by light-ning. The tower is incidentally a great place to observe a real lightning storm. It is safe and the view is magnificent. You can also have an excellent lunch or dinner in the 420-seat restaurant revolving at eight feet a minute on special Swedish SKF roller bearings, so precise that two men can push the restaurant around if the 2 hp electric motor is out. When the Skydome next door opens its fully retractable roof, it also does this with the help of SKF roller bearings.

For a more down to earth Swedish monument, check out the Wallberg building at 200 College Street. It was built with funds bequeathed by engineer Emil and his sister Ida Wallberg to the University of Toronto.

JENNY LIND
The first famous Swede to visit Toronto was Jenny Lind who gave three successful concerts at Lawrence Hall in 1852. She was already all the rage in the United States where Swedes were known as "Lind-men" and where in 1850 according to the Boston Liberator "news-stores and saloons and hotels are christened Jenny Lind; steamboats, locomotives, stages, and all vehicles are 'Jennys' on the Exchange they sell 'Jenny'-see wheat; the spinning 'Jenny" is eclipsed by the singing 'Jenny' at least for this 'Jenny'-ration; people delight in tracing their 'Jenny'-alogy back into Sweden; all men seem to be studying verbs in the 'Jenny'-tive case; 'Jenny'rosity is a virtue no longer neglected; even our only Major 'Jenny'ral has surrendered to the queen; fond mothers call their babes, sportsmen their dogs and horses, farmers their cows and pigs 'Jenny'; in short 'Jenny' is the 'Jenny'ric term for all these things..." When Jenny Lind came to Toronto she had ended her contract with promoter P. T. Barnum who had guaranteed her $187 500 for her first concerts. Her accompanist in Toronto was a young German pianist by the name of Otto Goldsmith, whom she married a couple of months later even though he was nine years her junior. Today the SWEA choi rehearses in the hall where the Swedish nightingale once made Sweden famous.

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY
Right in the center, the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library (879 Younge Street, 416-393-7013) is a little oasis for all those longing for Swedish reading ma terial. Here you can find a good selection of modern Swedish literature, children's books, Månadsjournalen and the Sunday edition of Dagens Nyheter. There are books in both Swedish and in translations and if you need to brush up your Swedish there is even a language lab with Swedish courses for free. You can send for all the books through "interloan" to your regular Ontario library, but then you miss a chance to meet librarian Irina Hedman who has created this small Swedish institution.

MR VOLVO
Gösta "Gus" Ekman (SwPr Feb 89) has been the top Volvo salesman in the Toronto area for a long time. To his customers and others who get to know him, Gbsta is a gentleman of the old school and an untiring promoter of all things Swedish. He left the security of an upper-class Gothenburg background and his family's trading company for an adventure in Canada at the age of 21. He started off by pumping gas and renting a $9 a week attic room. The gas station soon had a used car lot and it was not long before Gösta found himself selling Cadillacs and Lincolns and eventually Volvos. Gösta has provided cars for and been a host to everybody from Birgit Nilsson to Max von Sydow. Gösta's love for cars has not been mutual _and there are few people still walking the streets that have survived more car accidents than he has. Now that he has been joined at Robert Motors by Sten Holmberg, ex Saab Canada, Gösta should be able to take it a bit easier. Knowing Mr. Volvo, I doubt he will.

SWEDENBORG
The Swedenborg church that never had any success in Sweden, is alive and well in Toronto where it has just celebrated its centennial. Pastor and Swedish descendant Hugo Odhner led the congregation for 45 years at the Olivet Church of the New Jerusalem. Pastor Michael Gladish has taken over at this active church now with its kindergarten to Grade 8 school at 279 Burnhamsthorpe. There is also a bookstore where you can learn more about the fascinating Emanuel Swedenborg. The son of legendary bishop Jesper Swedenborg, he made a name for himself as a brilliant scientist, scholar and inventor before receiving his calling to start "the last religion of the world". By the 1820s, major centres of Swedenborgian thought had started in several places in the US where they had been organized into formal Christian congregations under the name of the Church of the New Jerusalem. No Swede has had as great an influence on intellectuals around the world as Swedenborg. It is ironic that Swedenborg is much more know in Britain, USA and South Africa than he is in his own country.

SWEA
SWEA Toronto started out as Solveig Westman-Ols son's "The Swedish Cultural Group". The group joined the mushrooming SWEA netw6rk of women's groups across the world in 1982. Toronto is one of SWEA's active chapters and the present president of SWEA International Kerstin Mayberry is from Toronto. SWEA Toronto also has a sub-group in Buffalo, where Louise Enhbrning (a former SWEA Toronto and International president) is the organizer. SWEA arranges many fun events often in connection with visits by Swedish authors and artists. It always has a crayfish party, a Walpurgis Night Ball (together with the Swedish-Canadian Chamber of Commerce) and a Christmas Fair at Harbourfront (profits from which finance a one-year scholarship for a Canadian student at Umeå University). SWEA runs the Swedish School in Toronto together with the Heritage Language Program at the North York Board of Education (Ann Peyron Östlund 733-9934). The tenyear old school teaches children between the ages of 4-14 the Swedish language, traditions and culture and has plans to follow this up with courses for teenagers as well. The 200 SWEA members also have a folk dancing group (Margaretha Ferguson 8899482), a weaving group (Vivian Jägersten, Inga Ingram 264-3875), a book club (Lillemor Axell 485-7600) and the SWEAbladet newsletter that publicizes all the events.

KARIN CLIFFORD Karin Clifford and her husband Michael live on one of the top floors of the Manulife building and they have the whole city at their feet. They also have their architectural offices in the same building that has the distinction of being designed by Michael. Karin graduated as an architect from Teknis in Stockholm. She has also been active in the arts field where her creative weaving techniques have received numerous awards. When her four children were young , Karin pioneered after-school activities in two inner-city schools that eventually developed into the "Inner City Angels" arts program now housed in Scaddig House near Eaton Center. Karin has also always been active in SWEA and right now she is the president of SWEA Toronto.

SWEDISH CHURCH The Danish church is home to the Swedish congregation in Toronto (72 Finch Ave W., Willowdale). Founded in 1953, this unique congregation got a boost when SKUT - Svenska Kyrkan i Utlandet (The Swedish Church Abroad) appointed pastor Lars Frisk as the full-time pastor in 1991. Lars and his wife Torgun have contributed greatly in making this congregation and the church a vibrant focal point for Swedes in Toronto.

SERVICES
Monika Lindmark (above) manages The Swedish-Canadian Chamber of Commerce that is a source of networking as well as an informative newsletter. (Call 925-8661 if you want to become a member). Next door The Swedish Trade Office (922-8152) and the Swedish Consulate (963-8768) manage the official Swedish presence in Toronto.
If you want to hear a Swedish voice on radio you can turn to CBC where Lori Stolbrand will keep you uptodate with the latest news. In the evening another Swedish-American, Pamela Wallin gives the same service on television. In the past B6rje Salming used to be very much in the hockey news but he has now returned to Sweden. Swedish services abound in the Toronto area. If you need a dentist there is Birgitta Sigfridsson 977-0344, an interior decorator there is Ingrid Herczegh 5337034 and optician Klas Olsson at Olsson Optical. If you need realty services turn to Pia Storey 270-8840 or Birgitta Westin 488-2444. If you are travelling to Sweden you can talk to numerous travel agents as well as to Lena Montpetit at Finnair and Silja Line (222-0740) and Annika Klint at Pedersen World Tours (882-5420). For catering services talk to Lotte Andersson at 362-2859 and if you want to have your hand-writing analyzed Leslie Thorburn at 935-6257 will do the job. Nobody should be without an indoor/outdoor Swedish design digital thermometer and they are available from Swedesign 841-6704. Locally "Swedish" designed Linda Lundstr6m clothes are available at many stores. Former Swedish ballet school graduate Bengt Jurgen runs a ballet school and his own productions and artist Sven Sandin has a following both in Sweden and Canada.

SHOPPING
There were not a lot of stores with Swedish products in Toronto when a wave of Swedes arrived here in the 50s. The big difference now is IKEA (15 Provost Dr., 222-4532) with a second store in Burlington. A lot of the Swedish food products that you do not find at IKEA are available at Viking Fine Food & Catering (133 Laird Drive). You can also become a member of Scandia Food Club P.O.Box 50033, 660 Eglington Ave. E. Toronto, On, M4G 4G1).

THE SCANDINAVIAN CLUB The Scandinavian-Canadian Club of Toronto was founded in 1935 by Ake Johnson and Leo Christensen. Ake was a Swede, married to a Dane and Leo was a Norwegian, married to a Finn. This was a perfect fit for the foundation of a Scandinavian club. Over the years the club has experienced many changes. Membership which for many years numbered over a thousand has in recent years decreased to about one hundred. The club's main task is to foster Scandinavian traditions by maintaining a feeling of belonging for people away from
home. Bridge nights, folkdancing, dinners with menus from all Scandinavian countries, theatre outings, music evenings and art and crafts bazaars are organized. When the club moved to its, present location on 91 Stormont Avenue (782-4605), its name was changed to Scandinavian-Canadian Club of Metropolitan Toronto. The clubhouse is a two-storey brick house, easily accessible by public transportation.