A new building has been erected in the Finlandia Village to offer a temporary solution for their lengthy waiting list.
The Majatalo, which means inn in Finnish, held it’s grand opening Friday afternoon. The purpose of the new building is as an emergency housing unit for individuals waiting to get a unit in the village.
“The waiting list for our apartments is over 200 people long,” said David Munch, executive director of Finlandia Village. “We now have the ability to temporarily house them until the apartment comes open.”
“What we saw as the vision for this building was when we have seniors in hospital who have to be discharged and can’t go home anymore, they’ve planned to move here but can’t get in right away,” said Niilo Saari President of the Sudbury Finnish Rest Home Society. “So they can stay in this building either for several weeks or several months until a unit opens up.”
The two-storey structure can house up to eight guests in individual units, which include a bed, a full bathroom, a living room and a dinette. On each floor, there is also a common living room and kitchen. However, meals prepared by the main kitchen in the village will still be provided to the residents in the Majatalo, as will light housekeeping.
As Saari explained, the Majatalo will also be used to house the seniors who participate in the Finnish War Veterans program on two separate occasions throughout the year, as well as the Finnish exchange students who come to Sudbury on their placement. A room has also been set aside in the Majatalo to accommodate a caregiver to provide extra service to the temporary residents.
The final use of the new building will be for family members and friends who want to visit residents in the village who may be in their final stages of life.
The design of the new building is inspired by a traditional Finnish farm house. It follows the custom of the Sudbury Finnish Rest Home Society in bringing a taste of Finnish design and culture to Sudbury, the Majatalo pamphlet states.
“Traditionally, Finnish farm houses are painted with a red okra paint and we wanted to show that tradition here,” Saari said. “It’s kind of a recollection of the old country.”
Munch anticipates the Majatalo will be ready for occupancy within the next couple of weeks.
