THUNDER BAY – A lot of people have put on the so-called COVID 20 during the pandemic, so maybe it’s not a bad thing Brad McKinnon doesn’t want people stepping on the iconic weigh scale rescued from the fire- and water-damaged Hoito Restaurant.
At least the public will still be able to look at the scale, which McKinnon is hoping to restore and return to prominence at the Hoito, if and when the Finnish Labour Temple is rebuilt, following a devastating Dec. 22 fire that destroyed much of the upper floors in the historic building in the heart of the Bay and Algoma District.
For now it will live at the Finnish Bookstore and the Kitchen Nook.
McKinnon said when he realized the scale, a little rustier than usual, was mostly intact after being submerged in more than four feet of water, he immediately decided to embark on a salvage mission to ensure it wasn’t lost.
“It’s something from the building, it’s something from the restaurant that everybody can identify with,” McKinnon said on Thursday, a day after news of the scale’s survival erupted on social media.
“I think it’s really important that it stays in Bay and Algoma and I think it’s important that it stands here at the Finnish Bookstore as a symbol of resilience and the fact that we’re not giving up and are going to push forward. We want to give everybody an opportunity to get a picture, look at it and just as a reminder for the community to not give up hope. We will rebuild.”
Richard Koskiniemi, co-owner of the Finnish Books Store and the Kitchen Nook, said he leapt at the opportunity to temporarily house the iconic scale, which diners waiting in line often hopped on before a hearty meal of Finnish pancakes, then after eating to see just how much damage they’d done.
“It’s awesome to have such a great piece of history in our store and I think it’s going to become the focal point of our fundraising efforts,” Koskiniemi said.
Those efforts will eventually include a virtual wall, which will allows members of the public to post photos or record testimonials about the Labour Temple or the restaurant, which will then be compiled into a book put together by Charles Wilkins, author of Breakfast at the Hoito.
The proceeds will be turned over to the Finnish Labour Temple Co-operative, which initially had planned to reopen the Hoito on June 22, before the fire interrupted those plans.
Paula Haapanen, the interim president of the Finnish Labour Co-operative, said she experienced pure happiness and joy when she learned the scale had been saved.
It’s a sign of hope, she said.
“It’s a small little beam of sunshine in all this sad news to have this scale. The scale is an icon. Everybody who has been through the doors of the Hoito has been on those scales. It’s a symbol of resilience.”
