By Bonnie Schiedel

The Hoito is said to be the oldest cooperatively owned and operated restaurant in Canada and on May 1, 2018, it celebrated its 100th birthday. To mark that milestone, here’s a look back at the Hoito’s history (although we still have some unanswered questions, like when did the scale at the entrance show up?)

References: 

  • thunderbay.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=11926, thehoito.ca/about/,  lakeheadfinns.com/en/the-politics/the-politics-long-read/, Under the Red Star (dir. Kelly Saxberg)
  • theglobeandmail.com/life/pancakes-at-the-hoito-where-thin-is-a-misnomer/article4250466/
  • thestar.com/life/travel/2010/07/30/a_superior_experience_in_thunder_bay.html, 1991 dinner: Breakfast at the Hoito and other Adventures in the Boreal Heartland by Charles Wilkins, page 4
  • theglobeandmail.com/news/national/finnish-community-in-thunder-bay-struggles-to-save-landmark-restaurant/article23531355/ 
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/dining/finnish-pancakes-with-a-side-of-canada-labor-history-at-hoito.html#commentsContainer