Left to right: Helena Slater, Trygve Ringereide, Hilde Huus, Raija Hilska, Kristina Háfoss
When the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Ms Kristina Háfoss, planned a visit to Canada to meet with representatives of the Canadian government, she wanted to also meet with some representatives of the Canadian Nordic community. The Council Co-ordinator, Ms Helena Slater, contacted the CNS and asked if an informal meeting could be arranged. The result was that three members of CNS council, President Trygve Ringereide and Councillors Raija Hilska and Hilde Huus, met with Ms Háfoss and Ms Slater in the lobby of the Lord Elgin Hotel on the evening of Friday, May 24.
Ms Háfoss explained the long history, function, and achievements of the Nordic Council in bringing about increased co-operation among the Nordic countries in areas such as health, education, and employment. More recently, security and defence have also become major focuses.
I, for one, was surprised to learn that there are many Nordic societies similar to our own in the Nordic countries. Ms Háfoss and Ms Slater have met with a large number of them and noted that it was organizations such as these that were initially responsible for bringing to the attention of the Nordic governments the many benefits that could ensue from stronger ties and co-operation among their countries.
The Nordic Council of Ministers is now working towards strengthened ties between Canada and the Nordic countries, which they see as offering similar benefits. There may be a role for the CNS to play in these efforts and this is something our new Council intends to explore. After all, who, if not the Canadian Nordic Society, is the voice of Nordics in Canada? We promised to keep the Nordic Council informed and, of course, will do the same for our members!
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