August Niemi was born in Alajarvi, Vasa, Finland on June 14, 1900. He came to Canada in December, 1923, and got a job with the Canmore Mines. There were many Finlanders in Canmore in the early 1900’s. There was even a Finnish Hall where they had their dances and get-togethers. A couple of the Finn families, the Reinikkas and the Niemis (Peltoniemi), had even built Finnish “saunas”.
August met his future wife, Ida Maria Niemi (Peltoniemi), in Canmore. Ida’s father, John Niemi (Peltoniemi), came to Canmore from Alavus, Finland in 1905. His wife, Hedvig, and their three daughters, Ida, born Nov. 1899, Lydia, born Nov. 1902, and Jenny, born May 1904 came to Canmore in April 1912. In Finland, there are many ‘Niemis’ from many different areas of the country. In Finland, they are either Isoniemi, Piikuniemi, Kangasniemi, Peltoniemi, etc., etc. When they came to Canada, they all dropped the first part of the name and were all called just ‘Niemi’.
August and Ida moved to Vancouver in the fall of 1929. Their daughter, Eila, was born there.
While in Vancouver, August worked for Brittania Mines and later for the C.P.R. Times were hard in the 30’s and they both missed their friends, and Ida, her family in Canmore. She now had another sister, Lily, and a brother, John, both born in Canmore. Ida’s father, John, had passed away in 1928. In 1939, they moved back to Canmore and August went back to work for the Canmore Mines. Their son, Melvin, was born in Canmore in June, 1942.
August was a hard working, fun-loving gentleman. He truly enjoyed children and never tired of their ceaseless questions, and he would tell them stories and poems in Finn. He loved to play his violin and the beautiful melodies of the songs from Finland were his favorites.
August passed away while at work in the mine on February 15, 1955. His wife, Ida, and their young son, Melvin, then went to live with their daughter, Eila, and her husband, Mike Dyrgas – living arrangement that continued until Melvin married Elke Bohnsack in 1972 and made his own home. Ida continued to live with Mike and Eila and their son Darrel, born July 1st, 1959, until she fell and broke her hip in 1994. She then spent her remaining years in the extended care unit of the Canmore General Hospital until she passed away on October 19, 1997.
August Niemi, 1926
August Niemi and son Melvin, daughter Eila, and Ida Niemi, 1954
Canmore Seniors at the Summit, ed. Canmore Seniors Association, 2000, p. 212-213.
