The Story of the Lakes —

Water, water,
everywhere

Known as ‘the land of a thousand lakes’ Finland has more lakes in relation to its size than any other country in the world. Many are concentrated in the Lakeland region of central and eastern Finland, forming Europe’s largest lake district.

Like the Finnish lakes, those surrounding Cimcorp North America’s office in Canada are also the result of glaciation – the movement of ice sheets gouging craters that filled with water as the glaciers melted. Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined, famously sharing four of the ‘Great Lakes’ with the United States.

Please scroll down to continue the story.

Legends and lifeblood

The expansive lakes of Finland and Canada form not only a fundamental part of the natural landscape but also the national narrative. Epic tales and myths have been passed down through the generations to create the folklore on which Finnish and Canadian identities rest.

Both Finns and Canadians enjoy a special affinity with water, the source of livelihood for many in the past and the source of pleasure for many today.

Spirit of
adventure

Vast tracts of Finland and Canada experience the long, harsh winters and short, warm summers typical of the Arctic region.
Consequently, people make the most of the outdoors when they
can – often at their beautiful lakes.

Finns retreat to lakeside cabins – usually equipped with saunas – while Canadians are renowned for camping. Boating, kayaking and swimming are traditional summer pastimes, giving way to skating and ice fishing in the winter. Canadians even use frozen lakes for ice hockey, their beloved national sport.

Wildlife
wonders

Lakes are oases for diverse flora and fauna. Some are endangered species – such as the Saimaa ringed seal, named after its home at Finland’s largest lake. Finland and Canada host many of the same wildlife including Arctic foxes, moose, caribou and bears.

In Finland, protecting the rich diversity of animals and plants has to be balanced with ‘jokamiehenoikeus’ – ‘everyman’s rights’ or the right to roam freely in nature.

Crystal
clear

The lakes of Finland and Canada are some of the cleanest in the world, thanks to being largely untouched by sparse populations. Clean water is a precious resource that Finns and Canadians alike are keen to protect.

The Cimcorp team is committed to developing sustainable solutions that minimize the impact of logistics on the world’s stunning, but often fragile, ecosystems.

Read more at visitfinland.com and visitcanada.com.

Photo credits Jani Lepistö and iStockphoto.