The winter and spring have been busy for the City of Kalajoki’s integration services for new residents. People have been moving to Kalajoki from all over Finland, Europe and Russia. Anne Tullila and Susanna Leiviskä, who work for the integration services, have helped dozens of people find housing and day care centres and schools for children. They have also provided a variety of other assistance.  People mostly move for work.  “People are faced with a lot of questions and things to resolve when moving. It is like a 1000-piece puzzle, and we help movers put it all together,” says Marketing Officer Anne Tullila. The aim is to facilitate the moving process and help people get their daily lives running smoothly in the new municipality. This also helps us retain residents.

“Kalajoki’s employment situation, safety, good recreational opportunities and excellent possibilities for remote work thanks to fibre connections are having a positive impact on population development,” says Marketing Officer Anne Tullila. “Here, you do not need to spend hours commuting, remote work is a breeze and there are plenty of opportunities for high-quality living. These are things people value more and more due to the coronavirus epidemic,” she adds. There is beginning to be a shortage of good rental housing, and the demand for sites has also increased during the spring.

Statistics Finland’s preliminary population data indicates that Kalajoki is demonstrating the strongest growth in the region

 Table on population changes in 2021, January – April.

Source: Statistics Finland

Kalajoki is a good place for children to grow

Sanna-Mari Parri’s family moved to Kalajoki in July 2019. “Kalajoki showed its best side immediately when we moved with a week-long period of hot summer sun, so all we did was enjoy the warmth at the Sand Dunes,” Sanna-Mari describes. “When we had children, we wanted to move to Kalajoki closer to our safety nets. Kalajoki seemed the right size of municipality that would be good for raising children and where relatives and friends already lived. I am a returnee who lived in Oulu for 10 years, and it was great to see how much Kalajoki has developed since the time I lived here last.” Kalajoki provides a wealth of recreational opportunities, and many services are better than in other municipalities of this size. The completion of the new Merenoja School and the proximity of the Sand Dunes were additional incentives when moving. The decision to move was made when Sanna-Mari’s husband Mikko got a job in Kalajoki. The family found their first home quickly in the form of city-owned rental housing. Later Sanna-Mari, too, found a job she enjoyed, working for an information-based management project for the City of Kalajoki.

“We are very happy to have decided to move here. Even the year of the coronavirus crisis did not seem as dour with family and friends close by and plenty to do in the yard of our newly-purchased house. Our children, Siiri and Ilari, are looking forward to the completion of the playhouse in their own backyard,” Sanna-Mari says with a smile.

Additional information

City of Kalajoki
Integration services
Anne Tullila
Marketing Manager
anne.tullila@kalajoki.fi
Tel. 044 4691 203

City of Kalajoki
population statistics
Pirjo Männistö
Director of Finance
pirjo.mannisto@kalajoki.fi

Image: Anne Tullila, City of Kalajoki