Mayor's greeting

Jari Tolonen
Mayor of Kajaani

Given the ever more conforming world we live in, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find notable differences between various aspects, things of interest. Which is why we need to look for and find significant differences. However, it is not self-evident that being different would give rise to excellence. Or to superiority.

In fact, the question is: Why should a town be different from other towns? Why shouldn't a town be an ordinary town? Just an ordinary small Finnish town with the important goal of ensuring that it's inhabitants are content and can live easy-going everyday lives.

A town is like life itself – always on-going. The real assets of any town are always the people living in it. Because the spirit of a place is important. People create places and places create people. A precondition for the vitality of small Finnish towns is their living "power of life", their creative human atmosphere. The power of small Finnish towns and their potential for success are founded in culture and plausible know-how. We can do many other things more sensibly, and make possible that which appears to be impossible. Part of everyday creativity is that people do what they know how to do and believe in what they do.

Take a creative grip on life.