100 Years Ago: Apostle of Free Love Arrested in Lethbridge

Portrait of Sanna Kannasto from Wikimedia Commons

“Woman Exponent of Free Love Doctrine in Toils Here.” This was the headline of a brief article the Herald run on February 6, 1920. Who was this person of interest, arrested in Lethbridge by the Mounted Police? Her name was Sanna Kannasto. According to the article, she was in possession of “free love literature,” lived openly in a common-law relationship and publicly professed that “marriage is a slavery.”

But could those radical views be grounds for arrest? Kannasto was a leader at the Finnish Organization of Canada which was closely associated with the Social Democratic Party in Canada. She was considered one of the most dangerous agitators in Canada and the Mounties were tracking her. While the “free love” label helped leverage the public opinion against her, she was certainly detained for her political activism.

A follow-up newspaper article informed the readers that on her stop in Canmore, Kannasto was “preaching bolshevism.”  Police officers intercepted Kannasto in Lethbridge. Upon arrest, Kannasto was detained, most likely at the RCMP barracks, which is now the downtown block behind city hall also known as the “Barrack Square.” There Kannasto was subjected to a deportation hearing.

This arrest and imprisonment of Sanna Kannasto were vividly dramatized in the documentary “Under the Red Star” (2011). The film deals largely with the Finnish union movement and depicts Kannasto as a charismatic and outspoken leader.

Kannasto was eventually released from custody. She continued her activism and work throughout Canada. A suffragette, a political organizer, an early feminist, she appears to be a notable figure in Canadian history. Her arrest and detention in Lethbridge didn’t seem to dampen her spirit.

You can find out more about notable figures in the history of Lethbridge and southern Alberta at the Galt Museum & Archives. Book your visit at www.galtmuseum.com/visit.