03.03.2024 | Resident story
Living in Kanavansuu since the 1970s
Päivi Tuosa, who has lived in Kanavansuu for almost her entire life, has witnessed and experienced the transformations of this historic residential area. Over the years, as her life circumstances changed, her apartment changed several times, but more often than not, she found her home through Lappeenrannan Asuntopalvelu.
In the 1970s, Tuosa’s family moved to Kanavansuu due to her father’s job, to houses built for factory workers. Back then, the homes were heated with potbelly stoves, and water was carried in by hand. When Tuosa was 15, her family moved to an apartment with running water and an indoor toilet. Times and apartments have changed, but the beautiful nature and waterways of Kanavansuu have maintained the area’s charm.
– In the 90s, when I was just under twenty, Kanavansuu started the basic renovation of rental apartments that were built in the area in the 1920s. I was very interested in the finishing apartments and filled out my first apartment application at the then Sammonlahti service point, and those were paper applications, Tuosa recalls.
She received a positive response to her application, marking the start of her journey as a customer of Lappeenrannan Asuntopalvelu.
It was a great feeling when you sign the lease, get the keys in hand, and start decorating your first own home. That exciting feeling is always there when you get the keys to a new home.
Päivi Tuosa
After her first apartment with the Asuntopalvelu, Tuosa moved to another landlord’s apartment for a few years. In 2000, she returned to the Asuntopalvelu, and her family found a nice small row house three-room apartment in a familiar residential area. Tuosa had previously separated, and when her daughter moved out, Tuosa moved alone to a smaller two-room apartment. Then life surprised her, and she found new love from a neighbor.
– When we met, my husband and I both lived in our own two-room apartments. When we decided to move into a shared apartment, we found a suitable three-room apartment through the Asuntopalvelu. After his children moved out, we moved from the three-room to a two-room apartment with a sauna in the same building complex. We have been very comfortable here for seven years, Tuosa recounts her housing changes.
According to Tuosa, applying for an apartment and changing homes has always been easy. Sometimes luck played a part when a suitable apartment for changing needs was found. Her first applications were made on paper, and later, applications could be conveniently made via online services. Once all her details were entered into the system, changing apartments became easier.
– I’ve been lucky to always get an apartment that suits my wishes and current life situation. My daughter was able to attend the local village school, which has sadly been closed down. I’ve always been fond of sauna, so having my own sauna is wonderful, Tuosa shares.
Easy to move and live
Tuosa is a true expert when asked about the ease of moving and living as a customer of Lappeenrannan Asuntopalvelu.
– There has been flexibility in the moving schedules when needed. In the new apartment, there’s always a defect form with which you could report any issues found at the time of moving in. I haven’t had to report anything yet, Tuosa says, and continues: In some apartments, we’ve been allowed to paint the walls ourselves. We had one accent wall in one apartment, which we returned to its original condition before moving out.
Over the years, when repairs were needed in the apartments, they were always addressed quickly. The property maintenance and manager are easy to contact, and nowadays, defect reports can also be made via WhatsApp.
– It’s easy to log in to the Resident Pages, where you can make defect reports as well as view and update your personal information. The Resident Pages also contain all the property information and minutes of resident meetings. I highly recommend using it, Tuosa sanoo.
Tuosa highlights the benefits of her current apartment, including the sauna and the building’s laundry room, where it’s convenient to wash and dry large laundry items. Of course, pet-friendliness is important because the family includes a cat and a dog.
Lappeenrannan Asuntopalvelu offers various benefits to its residents, such as free internet and a wide range of recreational activities: movie nights, tickets to baseball games, trips to Korkeasaari Zoo, and various community events. Long-term residents can also receive additional services in their apartments.
– We’ve been customers for over 20 years, and in honor of that, we received blinds for our apartment windows. Especially in the summer, they help keep the apartment cooler.
Resident activities require active residents
Tuosa has previously been actively involved in resident committees, organizing fall and spring clean-ups, the Miljoonapilkki event for children, porridge parties, and parking lot dances. Although no official resident activities have been organized in her current building, Tuosa, being an active person, has accomplished a lot.
– We’ve had small yard clean-ups, and we received some recreation funds from the landlord for refreshments. I once brought over some garden furniture from my mother’s place to the yard area. Later, we got our own furniture and those concrete tiles. It’s nice to eat ice cream and chat with neighbors there, Tuosa shares.
Tuosa has found important heart friends among her neighbors in addition to new love. She meets weekly with an 80-year-old neighbor lady, and their soul-sister chats last for hours. Tuosa’s own mother also lives in the same neighborhood.
Kanavansuu offers great opportunities for nature lovers
In Kanavansuu, Itäinen Rantaraitti, Murheistenranta, and the Saimaa Canal surroundings offer great settings for nature activities. Tuosa enjoys walking with her dog along the beautiful walking paths in the area.
– There are many jogging paths and overall good sports facilities. In the summer, you can paddleboard and play disc golf. The old Kanavansuu school’s sports facilities offer gymnastics and other group sports. I’ve dabbled a bit in geocaching, Tuosa lists the area’s recreational opportunities.
Local services, such as a library, swimming pool, school, and daycare, are located less than 5 km away in Lauritsala, but the city center’s services are also easily accessible, for example, through efficient public transportation.
– The village kiosk closed back in 2008, but fortunately, the building wasn’t demolished. Last summer, a baker who fled Ukraine opened a pop-up café in the kiosk, which was very popular.
Tuosa describes Kanavansuu’s environment as a true nature lover’s paradise, suitable for residents of all ages. She also mentions Lappeenranta’s excellent study opportunities, for example, at LUT University, which has long been known for having Finland’s best study atmosphere.
According to Tuosa, Lappeenrannan Asuntopalvelu is a safe and reliable landlord, easy to deal with. She has always been able to make her rental apartments feel like her own home for herself and her family. Residents can enjoy living and life in peace, while someone else takes care of snow removal and lawn mowing.
This is our home for life. We’ve been able to decorate it to our liking. When I come home, I can sigh: This is good, this is our home. I really like decorating, and I’ve always said that home is where you hang it. I’ve hung my home in Kanavansuu.
Päivi Tuosa
Kanavansuu is located in the Eastern area, which includes the districts of Hakali, Lauritsala, Mustola, Parkkarila, and Tirilä. The area offers both apartment buildings, row houses, and even a single-family home project on the nostalgic Kanavansuu housing fair area.
