Kaija Sanelma Harris

On August 27th, 2022, Kaija Sanelma Harris (nee Lehtimäki), of Saskatoon, passed away at the age of 82. Kaija is survived by her daughter, Deirdre; and sister, Ritva Degerstedt. Kaija was predeceased by her parents Vieno Viljam and Lyyli Sanelma Lehtimäki (nee Salonen), and her brother Simo Lehtimäki.

Kaija was born in 1939 in Turku, Finland. At the tender age of four, Kaija and her sister were sent to Sweden for two years, away from the dangers of war. Kaija’s Swedish ‘foster parents’, in Skellefteå, were Hjalmar and Ranghild Lång. Kaija loved to return to visit her Swedish foster parents in the summers.

Her childhood memories included an early introduction and training in fibre and textile work, and Kaija's future career as a preeminent Canadian textile artist was all but predestined. Her mother, Lyyli, was a seamstress, and operated a small shop from their home, and Kaija’s Swedish foster mother was also a weaver and knitter. In 1964 Kaija completed an education in textiles in her home city, and after her graduation she moved to Iceland, where she apprenticed to a textile designer in Reykjavik.

While in Iceland she met and married Richard Harris, an American who was there on a fellowship and studying Icelandic sagas. During their married years, they moved to the USA, where Deirdre was born in 1967, and in 1973, the family moved to Saskatoon.

Kaija was smitten with the landscape in Saskatchewan, and her love for the prairies never faltered. While she was a textile artist, the true medium of her work was colour; the colour of the ground, the light falling on grasses, the moods of the sky, the sun, and the undulations of the prairies permeated her weavings. Kaija was proud to raise her daughter and to teach her about colour, texture, creativity, and craftsmanship, and most of all to pass on an appreciation of the natural surroundings.

One of Kaija's greatest professional achievements occurred in the mid 1980's, when she was one of a select group of Canadian artists commissioned to create site-specific works for the Toronto Dominion headquarters, TD Centre, in Toronto. Her work was featured in many traveling exhibitions, and her pieces reside in a number of prestigious Canadian art collections.

During her career, Kaija was a prominent figure in the Saskatchewan craft community. She taught courses on weaving and was engaged in regular dialogue with other artisans. Kaija contributed greatly to the Saskatchewan Craft Council as a volunteer. She received many awards for her work in Saskatchewan and beyond, and in 2008 she received the SCC's Lifetime Honorary Member Award. Regrettably, her health forced an early retirement from weaving in 2008.

Kaija lived her life the way she practiced her art form: quietly, but with dignity and loyalty. She is greatly missed by devoted friends and family.

Family wishes to extend thanks to the staff at Sherbrooke Community Centre for the attention and care that they provided for Kaija. A special thank you for the blessings of companionship and kindness from her two private caregivers, Sunny and Janet.