Every design for Kannus

Kannus grew up along the Lestijoki, the river that threads through Central Ostrobothnia towards the coast, and its centre still sits on the riverbank. Kokkola is the nearest larger town, with Kalajoki, Sievi and Toholampi as neighbours, but Kannus has never felt like anyone's suburb. The railway helps: despite the town's size, plenty of trains on the Ostrobothnia line stop at its station, so leaving and coming back are both easy.

The Oskari Tokoi museo honours a local boy who rose to become Chairman of the Senate of Finland, a source of quiet pride in a place this size. Mäkiraonmäki keeps another strand of local history, Törmätienpuisto gives the centre its green corner, and the Sankarihaudat are where the town remembers its war dead. Long before any of that, the area was Sámi land. Local tradition links the town's name to a Sámi witch drum, and the drum's hammer still appears on the coat of arms.

People here build things, too. Firms such as Eskopuu and Kannustalo carry the town's name to homes far beyond the valley. Look at the map and you can trace the river you followed as a child, from the station down to the water.