Isn't there some plan to build an addition to Tartu College to replace Eesti maja? Sounds good to me. Even more central than it is now, easier to administer 2 places than one, some other positives as well. When I heard there was such an idea I thought it was awesome. Apparently though, the stumbling block is getting the admins of both buildings to work together. A shame if that were to prevent such a logical idea from going forward. Anyhow, that's what a little birdie whispered in my ear ...

Tartu College has its own problems. It is owned by the provincial government and it is not that easy to add commercial space like EM. It is easy to get to by transit, but not so easy by car. Current location is a good compromise.

"... hopelessly ungrammatical Estonian ..."

Wow. That is indeed unforgiveable!

:))))))))))))))))))))))))

If our young people, who express pride in their heritage, spent one hour per week reading Eesti Elu, they would be speaking tolerable Estonian within a year.
That's much less time than some of spent trying to destroy Ehatare.

Rather than nitpick at peoples grammar, why not be happy that they are speaking Estonian at all? I know for a fact that it is precisely this kind of critical attitude that has driven many people away from Esto society in Toronto which is most unfortunate. And frankly, if proper Estonian grammar were a requirement for participating in Esto society in Toronto then the society would be tiny indeed.

Strange that someone who entitles his/her comment "Peace" chooses to ignore the issue at hand and instead segues into yet another personal attack on a former employee of Ehatare and the events surrounding her dismissal. It is hard to answer such a corrosive screed in gentlemanly fashion but it can't be allowed to stand uncorrected.

Perhaps "Peace" should make peace with the fact that a judge will decide whether there was good reason for the firing based on evidence, not Peace's mere opinion that it was "probably for good reasons". Secondly, it is not clear whether the interests of Ehatare residents were well served by the board and ITS supporters on this particular issue. Ehatare residents in large numbers were initially shocked and perturbed at losing the employee in question, circulating a petition for her reinstatement. Many described her in very fond terms and wondered how they would do without her blithe spirit. What happened after that was stressful for all concerned but suffice it to say that there was another "gang" (distasteful term used by Peace) in play, the Board members and their supporters who had far more opportunity to sway residents. Let's just call them "B" group. The people, not gang (let's call them A group) who were justifiably concerned about the repercussions of the employee's dismissal for their loved ones in Ehatare made a constructive recommendation that the board and employee sit down together with a mediator and try to reach an understanding without going to court (and its associated costs). This was rejected out of hand by the board with no explanation. Then other unrelated but bothersome facts emerged. As just one example, there was a conflict of interest in that the head of the administrative board was also chief medical officer for Ehatare, something not allowed under Ontario regulations for retirement homes. (He subsequently resigned the medical officer position). Alarmed by what appeared to be a board impervious to constructive criticism, other candidates put their names forward as volunteers the following year. As far as being organized, Group B was far more so. The board chairman arrived at the annual meeting with enough proxy votes to outvote the people actually attending the meeting and see himself and the rest of the board safely re-elected. Since the proxy voters did not attend the meeting they had no opportunity to hear opposing views or concerns. This was not democracy at its finest.
"Peace" smears the individuals who became concerned about what they saw as flawed decision making by the board as having no legitimate interest in the running of Ehatare, out for "revenge" for their "friend" the dismissed employee, non-contributors to Ehatare and Estonian society in general. All untrue. The gross caricature as ill-intentioned people disturbing the peace of elderly Ehatare residents for nefarious purposes was particularly distasteful. Not content with that, he/she makes graceless and personal remarks about the dismissed employee, insulting every Estonian speaker with less than perfect grammar to boot. "Peace" has roiled waters that were best left to settle and to no good discernible purpose. Here's hoping the necessary discussion about the fate of Estonian House can proceed in healthy fashion without the same taint. It would help to assume that people with opposing views may be equally well intentioned to oneself and to present reasoned argument instead of baseless innuendo.

I don't doubt that you mean well, but; you're misinformed on some relevant matters.
(1) "...a judge will decide whether there was good reason for the firing..." Not so.
In Ontario's employment law, an employee can be dismissed "without cause"; In that case, the only matter to be resolved is the details of an appropriate severance package.
(2) Yes, we (residents and their family members) were initially shocked and perturbed at losing the employee in question. It was a self-appointed busy-body from the outside, however, known to us but with with no substantial connection to Ehatare, who pressured residents to sign the petition you mention. One resident signed twice; another, reluctantly.
Our concern for smooth operations abated when the employee was replaced and Ehatare continued to function normally. The lesson here is that no one is irreplaceable.
(3) The only calls for mediation amounted to informal comments on Facebook and Eesti Elu and those were precluded by a lawsuit launched by the dismissed employee.
(4) Such matters rarely end up in court. In most cases, legal counsels quickly negotiate a settlement informally.
Why this one has dragged on for two years, with no end in sight, is a mystery.
(5) What specifically are you referring to when you mention "constructive criticism"? Could it be the campaign of harassment -- the long series of anonymous complaints to the Ministry?
For your information, they have all proved to be without merit, apart from the conflict of interest which preserved medical care in Estonian.
(6) The vigilantes who campaigned for a place on the Board lost because they lacked credibility.Their credentials were flimsy; and their campaign platform -- destructive. What's to be said for getting rid of medical care in Estonian?
For residents and their family members, this was worrisome.

As the child of a resident, I'm as mad as a wet hen at the Board's passivity. Many of the comments on Facebook were actionable slanders.
A legal response could have stopped the war on Ehatare in its tracks.