But, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Didn't the community already go through this uncomfortable mess with determining the site of the present Estonian House once before?

Back then, community experts who seemed to think they knew what the community wanted picked a property in a "dry" or no liquor area on Merton. Again, as this time, they did not seem to have done their homework properly. Grand plans were drawn, but the people did not like the dry Merton site and found the Broadview property, banded together, put together their money and built the building with a whole lot of love, which is today's Estonian House.

Now again, we have a group of highly educated people in the driver's seat who are telling the community that they know best, have spent much money on an architect and paperwork for a substantially smaller property with no parking. They could not have done their homework, since they would not have been so surprised about the backlash that is presently tearing the community apart. A substantial number of community members have made it clear that they do not want to go into the congested city centre for their community's home. Do the planners in charge of the purse strings want to hear what the people are saying? It would appear "no", they just want to barrel through to their conclusion. Their miscalculation will hurt the community in the end with lost campaign donations.

Now the people have another architect with a plan which they would prefer. Time will tell what the future holds for Estonians in Toronto.

The people need to be emotionally invested in their community centre and they need to put skin into the game from the beginning -- as was the case with the building of the first Estonian House. Handing the people a centre on a platter and telling them here, now go create your community will result in a hollow building without the heart of many community members.