Kui väga kurb.

Au ja kiitus ettenägelikele eestlastele kes mõtlevad meie tuleviku peale. Hea kuulda et keskuse rajamine edeneb!!

Eks tulevik näitab kas see Madisoni projekt säilitab meie väikest Toronto eestlaskonda, või mitte.
Pean jägama inglise keeles- John Ralston Saul'i raamatust " A Fair Country" väikse tarkuse killu.
"What is a failed elite? One afraid of ideas, one afraid to talk to the citizenry through ideas, afraid to encourage the wide discussion of ideas to find the basis for its actions, unable to act except in a veiled or populist manner, afraid of the idea of power except as an expression of interests. A failed elite would rather sell than buy, rather trade in wealth than create it. They would rather be employees than owners, managers than risk takers. Some people believe that elites fail because of their particular ideology. But ideologies are usually the refuge of the fearful. It is fear or mediocrity or both that defines a failed elite. And the sign that this is what you are dealing with is its incapacity to solve problems."

Huvitav küll. Pole õeldud, millise nime all parkimise platsi olevat ostetud. Kui palju ja kelle rahaga! In vino veritas.

Comments like yours are why I don’t want to lay myself open to attack in the community by posting under my name.

Glen, I have respect for you, but I don’t have respect for the Madison project process where a vast number of community members’ opinions and wishes and needs are being ignored. It has been made clear that many prefer the existing location, that a good number of people have difficulty coming downtown, that Madison is located in a congested area of the city. The choice was made by those in charge that a legacy building would be built (and now a business centre for those from Estonia), but not a centre that would address the needs that were served by the present Estonian House, before the building was “let go to seed”. If the money could be found for the Madison building, then there is money for a sufficient and wonderful remake of the building at the present location. I don’t buy the argument to build near Tartu College, because I have no information as to how long Tartu College will be in the hands of Estonians when Jaan Meri decides that he no longer has the energy to deal with that entity (that will be crowded out by newer similar residences being built nearby). The truth of the matter is that it is not realistic to rely on third, fourth and future fifth generation Estonians to keep our community going, because in essence, they will more likely consider themselves Canadian with some Estonian heritage (with little committed interest in our activities) as opposed to big “E” Estonians who have to-date rolled up their sleeves to do the heavy lifting with organizing. The damage being done by building at Madison may be irreparable to our community, and may in fact hasten an earlier demise.

Are you an EM shareholder Glen Leis? Were you present at that (hoodwinking and deceptive presentation to the ‘base’) on April 25th, 2017 shareholder meeting? If you WERE present, please write your impressions of the mood of the ‘base’ at that gathering……. What was YOUR ‘reading of the room’, the people?, the eestlased there? Seems to me, that those Toronto Eestlased that WERE there and voiced their opinion, are ‘useful idiots’ to you. Pretty darn arrogant, on your part, no? (BTW, History will show who actually , in the long run, was the ‘useful idiot’…….) I agree with the ‘local useful idiot typing away’ (lol! And thanks for that chuckle!), that 1) “ If the money could be found for the Madison building, then there is money for a sufficient and wonderful remake of the building at the present location.” And 2) “The damage being done by building at Madison may be irreparable TO OUR COMMUNITY, and may in fact hasten an earlier demise.”… I only add to that sentence, that HOW IT WAS done, (the means) is totally shameful (never mind even the “end”!) and most likely, irreparable also. Looking forward to your response. Please don’t be arrogant… arrogance and being called names is pointless and incredibly dismissive….and a “scoundrels last resource”…. (and embarrassing too). Jaak Jarve’s quote is totally accurate of the events and how it has gone down. Glad he posted that.

I think you're being a tad melodramatic (or paranoid) with your "FSB troll" comment.

Most people who post here or on any internet forums do so anonymously. You may not like it but it is our right to do so, why not be respectful of our rights?

Your name means nothing to me so had you posted anonymously, it would have made no difference to me. Either way, I am enable to digest your opinions without bias. I think that's a good thing myself, perhaps that's something for you to think about.

Kadri has some interesting questions for you, I look forward to your answers.

I keep hearing stories about old friends who are no longer on speaking terms because of disagreements about this Madison project, this makes me sad. Whenever someone asks me for my opinion on this matter, I simply say that I prefer to keep my opinions to myself as I have friends on both sides of this debate and regardless which side of this debate they take, I respect their opinions and would like to keep them as friends. I'm a big believer on the value of anonymity on these forums in general but even if I wasn't, I think this would be a good reason to favour anonymity in this particular case - I may have something to say from time to time, but if I didn't have the option of doing so anonymously, I would remain silent. Don't you think it's a good thing that people can express their thoughts without having many people mentally attach a "scarlet letter" to them?

Discussion is never a bad thing, let's try to be respectful of each others viewpoints, even if we don't agree with them. Let's try to remember that most if not all of us want the same thing, even if don't agree on what the best way is to go about it.

Dont worry Kadri, its ok. Despite your shameful attack on Glen, you'll still be welcome at the new Madison Centre. As will Jaak. As will the Vaino's, as will Ingrid Tanner, as will everyone who has tried to derail this process through the spreading of deceptive misinformation, trying to drive a wedge into our community. We look forward to seeing you all there to help us celebrate! As for right now I get it, emotions are high. Emotion erodes judgement. It is clear emotions have got the better of you. I understand your emotional ties to the Broadview house, as do most people. I know the kinds of attacks you and those listed above lay down on others are not a true representation of the types of people you are. It is simply a momentary loss of self-control. Its ok. As part of the majority that recognizes the need for Madison and is fully supportive of the project and everyone involved with it, I forgive you, all of you.

well said Rita!

wow... this is interesting.
The lot is purchased... by whom? Not by the Estonian House

And I am welcome and can come to the new venue when it built... thank you for the invite.

My take is that we only voted for the tribute offer if I recall. No other votes occurred... we tried to get a new vote by getting signatures from shareholders to hold a new vote... and somehow Raivo Remmel forbid the vote that evening even though all the proxies were signed up.
Why? Most likely because they knew they would lose.

Next, I was elected to the board of the Estonian house when others stepped aside... Raivo Remmel sent a note asking if I accept joining the board and to sign the form. Seems all the emails I sent did not go to his computer or his cell phone and I never invited to any meetings... though at that time they had meetings every week. Sorry.... this was wrong... then at the next session Raivo became the vice president... he asked me to sit with the board

Really?
No!

Pretend that they followed the rules! This rally eroded my faith in them.
Finally, over the years I was pointing out that management had no clue how to manage an asset like the Estonian House. It was NEVER on its last leg.
Even today marketing is no where to be seen... google Estonian House you do find the Estonian house come up but one should also see the ads that are running on other sites. Nope… nothing else posted at other sites…

I believe they want to show low rental rates and they do not want to make money… have losses… show their incompetence… but they will not say that… just that no one wants to rent the venue… which is wrong. Right now it is the Hip and In place to live and work in Toronto

And the Escarpment is beautiful to enjoy in every season.
Board members, in reality, it is the bank, and Estonian Foundation of Canada that will run the show
Listen up Board members… want to have influence… just stay On Broadview site. Cut your losses… and have a position on a REAL working board that actually makes decisions Independently

that is my tip of the day

A FAIR COUNTRY: TELLING TRUTHS ABOUT CANADA
Penguin Books Published in Canada (English), Canada (French)

• 1st on Maclean’s bestseller list
• 2nd on Toronto Star’s bestseller list
• One of the top non-fiction bestsellers of 2008 (The Globe and Mail)
Summary
In this startlingly original vision of Canada, thinker John Ralston Saul unveils 3 founding myths. Saul argues that the famous “peace, order, and good government” that supposedly defines Canada is a distortion of the country’s true nature. Every single document before the BNA Act, he points out, used the phrase “peace, welfare, and good government,” demonstrating that the well-being of its citizenry was paramount. He also argues that Canada is a Métis nation, heavily influenced and shaped by aboriginal ideas: egalitarianism, a proper balance between individual and group, and a penchant for negotiation over violence are all aboriginal values that Canada absorbed. Another obstacle to progress, Saul argues, is that Canada has an increasingly ineffective elite, a colonial non-intellectual business elite that doesn’t believe in Canada. It is critical that we recognize these aspects of the country in order to rethink its future.
Selected Quotes
Noah Richler – Globe and Mail
“A brilliant and timely argument about Canada’s complex nature and our country’s best future course. What a relief it is to read something so observant about Canada…Our politicians would do well to read this book.”

Aparna Sanyal – Montreal Gazette
“A Fair Country is that rare work of political thought that, by virtue of its daring, is both thrilling and sobering. One reads it with the even rarer sense that it had to be written.”

Dear Anonymous,
John Ralston Saul gave a keynote speech on Endangered Languages at the ESTDOCS Film Festival (Toronto) on October 22,2010. So trying to follow your train of thought, I guess you are implying that the ESTDOCS management at the time were also gullible in calling such a vapourous writer to speak at our Estonian film festival. Just asking.....

My questions to you Glen Leis are really, really very simple for you to answer, and just plainly, a mere factual response is required on your part. Were you there in the room on April 25th, 2017 or not? My 'SPECIAL' request was for you to give your OWN take on the mood of the room, your 'take' on the base, about the eestlased there and there 'deer in the headlights' expressions........ YOUR impressions are only possible, of course, IF YOU WERE THERE? Waiting to read if you were there or not.... It's a straight forward question requiring a yes or no answer on your part.

A good person to ask about John Ralston's Saul's keynote speech might be Ellen Valter, photographed above. She hosted the event, and she later chaired the "Town Hall" where the use of Estonian to discuss the fate of Estonian House was not permitted. Meanwhile Tartu College funded a bizarre campaign called Haute Culture to bring Tammsaare to the world stage and harness cultural nationalism for a ‘mission’ to publish in English at least the first volume of Tammsaare’s Truth and Justice, on the grounds that any recognition was better than none. Has anyone seen that “deluxe edition”? Not in the Tartu Institute library. Such slight indications tell of an “increasingly ineffective elite, a colonial non-intellectual business elite that doesn’t believe in Canada[/Estonia]”.

Do we know and understand what is meant by a colonial mentality?

Linda Norheim gave an excellent presentation at Metsaülikool on the basis of her work with the Métis Nation of Ontario. Who are the Métis in Canadian history? Norheim was invited to give her talk again at ENÜS Toronto where it was remarked how much there was to gain from a second opportunity to process and reflect on the history of this people, and through their history, better understand the nature of human rights in general and specific issues relating to "nations" and "peoples".

Unfortunately and ironically a gap exists in the education of Estonian Canadians in regards to Canada. Some would say a lost opportunity. . . .

In the twenty years that Estonians were establishing themselves in Canada, "Métis writers included Beatrice Culleton, Duke Redbird and Maria Campbell whose influential autobiography Halfbreed (1973) demonstrated the horrific effects of government policy and racism on Métis families." In Search of April Raintree (Culleton) and Halfbreed (Campbell) are widely studied at Canadian universities. As for Redbird, he served in the 1970’s as a vice-president of the Native Council of Canada. After obtaining a master's degree in political science from York University, his academic thesis We Are Metis was published in 1980. He subsequently served as president of the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association.

https://www.thecanadianencyclo...

'Tõde ja õigus' has yet to be translated into English in its entirety, alas.
Vol. I appeared long ago and, currently, its out of print.
Vol. II has been translated and should be in print very soon.
The same translator is expected to start on Vol. III.
This should be a great benefit to our self-appointed opinion-leaders who can't be bothered to get a grip on the Estonian language: Maxim de la Trine, Allan Meiusi, and Jaak Järve, et.al.