What deeds???? Have not seen any!

Excellent letter by Tõnu Petersoo. Sad that we have not had more people voicing their concern, even though this has been the main topic for discussions in our community This entire project is not only overextending our community, it is also ensuring that we do not have future generations of Estonian-speaking members. Robbing the children of an Estonian community home? Shameful, and no reason to praise anyone involved with the new centre project.

"We" just don't get it, never did, never will. We are not the tribe we thought we were. The tegelased of Project Madison never understood.

p.s. Psychiatric therapy is available at no cost in Ontario.

a href="mailto:rkomendant@studiok.ca">rkomendant@studiok.ca et al

Perhaps I'm missing something and if so could you please clarify for me:

There is plenty of free parking and easy accessibility at:

Seedrioru
Jöekärru
Kotkajärve
Eesti Maja

So why are the numbers lessening over the years?

torkomendant@studiok.ca et al

Sorry but I feel to need to explain:

These locations ARE the events!

Laagrid and Eesti Kool @EestiMaja & ALL are funded by Sihtkapital!

Yes, learning introductory language skills are very important and start in the home. However, greater development of language skills and a love for the language requires a multitude of personal interactions and learning environments. Fortunately the dedicated Toronto Estonian School teachers do an excellent job enhancing the language skills of our youth showing that Estonian is alive and thriving.

Yes, learning introductory language skills are very important and start in the home. However, greater development of language skills and a love for the language requires a multitude of personal interactions and learning environments. Fortunately the dedicated Toronto Estonian School teachers do an excellent job enhancing the language skills of our youth showing that Estonian is alive and thriving.

There would be more people if there were more funding for good events. The only one with access to funding has been Tartu College. Sadly, they do not have the venue or the parking.
Elsewhere where there is parking, everything comes down to having the money to pay for good events. It is really hard when most events in our community rely on volunteers who have families and work responsibilities. Even if they find the time to do something there are no resources for travel costs, rental of space and sound systems, etc etc Had this existed, our community would have been completely different.
Sihtkapital does not simply fund events. Everything needs to be done in advance and through specific organizations that they have agreements with.
Many of our youth have attempted to organize events only to be frustrated by the lack of or complicated access to funding.
Tartu College has the funds via Tampõld and Sihtkapital and Eesti. They also have the paid employees who can apply for grants while being paid. It is also helpful when some of these paid employees know how to apply for funding from Eesti. Almost all funding from Eesti for events in our community all go to the same place. It requires knowledge and skills that one does not have if raised here in Canada. Even those from Eesti have been frustrated by the funding process and refuse to try again because of the time and effort the process takes. If you are a volunteer you do not have that much free time to spare.
It´s as if we need courses and training to know how to apply for funding for Estonians abroad from Estonia.
Tartu could have had some of the better events at Eesti Maja and made more money and attracted more people from the Estonian community and from the local neighbourhood. This would have been a great way to showcase Estonian culture and our Estonian community. It would also have been a great way to grow our community and to work together and co-operate.
Many in our community do not know contemporary Estonian culture. Everyone does not visit Estonia regularly or interact with visitors from Estonia. Effort needs to be made to grow a community by educating about and promoting our culture and language. Venues do not automatically attract people. New buildings do not either. This all requires funding that has not been readily available to our Estonian community.
I am not sure if this explains somewhat why we do not see more people at our events. If there are excellent events at reasonable prices at accessible venues, people will come.

Can't day that I understand what you are getting at.
Who threatens you with reprisals, and how?

I did not say someone is threatening me. Please reread my comment.

What should I try again?

Do you disagree with what I am saying? Is it not about relationships? Is alienating people acceptable? Do you believe that public humiliation should be condoned? Do you hope to seduce and entice people by making disparaging comments (either online or in a public setting) Are you saying a person's worth IS contingent on their profession, or their social standing or their education or their net monetary worth?

Sadly, there are people in our community who say, do and believe these things. Since you don't seem to understand – do you belong to this clique?

My comment is factual. You might not like it, but it is the state of the nation.

The fact that you don't understand speaks volumes.

ahh Family-Feud-Guy, that would be one 'm', the Estonian spelling. :D

The Toronto Esto community needs to take a serious look at the model that the Latvians offered - joining forces at 4 Credit Union drive in a new Baltic Center.
This makes great sense economically and logistically - sharing of facilities, parking, Don Valley and TTC access, at a child friendly location.
If Eesti Maja is beyond rehabilitation, then this is a far better 2nd choice!

Katki ei ole midagi. Praeguse Eesti Maja ostu ajal oli eestlaskond veel hullemini lõhestatud. Kui kaaluti sünagoogi ostmist, oli kisa taevani. Uus lärm läks lahti, kui osteti krunt Mertoni "kuiva" rajooni. Ega Broadviewgi küigile ei meeldinud. Tolleagset kära oli vähem kuulda vaid seetõttu, et polnud internetti, mis võimaldaks igaühel anonüümselt räusata.

Hei Karl Otsa! welcome to StudioK Architecture. While on charrette at McGill we had to redesign the "Pine Park Knot" at the foot of Mount Royal in Montreal- a silly tangle of 60's traffic solutions. Our group drew up a giant traffic circle. We were mocked for being "literal" and the judges declared: Montrealers don't do traffic circles. Twenty years later...guess what they built? yuppers, a giant traffic circle. Variables beyond our comprehension and anticipation of what's going on in the world right now, especially south of our border will also play into the success of the IEC. The mind reels when one thinks of the ugly machinations to push this project through, the physical limitations of the Madison site- those rumbling trains below- I and others call it whack. Yes, Karl, aren't we lucky we have all those venues outside of the metropolis, to ground ourselves- that's where Estonians can practice their true selves- Nature-beings. In the city we lose our bearings.

Karl Otsa: the schools and camps are funded by the community thought the accounts of Sihtkapital and run by volunteers. If you ever donated you would know the difference.

To Funding:

"the schools and camps are funded by the community thought the accounts of Sihtkapital and run by volunteers. If you ever donated you would know the difference."

That is a very correct statement!

I should have qualified my answer by stating that SOME of the funding comes from SihtKapital. To my understanding donations with instructions go directly to the organizations. Otherwise it goes to a general pool from which requests for funding are made.

Funds requested by Sihtkapital can only be used for costs associated with running the camps & Eesti koolid.

HOWEVER these funds may not be used for capital improvements.

My response was more directed atrkomendant@studiok.ca in that there are "regular events" that Sihtkapital helps fund which are the camps & Eesti koolid.

Presently (in a non Wuhan Flu environment) participation by students and parents/alumni has been dwindling over the decades. Yet the criteria of access and free parking is actually better now then when I went to camp.

This is also why the camps instituted a monetary fee per family instead having to volunteer 2 days of labour at the camp.... some families do both

Yes the drive to any of these locations can be anywhere from and hour to nearly three. Too bad that we have become so comfy that we can't do this anymore.

When I went to Seedrioru, many families left their kids in camp for 4 or 5 weeks. The funny thing is that kids from NYC, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal also came for similar lengths of time. No doubt JK experience similar participation.

Keele Kool started up because it was "too far away" undoubtedly overcrowding at EestiMaja played into as well.

There once was more than one Skauti Group I believe in the heyday there was 4. There were 2 Gaidi groups. Now there is 1 of each.

The programs at these "events" as I called them are first rate and interesting (having been an observer).

So why aren't more children/parents alumni coming out to these? this is more of a rhetorical question, unless of course you really think I need a response.

This is for you and that "Family feud-guy" (coward) There was no room left in the urban fabric of Rome, Bernini created form to "imply" architecture. The Pine Park Knot is a parable (the implications of design decisions). Too bad neither of you explored this HUGE country to understand where we diaspora Estonians were privileged to have landed. I just think you are both bonafide AH's. https://www.legacy.com/obituar...

Sorry for your loss. And it's true about Canada.

a href="mailto:rkomendant@studiok.ca">rkomendant@studiok.ca

oh so now it's parable time for us AH's is it?

So are you trying to teach a moral /
religious lesson or just trying to provide a lesson...... I still do not understand what you are teach this AH.