New Exhibit Showcases Dramatic Life Stories of Baltic-Canadian Seniors

Toronto, February 14, 2017 – Though photos, documents and life stories, Sharing our Stories: The Baltic Diaspora at Home in Canada profiles the age-old story of people forced to leave their homeland due to war and political oppression and start a new life elsewhere. This exhibit is based on a series of interviews with seniors from Ontario's Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Baltic German communities. Their personal 'snapshot stories' shed light on what it means to be Baltic, and on the universal experiences of migration and settlement.

"Seniors are keepers of cultural history and the generation of post-war immigrants in Canada is rapidly aging. We are at a critical moment for capturing and sharing the rich cultural knowledge that this generation has to offer," says Petra Grantham, president of the Canadian Baltic Immigrant Aid Society.
The exhibit launches on Saturday March 4, 2017 at 2pm at VEMU/Estonian Studies Centre, 310 Bloor St. West (entrance on Madison Avenue). It will run from March 4 – March 29 and is open to the public from 10am-5pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. From 10am-7pm on Wednesdays and 12-4pm on Sundays. Admission is free.