The Väär family ended in Canada near Petawawa military base around 1948 where they worked at the base and at Ontario Hydro. In 1949 at the age of 19 Väär started the first Estonian newspaper in North America called Nädalaleht (weekly) using a rented typewriter and sending it around North America.
It was time Väär headed out to Toronto and started to work for the Estonian construction supply company while writing a column for Meie Elu (Our Life) and the German weekly Torontoner Zeitung since both were situated in the same building at the south east corner of Bay and Gerrard Streets. At the same time he started a youth organization called the E-Club.
In Toronto Väär made the acquaintance of a Hungarian who had made a film about Estonians, without using any Estonians as cast or crew. This got Väär interested in moving pictures and specifically cameras. Buying a WWII surplus Bell and Howell combination film camera and hammer for $ 150 (he still has the camera). He drove to Burlington, Ontario to film a girl who had been selected as Miss Ontario to become Miss Dominion of Canada. He headed to the CBC where he knew they used freelance camera persons and recieved $35 (in 1959). He was hooked.
The CBC camera persons would enter the newroom in the morning, open the paper and start reading what stories to chase. Väär on the other hand would use a scanner which listened to police and fire department emergency calls. This would give him a jump on the others by about a day. The established freelancers didn't like this and would block his car in the parking lot. He overcame their objections and the rest is history.
The history reached its high point 1966 during the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto. He was flying over the CNE in a light plane taking film footage when the pilot, Tommy Wong, who owned the airline mentioned that the US Navy Acrobatics Team “Blue Angels” were flying too close to the ground on the island. The following day Väär went to the foot of the harbour and started shooting the planes flying in slow motion. At one point one of the Blue Angels came too close to the ground and crashed. The film was shown in over 80 countries, Väär was given credit on air (something not usually done) and it resulted on his going to cover EXPO '67 for the CBC.
Vaar filmed and videotaped people like President Konrad Adenhauer of Germany, President Charles de Gaulle (of France) in Montreal, General Secretary Nikita Khruschev of the USSR and Fidel Castro of Cuba in New York, Prince Charles and Princess Diana of England in Ottawa, President Ronald Reagan of the United States in Toronto and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of England five times.
As one of six members of media invited to dinner on the Royal Yacht Brittania Väär was introduced to Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. Väär was guest at a dinner honouring Aga Khan. He also survived five days of eating and drinking with John Wayne in Atlanta, Georgia.
Väär has travelled all over Europe, Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt.
Edgar Väär will leave a large footprint and will be greatly missed.
Adu Raudkivi
