In the latest edition of Community Unwrapped, Eesti Elu spoke with long-time Toronto Estonian community member Erik Kadai. Erik grew up attending the Toronto Estonian School, which he says had a lasting impact on his understanding of Estonian culture and language. He also took part in Estonian Scouts, where he loved learning survival skills, spending time with friends, and participating in the many activities organized by Scout leaders.
Since then, Erik got a job working as a Project Coordinator at Walters Group—one of the largest structural steel fabricators in Canada and the United States. He says, “I ended up there because I’ve always liked construction, seeing how buildings go up, and how we can push the limits of engineering. I was good at math and science in school, so that led me into engineering (more specifically, into civil engineering and structures).”
From managing different teams to solving unexpected challenges, Erik’s work days are never dull. But for Erik, the real reward is seeing a project he’s worked on for years finally start to take shape. Recently, Erik managed the preconstruction, fabrication, erection, topping out, and completion for 10 World Trade in Boston—a 17-storey, 555,000-square-foot commercial building.
“It was challenging because there’s a lot to coordinate with all the different teams and realizing you're just a small part of the puzzle. I'm not an expert on everything, but I was just trying to get the right information to the right people. The other thing is that steel is a small part of the whole project. But, overall, it’s incredible to see the actual construction and the scale of things, especially after only seeing it on your computer,” Erik said.
Even though he’s busy with work, Erik still stays in touch with the Estonian community in Toronto and Hamilton. “I think it’s important that Estonians stay in touch, that we come together at the various events—whether that’s at Christmas, the summer camps, or any others—to practice speaking the language and engage in the culture,” he said.
After watching this new episode, remember that other episodes of Community Unwrapped are also available to watch on our website and YouTube channel!
This episode was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalist Initiative.
