The passing of Ants Sulev on May 23rd, 2026, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, one day after his eighty-seventh birthday, concluded the story of a highly impactful figure from the Estonian-Canadian and Uxbridge communities. While some accounts distinguish his professional life from his heritage, Sulev lived fluidly between two worlds. In small-town Ontario, he built a legendary music curriculum at Uxbridge Secondary School. Within the Estonian diaspora, he was a skilled instrumentalist, conductor, and community volunteer who grew post-war Estonian community infrastructure.
Sulev’s youth was intertwined with institutions that have sustained the Estonian community. His mother, Erna Sulev, served as the first director of the Jõekääru Estonian Children’s Camp in 1953, establishing the organizational groundwork for a camp that remains very active today. Ants and his brother, Mati, emerged as talented musicians. In the 1960s, they operated a popular dance orchestra in the local area. Community member Toomas Kütti notes that the brothers could be considered predecessors and mentors to the later Kaja orchestra, contributing to the social life of a generation of young Estonian-Canadians through live music.
Beyond the dance halls, Ants Sulev was a studio musician and ensemble leader. Some of his recorded contributions can be found in the National Library of Estonia. He conducted and performed on several diaspora vinyl records, including Jüri Lipp’s Laul Sinule, Andres Raudsepp’s On aeg antud laulda, and René Ufer’s Peegeldusi. Looking at the liner notes of Estonian records, you’ll find that he led the instrumental ensemble that backed baritone Harry Verder on the album Sõdurilaulud.
Sulev also brought artistic ambition to his public school teaching career. After instructing in Toronto, he became head of the music department at Uxbridge Secondary School in 1975, serving for fifteen years until 1990. In Uxbridge, he transformed a standard high school programme into a powerhouse. Under his encouraging direction, Sulev managed a ninety-member student symphony, a ninety-member marching band, and a twenty-five-member jazz band simultaneously, introducing students to complex arrangements. A 1980 archival recording, preserved in a school centenary video, captures Sulev conducting the concert band through a Claude T. Smith composition—you can listen for yourself on YouTube.
Upon retiring, Sulev returned to Jõekääru, living as a full-time resident, active neighbour, and volunteer. He lent his expertise to the JK Jazz festival and supervised local facilities. At the Jõekääru swimming pool, he routinely monitored its condition, remaining a constant, visible contributor to daily community life.
Sulev relocated to Sault Ste. Marie in 2019, where he spent his final years. He leaves behind an extensive network of former students, colleagues, and community members who benefitted from his approach to music education, which is in turn a catalyst for personal growth. Through the countless teenagers he guided on stage and the enduring recordings he’s a part of, Sulev demonstrated how a single dedicated educator can permanently shape communities and lives.
