Honoured guests, head kaasmaalased, friends of Estonia,
On behalf of the Estonian Central Council in Canada and Honorary Consulate General in Toronto and Honorary Consul Tom Heinsoo, I am honoured to welcome you to the celebration of the 107th anniversary of Estonia’s independence.
As Estonian Canadians, we have much to celebrate, much to be proud of and much to look forward to in the coming year. This summer, many of us will be travelling to Talllinn for the Estonian Song and Dance festivals, which take place every 5 years with participants from all over the world.
Our choirs and dance groups have been working very hard to learn the challenging repertoire and have participated in LaLaLaager singing weekend, in January, and happening this weekend – practices for Nou Pois Älaud and Kungla dancers – whose performances we enjoyed earlier this evening.
ESTO 2025 is taking place in Stockholm, Narva and Tallinn, immediately prior to the Song and Dance festivals from June 26 – July 2. The first Estonian World Festival ESTO 1972 took place right here, in Toronto, as a world wide gathering of Estonians giving a strong political statement to the Soviet Union.
Estonia consistently ranks highly according to several global indexes in areas, such as e-government, economic freedom and innovation, rule of law and literacy. Estonian students consistently score near the top of PISA test rankings. These are remarkable achievements for a country that restored independence from Soviet occupation just 34 years ago. Estonia’s story is one of perseverance, resilience and a strong belief in liberal democratic values. Former prime minister Kaja Kallas, who achieved world wide recognition for her strong support of Ukraine currently serves as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, and Vice President of the European Commission. She is the EU’s top diplomat.
Over the past year, Estonian Canadian organizations have come together from across Canada as members of a reorganized and renewed Estonian Central Council. Organizations are continuing to join and EKN welcomes all who meet the established criteria. We are pleased to announce this evening that an EKN advisory board has been established with Estonian ambassador to Canada Margus Rava, Halifax representative Estonian honorary consul Jaan Soosaar, and our own Tom Heinsoo as first members. Estonian Canadians continue to demonstrate the ability to adapt to changing community needs, as demonstrated with the KESKUS build and VEMU’s plans for the future.
Although not a registered charity, Estonian Central Council has continued to support KESKUS with an additional donation of $40,000 this past year, bringing the total to $50,000, while donating generously to VEMU and other member organizations, including most recently to KUNGLA, Seedrioru and Jõekääru.
These are good news stories.
The remainder of my remarks this evening, however, are sombre and a stark reminder of the global reality we are currently living in.
We, Estonians understand all too well the fragility of democracy – how difficult it is to keep hard fought freedoms and independence.
In 1992, Mart Laar’s first government set out to break free from the yoke of the Soviet Union as quickly as was humanly possible. One of its primary goals was integration of Estonia into international democratic institutions and organizations that would provide national security and guarantee strong alliances.NATO and European Union membership were priorities and have been cornerstones of Estonia’s policy ever since.
Since Donald Trump was sworn in for the second time on January 20th, it has become all too clear that the United States is no longer a trustworthy ally of either Canada or the European Union. Everything has changed.
While dismantling democratic institutions at home at lightning speed, threatening close friends with tariffs and contemplating takeovers of Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal and Gaza, Trump – a convicted felon – is “resetting” relations with indicted war criminal Vladimir Putin and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine – without Ukraine or Europeans at the table.
Trump is openly spreading Kremlin propaganda and lies about Ukrainian president Zelensky and contrary to law demanding that Ukraine hold elections while the country is still under attack from Russia. He calls president Zelensky a “dictator” and cozies up to Putin whose main political opponent Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison a few weeks before Putin won a rigged election last year.
Trump’s statements that Ukraine started the war sent shock waves around the world. Like a mob boss, Trump is demanding that Ukraine give up 50% of its rare materials to the US and make territorial concessions to Russia. The US is abandoning its traditional allies and the rules-based international order to line up with Russia and autocratic governments and dictators.
The entire democratic free world is being called upon now. We need to adjust to the new reality and take action accordingly at this truly pivotal time in history.
The future of Ukraine, and ultimately Estonia and Canada are at stake. The future of all small countries including Taiwan are at stake. Other demagogues are watching the US closely and feel emboldened. At this time, I would like to acknowledge the representative of the Taiwan government who is with us this evening. Deputy Director Elisa Wu, please stand. We stand with you.
Whether or not Trump succeeds depends first and foremost on how strongly ordinary Americans push back against what he is doing. But it also depends on how the rest of the world, including Canadians respond over the next days, weeks and months. It depends on how Estonians and Estonian Canadians respond. The entire democratic free world is being called upon now. We need to adjust to the new reality and take action accordingly at this truly pivotal time in history.
So, what can we do individually? And collectively?
To begin with, we need to take good care of ourselves, our friends and family. We need to turn off the news cycle when feeling overly stressed from everything that is happening. At the same time, now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand.
We all have friends and acquaintances in Canada and in the US, who have been and/or probably still are staunch Trump supporters. We need to reach out and have conversations with them to keep lines of communication open. We need to choose news and media sources carefully and not fall into the wide web of disinformation that is constantly being spun. We need to exercise our rights as citizens living in a free and democratic country to stand up and speak out against tyranny and tyrants. We need to make our voices heard by voting in upcoming provincial and federal elections.
Estonian Central Council in Canada calls upon all of you to support candidates who demonstrate a strong commitment to defending Canada’s economic and territorial sovereignty. We need to support candidates who do not parrot MAGA talking points. We need to recognize that we are not immune from extremism here, in Canada.
EKN encourages you to ask candidates:
- To increase Canada’s defence spending to 3% of GDP, immediately.
- To make necessary investments in all sectors to secure Canada’s national interests and independence.
- To insist on durable security guarantees for Ukraine, including a full return of Russian occupied lands and NATO membership.
- To insist on the confiscation of all seized and frozen Russian assets and turning them over to Ukraine.
These actions are of urgent priority to secure both Canada’s sovereignty and a lasting peace in Europe.
Our community is small in numbers, but if we work together, we are stronger, we are bigger.
We need to start within our own community in Toronto. It is long past time to put aside differences and look for areas of cooperation. Canadians are coming together in the face of the threat from south of the border and we need to do the same.
Together, and by supporting each other, we will always be stronger.
We are stronger with our Latvian friends. We have with us this evening, President of the Latvian National Federation in Canada Fritz Kristbergs and Dace Veinberga.
We are stronger with our Lithuanian friends. Association of Lithuanians in Canada and Baltic Federation of Canada president Kazimierias Deksnys is with us.
We are stronger with our German friends. We have with us this evening Florian and Theresa Schrieverhoff from the German consulate.
We are stronger together with our Ukrainian friends. Marijka Stadny and Ann Szyptur are here from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and will bring remarks later.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has demonstrated outstanding leadership and strength over the past two years. We, Estonian Canadians, need to follow suit and be prepared and ready when called upon.
At this time, I’m pleased to announce a new initiative from EERO, the Estonian Ecunemical Relief Organization with Estonian Central Council and the US central organization as partners.
Since Trump shuttered USAID, relief organizations in Estonia that support Ukrainian refugees – in particular children suffering from war trauma – have lost their funding. Please look for upcoming information about how to donate.
Estonian Canadians were united in purpose and action through 50 years of Soviet occupation. For the past 3 years, we have stood strong with Ukraine and now share February 24th with the Ukrainian people. This date should forever remind us that democracy is fragile, requires hard work and all of our participation.
This Sunday, February 23rd the Ukrainian Canadian Congress is organizing a Global Day of Action for Ukraine. In Toronto, please gather at Nathan Philips Square for a 3 p.m. start and bring your Estonian flags and colours. The Hamilton rally also takes place on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Hamilton City Hall following their Estonian Independence day celebration at the Cotton Factory.
Elagu Eesti Vabariik! Slava Ukraini!
It is now my great honour to confer the Canadian Estonian Medals of Merit to this year’s recipients.
The Estonian Central Council in Canada Silver Medal of Merit is conferred to persons, who have made a substantial contribution over time to the cause of “Estonianism” and all that entails, Estonian culture, youth work, culture, education, politics and so on. These individuals are nominated by community members and selected according to clearly developed criteria by a committee.
This year’s recipients are:
Inga Eichenbaum
Käbi Lokk
Veiko Parming
Ingrid Poom
Linda Soolepp
Eneri Taul – Minden, ON
Toomas Pääsuke – Alberta
Ingrid Soide – Vancouver
We congratulate all of you and thank you for your invaluable contributions to the Estonian Canadian community!
In memory of our community’s beloved Laas Leivat, our former honorary consul, president of Estonian Central Council and the Estonian World Congress amongst many other positions that he held, the Estonian Central Council in Canada last year announced a special award recognizing young people who are making a significant contribution to supporting and maintaining Estonian culture and society through their work in Estonian organizations in Canada. The recipients need to be between the ages of 18 and 35 and are nominated by community members.
It is my honour to now call upon Laas’ widow, Ellen and daughter Maaja to present the certificates to the first recipients of the Laas Leivat Award.
We congratulate:
Alex Kivi – Toronto
Talvi Parming – Toronto
Eric Kõvamees – Vancouver
Congratulations! You are looking at the future of Estonian Canadian leadership in front of us.
Thank you!
