Achieving better quality of life through community
ERC guests, the ERR Choir from Estonia with renown conductor Hirvo Surva, charmed community attendees with breathtaking singing as well as their wit and humour. After the concert, choir members melded with audience members, young and old, and the singing continued until very late. We wish our new friends safe travels back to Estonia!
On the Canada Day long weekend, June 29 - July 1, the traditional midsummer festival took place at Seedrioru. This year the Seedrioru Laulupäev, or Song Day, took place on Sunday, June 30, an addition to the regular Suviharja celebration. Read Estonian article below:
https://www.eesti.ca/seedrioru-suvihari-fotod-video/article61094
“The first of a total of 9 boats carrying 987 Estonian refugees arrived on the east coast of Canada. They sailed from Sweden, where they were living under threat of forced repatriation to the Soviet Union. They had been trying to resettle to Canada but had been frustrated by the long delays and barriers in Canadian immigration processing. They were detained on arrival and processed through an ad hoc arrangement. All but 12 were accepted (the 12 were deported).”
Source: Canadian Council for Refugees https://ccrweb.ca/en/issues/history
For more information on the Walnut, one of the ships to make it to Canada, see dedicated website: https://walnutship1948.ca/
More sources:
Allan Meiusi, Chair of the Estonian Relief Committee in Canada, along with the other TVO panel guests, explains the challenges now facing many cultural long-term care homes in Ontario, since the passing of Bill 7.
Cultural long-term care homes provide elder care for seniors steeped in their language, diet, and cultural traditions. But recent legislation has left these homes grappling with an influx of new residents from outside those cultures, and are seeing, what they say are, serious consequences. How can care homes that cater to specific culturally needs be preserved in Ontario? www.tvo.org/video/challenges-for-cultural-long-term-care
At the invitation of the ERC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia representatives met with local Estonian Canadian community organization representatives on November 7, 2022 to learn about each organization’s function and activity. Distinguished guests from Estonian included Marin Mõttus, Keit Speigel, Kaire Cocker from the Integration Foundation, and Estonian Ambassador in Ottawa, Margus Rava .
