Update #149
KESKUS project gains new team members
Two new board members have joined as directors on two boards associated with KESKUS International Estonian Centre: Pia Poolsaar was elected to the Estonian House in Toronto Ltd. (EHTL) board by its shareholders and EHTL appointed Silver Tambur to the Estonian Arts Centre (EAC) board.
EHTL Board Chair Veiko Parming welcomes Pia Poolsaar to the Estonian House board, saying, "With the move out date from Estonian House now confirmed, we're delighted that Pia will help steer the transition, including the effort to ensure that community groups have suitable locations in which to carry on activities as plan our move in to KESKUS. We are on the threshold of creating a truly remarkable space for the Estonian community in North America and around the world!"
Liisa Käärid, board chair of EAC, is equally enthusiastic welcoming Silver Tambur to the EAC board, noting "Silver has creatively furthered the Estonian diaspora's global network for many years. His efforts align well with EAC's objectives to engage the community through the arts, and to share what Estonia has to offer with the rest of the world. With Silver's runaway success with Estonian World, and the civil society discourse he generates through his "Estonishing Evenings" series, to name but a few of his initiatives, EAC is delighted to welcome Silver to the EAC board."
Retiring from the EHTL board is Robert Kübar, who served for three years on that board. Retiring from the EAC board is Mihkel Kütti, who also contributed to EAC's communications committee. They are both thanked for their service to these boards.
Meet the new board members
Pia Poolsaar
Pia Poolsaar has been active in the Estonian community since she was a young child, starting out in New York City and continuing after moving to Toronto as a young adult.
Currently Pia is a leader/nooremgaider with the Estonian Girl Guides and has been an active juht, or leader, with the Põhjarada brownies/hellakesed for the past 14 years. Pia plays flute with the Kõla Orkester, is a member of the sorority Korp! Amicitia and sings with Estonia Koor.
Both of Pia's daughters attended the Estonian supplementary school in Toronto, Toronto Eesti kool, sang with the koolikoor at Laulupidu, and were active participants in guides/gaidlus and at Jõekääru Estonian Children's Summer Camp, where they too took leadership roles.
Professionally, Pia works at Desjardins Insurance in a dual role not only supporting a large national wholesaling team, but also as the executive assistant to the team’s Regional Vice-President.
“Taking on a leadership role with the KESKUS project to help the community groups move into KESKUS is another way for me to give back to the community. It is a natural progression from my longstanding involvement in the Estonian community on both sides of the border, from childhood on up, and is an opportunity for me to use my professional administrative skills," says Pia.
"Being Estonian has given me opportunities in life to develop skills and friendships that have defined who I am, and I want to ensure that future generations have this same opportunity as our diaspora community evolves. My daughters are eagerly looking forward to meeting with their Estonian friends at KESKUS, continuing their involvement with the community and introducing it to their wider networks as a point of pride of what our relatively small global community of Estonians can achieve when we work together.
"I look forward to working with our local community groups as we complete our new home and learn how best to use it. I am sure that the design and thinking that has and continues to go into this aspirational project will elevate and inspire us in so many new ways. The future is bright and I am confident that the outcome will be wonderful.”
Silver Tambur
Silver Tambur is a cofounder and editor-in-chief of Estonian World. With over 60,000
followers in the social media, it is the most popular Estonian online magazine published
in English. Approximately 75% of Estonian World’s readers are based abroad, majority
of them in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Finland, Sweden and Germany. In
addition, Silver has contributed to the Deutsche Welle and Radio New Zealand.
After living in London (UK) for over ten years, Silver returned to his native Estonia in
2014 and has since made efforts to make the country more inclusive and caring. He is a
strong proponent for a more socially cohesive society.
He is also a cofounder of Estonishing Evenings, the Tallinn-based series of English-speaking events hosting different speakers expressing their viewpoints and experiences on hot topics and matters concerning both the locals and the non-natives living in Estonia.
In early 2018, Silver was awarded by the Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organisationsfor his work of improving Estonia’s image abroad as well as making it a more open society internally – he was named the recipient of the “2017 mission award".
In 2019, Silver cofounded the Kõigi Eesti (#myestoniatoo) citizen movement that within days gathered almost 30,000 supporters. The movement stands for a caring, respectful, dignified, successful and inclusive Estonia, full of opportunities.
KESKUS valued donors make a critical difference!
Please join our growing list of capital campaign donors. The KESKUS International Estonian Centre’s donor categories are Kalevipoja laud for gifts over $100,000 (including naming rights for specific areas), Koidula gild, which is from $50,000-99,999, Viru vanemad for gifts of $10,000-$49,999, and Kungla rahvas for gifts up to $10,000. KESKUS leadership donors are listed here.
To make a donation, please call +1.647.250.7136 or email donations@estoniancentre.ca. Donations may be made as a family gift, or in honour of an individual or family. All donations are issued a tax receipt.
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