Annual meeting shows that the Estonian Studies Centre is on the precipice of a new era

VINCENT TEETSOV

Following on from last week’s Tartu College AMM, on Thursday May 20th, the Estonian Studies Centre also held its annual meeting.

18 members and one proxy were present of the 20 total members who represent ESC. These members are active in organizations that include, but are not limited to, the VEMU Collections Program, the Bibliography Club, ES Library, and TEAS Ööbik.

Jaan Meri, Chair, ESC Board of Directors, began the meeting’s business by reminding members of the ESC policy, that “all donations received go towards the new Museum’s capital fund. The only exception is for donations that are directed for specific programming at the ESC.”

For instance, last year, the Estonian Arts Centre completed a deal to donate their art collection and financial resources. After a year, the deal was concluded on the 1st of September, 2020. This is a huge boost for the ESC Archival Collection, which currently possesses materials that include 15,000 catalogued books, 10,000 photos, 1,500 digitized videos, 120 personal and organizational archives, and more.

$147 thousand in assets was transferred, accounting for $57 thousand in cash, $50 thousand in a note receivable, and a 355 piece art collection with a stated value of $40 thousand. These assets will only be used for ESC’s own Art Collection Program.

With a future museum for Estonian-Canadians in mind, Meri also spoke of the future of Bloor Street West. Construction will be taking place on three sides of Tartu College: Bloor Street United Church’s high rise development, condos at 316 Bloor Street West, and KESKUS to the north of Tartu College.

The first phase of the Museum project was approved by the ESC Board of Directors, which encompasses “preliminary architectural design and key issues” as well as “ownership of museum space.” It must be decided whether the building envelope of the Museum will be owned by Tartu College or ESC. The Committee of Adjustment will need to approve Alar Kongats’ conceptual drawings. It was reported by the ESC Board that this first phase will be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

Chief Archivist Piret Noorhani detailed ESC’s programming and deepening of Estonian diaspora research in 2020, which thrived despite limitations on normal gatherings. Among these activities were 36 interviews with people about their Tartu College experiences and involvement over the years, for TC 50. The volunteers of the Bibliography Club started working online in Autumn 2020. ESC teamed up with the Estonian Literary Museum to run the The School Lore Competition. In partnership with Baltic Canadian Imprints, there was the “We Are All in This Together: COVID-19” collection initiative.

Online programming included episodes of VEMU ÖÖTV, Estonian Music Week’s online concerts, and Dr. Peeter Põldre’s lecture “COVID-19: Past, Present and Future.” Overall, 43 events took place in 2020, with strong turnout across the board and reduced programming costs in some cases.

As was reflected in Tartu College’s annual meeting, the overarching financial narrative in 2020 was one of reduced revenue due to the COVID pandemic. The amount of support given to ESC by TC was reduced to $253 thousand, in contrast to $353 thousand donated in 2019. This is due to TC’s own reduced student residence revenue. In terms of donations, ESC received $113 thousand in 2020, just over $1 million less than in 2019.

However, net assets increased to $1.95 million in 2020, from $1.84 million in 2019. The outlook is positive then, as ESC has endured and its members look to higher revenue and fundraising in the not too distant future.

In other business, among the ESC Board of Directors, three Directors had terms ending in 2021. These Directors – Anne Agur, Andres Kasekamp, and Käbi Lokk – were voted in for another term by ESC members. Members also voted and approved for MNP LLP to continue as the auditor of ESC’s financial statement in 2021. Among the reasons for this decision was the auditor’s specialized knowledge of not-for-profit corporations.

The meeting concluded before one hour was through, at which point Jaan Meri expressed his anticipation for holding the meeting in person next year. Undoubtedly, many people await the coming flurry of activity that is to arrive soon enough. The overwhelming takeaway of this meeting is that the Estonian community is quietly but enthusiastically preparing to enter an era unlike one it has ever seen before, one that will forever redefine the nature of diaspora communities in North America.

A concept image of the new museum’s entrance.