Canada-Estonia

KEVIN REX, Ambassador of Canada to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania

August 26, 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Estonia. Our history as friends and allies, however, goes back much further. As we prepare to celebrate this important milestone in our bilateral relations, it is my great honour to share with you, dear reader, some of our stories.

The first Estonian settlement in Canada was established in 1899, near Sylvan Lake in central Alberta, some 7,049 km away from Tallinn! Since then, Canada has warmly welcomed tens of thousands of Estonians to our shores, representing one of the largest Estonian diasporas in the world. As a vast land, Canada was in search of talented immigrants and its distance from the World Wars and subsequent Soviet occupation made it a welcome and safe harbour for those fleeing persecution.

(Full story available via link below)