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EESTI ELU reedel, 15. oktoobril 2021 — Friday, October 15, 2021
The Hamilton choir at the last Estonian Song and Dance Festival in 2019.
The Hamilton Estonian community: “Vital, Rejuvenated, Inclusive.” (2) This, the third in a series of articles about the Estonian Central Council in Canada (EKN) and Estonian communi ties from across Canada pro files the Estonian community in Hamilton. Lia Hess, EKN member from Hamilton was interviewed by Reet Marten Sehr. 9. How can the Global Estonian program “Üleilmse eestluse programm” (to be adopted by the Estonian government at the end of this year) be of assistance to your community? Too often we hear about talented musicians, theatre groups, speakers, etc. visiting only one Estonian community (such as Toronto). If the other communities, like Hamilton were also made aware of these visits, it might be possible to arrange side trips for them to also visit other Estonian communities. In the past, Hamilton might have become aware of a visiting Estonian talent only after the fact or sometimes with very short notice, making it impossible to organize an event and losing a great opportunity. There have already been many attempts to “globalize” Estonian communities, but historically they seem to fail. I believe that this is mostly because ALL communities in ALL countries do not upload their community information on a regular basis. OR… after the initial uploads are done, the lack of current updates makes many parts dated and people stop visiting. Public trust in the
site is lost if they can’t find current information about their community or those who they are interested in at any given time. A suggestion would be that there must be a dedicated site manager who not only actively follows up and removes old news but also initiates calls/ emails to the various community leaders, checks the information posted and uploads new information. On the other end, we need volunteers contacting the “web master” with their in formation at regular intervals. Currently the global communities are mostly run, by overworked volunteer community leaders, of which many are not even computer savvy and in most cases the youth of these communities are “too busy” to find out new information themselves and post it to the site. EKN Note: The development of a common information sharing platform for Estonians around the world has been a priority for EKN. The Global Estonian website https://globalestonian. com/en developed by volunteers EKN president emeritus Marcus Kolga and Canadian-Estonian Tarmo Saks was gifted to the Estonian government and is now the official government online platform for Global Estonians. This platform maps out all Estonian organizations, events and groups around the world, and produces a weekly Global Estonian report for the Estonian state broadcaster ERR. The Estonian government recently hired a second full time
The youngest generation of Estonians in Hamilton.
person to run the site. All Estonian communities from around the world are en couraged to forward their community information and postings directly to Tarmo Saks at tarmo.saks@integratsioon.ee on a regular basis. 10. Are there any annual or upcoming events that you would like to share? Due to COVID, Hamilton, like everyone else, is in “pause” mode. We hope to start up Hamilton Estonian School again this fall among other traditional activities. Many of the active members of the Hamilton Community have focused their attention on Seedrioru this summer, where a very activity rich and well-organized Day Camp involved most of the active Hamilton Estonian School children. An average of 25 children attended each day over the 3 weeks and the Hamilton Estonian Society volunteered to buy, prepare and serve one week of dinners for the campers with Kitchener, St. Catharines / London Estonian Societies picking up the other weeks. On August 23, The Hamilton Estonian Society commemorated Black Ribbon Day together with the Latvian and Lithuanian communities by tying black ribbons on the commemorative Oak Tree planted at Hamilton’s Bayfront Park. On Saturday, August 28th, Seedrioru organized a beach party fund raiser. There were about 150 participants and we raised over $5000. At one point, there were 36 “camp age” children swimming in the pool at the same time! It was a great day. The Hamilton Estonian school teachers were recruiting for the school, but everyone was very excited about the future of Seedrioru Camp too! 11. Where can one go to find more information about the various organizations and events in your community (e.g. websites, Facebook, Glo bal Estonian website)? www.hamiltonestoniansociety.ca Facebook: Hamilton Estonian Society, Hamilton Estonian School 12. How would you por tray your Estonian commu nity in 3 words? Vital, Rejuvenated, Inclusive. The next article in this series will focus on the Vancouver Estonian community. REET MARTEN SEHR, EKN Vice President
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Tartu College is looking for a FINANCE OFFICER who enjoys working in a versatile environment to join our friendly, collaborative team! Our not-for-profit and charitable organizations (Tartu College, Eesti Elu/Estonian Life and Estonian Studies Centre) are constantly evolving, growing and expanding our reach through our many diverse programs. We are very involved with building our community and working with our young student residents. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow with our team, especially during these exciting times of change! This position requires someone with a professional approach, excellent organizational, planning and analytical skills, and ability to work with a high degree of accuracy, good judgement, initiative, and flexibility, ability to deal in an effective, tactful and cooperative manner with the general public, students and staff. The Financial Officer is directly responsible for the management of the financial records of the companies. This includes the day to day financial operations of Tartu College, Eesti Elu/Estonian Life and Estonian Studies Centre according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as required. Duties: • developing and implementing financial policies, systems and procedures • preparing financial statements, budgets, cash flows, and other financial analyses and management reports • managing and maintaining the financial system including Chart of Accounts, general ledger, journal entries, accounts receivable, accounts payable, deposits, reconciliations, posting and batching • managing the month-end and year-end process as well as preparing for the annual external audit process • managing the payroll process • assisting in grant project budgeting • determining and establishing office procedures and routines • filing and organizing records • perform other administrative duties as required. Education in accounting and client services and a minimum of 3 years experience in accounting and finance profession is preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Office365 and proficient Excel skills is a plus. Other expectations for this position: • ability to problem-solve; • ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and timelines; • ability to work both independently and within a team; • experience in a leadership role; • excellent written and oral communication skills; • ability to communicate in Estonian is an advantage. This is an on-site, salaried position with benefits, in downtown Toronto. Applicant must be fully vaccinated. We offer competitive compensation with possibility to grow. Com pensation will depend on qualifications. We look forward to receiving your cover letter and resume to: careers@tartucollege.ca if this position interests you and you have all or most of the qualifications described. We will follow up with selected candidates to set up an intro call. Why work at Tartu College? Tartu College and associated entities have a very unique working model that supports higher education, promotes Estonian culture and preserves the history of Estonians abroad. We are a central communication channel for our Estonian community. We encourage curiosity, innovation and flexibility. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and provide a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We promote responsibility, respect, honesty and professional excellence. The work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners corresponds to the values and mission of the organization. www.tartucollege.ca www.vemu.ca www.eestielu.ca
