Alberta Estonian Heritage Society

Dave Kiil

While some of the attendees found themselves touring the streets of Red Deer before finding the secluded John Kerry Nature Centre along the Red Deer River, they settled right down to business and approved the formation of the Alberta Estonian Heritage Society (AEHS). The formative meeting was attended by 17 enthusiastic representatives from across the province, united in the belief that their common heritage needs to be preserved for themselves and their descendants.

According to recent Canada Census data there are nearly 2,000 Albertans, ranging from recent immigrants to 6th-generation descendants of the pioneers who arrived here as early as 1899, who claimed to have Estonian roots. The early pioneers in the Stettler, Gilby and Barons areas established and supported numerous societies and activities as they settled in their new homeland; later, the post-WWII immigrants did the same in Calgary and Edmonton.

Three highly successful centennial celebrations were held in Stettler (1999), Gilby (2001) and Barons (2004), demonstrating again that our heritage remains near and dear to our hearts. At the same time, the programs and activities of the Calgary and Edmonton Estonian Societies have become increasingly sporadic with the inevitable thinning of the ranks.

As a consequence, members of the Estonian community in Alberta started thinking about how to best respond to the demonstrated need for some form of organized effort to meet the expectations of an ever-changing demographic of this small ethnic group. Following informal discussion amongst many individuals and groups, a consensus emerged that an Alberta-wide organization, involving participants from many communities across the province, would best provide the leadership and coordination of programs and activities relevant to heritage preservation. While many details remain to be worked out, the following decisions were reached at the Red Deer meeting on November 6, 2004:

The primary goals of the AEHS are:
- To increase awareness of and to preserve our Estonian heritage,
- To sponsor events and activities in response to the needs and expectations of a diverse membership, and
- To inform members of happenings in the land of their ancestors.
A Coordinating Council, consisting of at least two representatives from each of the Calgary, Stettler-Red Deer, Gilby-Eckville and Edmonton regions, was established to develop and implement the goals of the new organization. An interim provincial Coordinator was also appointed. It was agreed that an alternate coordinator should be designated to work with the Coordinator to develop an organizational framework and to help with program implementation.
The Coordinator, the Council and necessary Committees will be responsible for the overall development and administration of Society business, including major events and activities, finances, membership, bylaws and communications.
A set of by-laws, followed by a submission for registration as a non-profit organization, will be pursued to enable the Society to apply for grants and other fund-raising activities.
A website will be developed and maintained to inform members and prospective members of Society news and happenings. A Society logo will be developed for use on letterheads, correspondence, and displays.
The AEHS will assemble a province-wide mailing list, with mailing addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. The information will be used solely for the purpose of Society business, and every effort will be made to protect a member’s privacy on the Internet.
The newsletter AjaKaja, previously published by the Edmonton Estonian Society, will become the AEHS newsletter. AjaKaja will be distributed to all paid-up members of the Society.
Membership dues will be: a) $25.00/year for families and b) $20.00/year for individuals. These dues will cover the cost of publication and distribution of AjaKaja, various administrative costs, and general support of Society activities. Membership dues will be reviewed annually.

This is a new organization, put in motion by a group of enthusiastic members of the Alberta Estonian community. Its basic mandate and structure are in place, but full implementation will depend on volunteers to share the workload and to plan and organize activities at provincial and local levels.

We were able to set up an administrative structure at the formative meeting in Red Deer (see the inside cover page of this publication) but much remains to be done before the Society can function fully. The working language of the Society will be largely English, as our primary aim will be to increase awareness of and to promote Estonian heritage amongst members. We hope to scope out a balanced program of traditional and innovative activities and events at provincial and local levels. These might include Midsummer’s Eve (Jaanipäev) celebrations, social/cultural evenings, some joint activities with our Baltic and Scandinavian friends, genealogy workshops, hosting of Estonian athletes, diplomats and artists, and special events to attract families and younger members.

Alberta’s Estonian community is unique because of a mix of descendants of the early pioneers who settled here during the first two decades of the 20th century and the immigrants who settled here following WWII. Not surprisingly, the descendants of the early pioneers have integrated into the Canadian mosaic and no longer speak Estonian. The more recent immigrants have banded together to preserve their mother tongue, customs and traditions, but their offspring are increasingly being assimilated into Canadian society. Thus the Alberta Estonian “community” is made up of people with multi-generational roots living in major cities, smaller communities and rural areas. Mixed marriages are the norm, and the opportunity and need to speak Estonian has all but disappeared.

Thanks largely to the recent celebrations to honor the early Estonian settlers, interest in things Estonian remains high and appears be on the increase. The major challenge facing the newly-established Society is to meet the expectations of all descendants with Estonian roots by delivering forward-looking and interesting programs and activities, with Estonian heritage as the focal point.

As your interim provincial Coordinator I look forward to working with the Council, Committees and members interested in helping to preserve our common heritage. More information about Society activities at the provincial and local levels will be communicated within a few months.

In the meantime feel free to contact me (see Inside Cover page) to share information and to suggest how your expectations can best be met.