Estonia supports the largest expatriate project of the last half-century: KESKUS
The Estonian government decided today to support the construction of the KESKUS International Estonian Centre being built in Toronto, Canada.
“KESKUS, rising in downtown Toronto, is the largest self-initiative of Estonians living abroad in the last fifty years, offering visibility for all of Estonia. The CENTRE will contribute to promoting Estonian entrepreneurship and introducing Estonia in the fourth largest city in North America, while also providing a meeting place for one of the most vibrant and active Estonian communities in the world,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna.
Approximately seven million people live in Toronto and its surrounding area, and this region also hosts the largest Estonian community on the American continent. According to the Foreign Minister, the Estonian community in Canada vocally supports Estonia’s positions in world politics, including on the issue of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
“KESKUS that is being established in downtown Toronto will increase the visibility of the Estonian community within Canadian society. There is undoubtedly a security-political dimension to this, because the better-known Estonia is, the better protected we are,” said Tsahkna.
According to Ellen Valter, the general manager of the KESKUS project, the support from the Estonian government provides an important boost to open KESKUS by next year’s Midsummer Day.
“Estonians and Estophiles around the world have donated over 14 million euros in support of the KESKUS, and the Canadian government has also financially supported its completion. The support from the Estonian government is crucial to fully complete the gathering place for Estonians in North America and Estonia’s grand representative building,” said Valter.
The building was designed by architect Alar Kongats, who has won Canada’s highest architectural awards multiple times and has Estonian roots. He incorporated Estonian motifs, with the building’s winding corners visualizing the shape of Estonia’s map in the KESKUS courtyard. KESKUS will include a concert hall, library, classrooms, office spaces, an Estonian bank, and a restaurant offering Estonian flavours.
The budget of KESKUS is over 30 million euros. The construction has been largely financed by donations, but the Canadian state has also contributed.
To complete the construction of KESKUS in Toronto, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to allocate 1,371,808 euros from the government’s special-purpose reserve funds for 2025. The support from the Estonian state will help finish the multifunctional large hall and ensure the KESKUS fully opens in June 2026.
More detailed information about the project: https://www.estoniancentre.ca/
