Estonian International Center in Toronto hoping to open for Midsummer 2026
Construction work on the Keskus International Estonian Center has been underway for several years in Toronto, Canada. The organizers hope to be able to open the doors to the public in a year's time. This week, Ellen Valter, who is in charge of the center, gave a tour of the site to ERR show "Aktuaalne kaamera."
According to the organizers, the Keskus International Estonian Center in the heart of Toronto is nearing completion, and the more difficult parts of the work are already behind them.
"I read like the rings of a fallen tree. It means I have as many rings on my wedding ring as the years I've been working on the project. So there are 11 rings here," said Ellen Valter, the project's general manager.
The building was designed by Estonian-born architect Alar Kongats.
The curving corners of the Keskus courtyard have been built in the shape of the map of Estonia.
A concert hall, library, classrooms, office space and a restaurant are also planned for the center.
"You can see the progress of the center every day. The giant glass should also be installed by the fall. I could talk about it for three weeks in a row, how great it is. It was made in Spain and is now on the outskirts of Toronto, waiting to be installed. So maybe by late fall we'll be watertight and work on finishing the interior will begin," Valter said.
Costing nearly 50 million Canadian dollars, or more than €30 million, the building is scheduled to open in the new year.
"I can pretty much say it will be around Midsummer, but because this project has been full of unexpected surprises – from pandemics to price rises – I can't quite give you a firm answer yet as to when the opening will take place, but we are thinking along those lines," said the project's general manager.
The completion date for the center has been repeatedly delayed for number of reasons, while the budget is still a few million euros short.
Valter is convinced that when the center finally does open, it will become a hub for Estonia's international co-operation.
"It's not just about food, choral music and traditional culture, but also business. I hope that a government office could be set up here too, because it's actually in the cultural heart of the fourth largest city in North America, in the heart of downtown. Quite a compelling place to introduce Estonia to the world," Valter said.
