Toronto's Estonian community marks final stretch of KESKUS center construction
Construction of the new KESKUS International Estonian Center in Toronto is nearing completion, marked by the multiday KESKfEST festival. The center's opening, originally planned for Restoration of Independence Day, has been pushed to year's end.
The Canadian Estonian community is holding a multiday festival, KESKfEST, in Toronto to celebrate the nearing completion of the new KESKUS International Estonian Center. The event was originally meant to mark the center's grand opening timed to Restoration of Independence Day on August 20, but with construction still ongoing, organizers instead chose to celebrate what they call the project's "final countdown."
The festival, held in Toronto's Annex neighborhood, runs from Thursday through Sunday. It features speakers and performers, including guests from Estonia, along with film screenings, conferences, neighborhood walking tours and workshops. The celebrations culminate in a folk festival, or valguspidu, involving hundreds of choir singers, dancers and gymnasts.
Delays and costs
The project, valued at roughly $56 million, or about €35 million, was originally expected to be finished by 2022. Project manager Ellen Valter said the timeline was repeatedly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising construction costs, supply issues and technical problems. She said the team is now pushing hard to complete the building in time to celebrate Christmas and New Year's there.
A new home for the diaspora
Funding for KESKUS has come from the sale of the former Toronto Estonian House on Broadview Avenue six years ago, along with private donations and contributions from the Estonian and Canadian governments. Selling the old Estonian House was an emotional decision for many, since the building had long served as a gathering place, including throughout the period when Estonia was occupied. Toronto Estonian House chair Veiko Parming said the aging building ultimately made relocation unavoidable.
The new center is located in downtown Toronto at the corner of Bloor Street and Madison Avenue, next to Tartu College, and will include a concert hall, library, classrooms, offices and a restaurant. Organizers hope the more central, accessible location will draw younger generations and strengthen Estonian cultural life in the city.
