Advance Notice: Freedom, Land, & Legacy. Alberta’s Estonians, 1899-2009
The history of Alberta’s Estonians dates back to 1899 with the arrival of two brothers looking for freedom, land, and a place to fish. It’s a story of pioneers and refugees, adventurers and scholars; a story of courage, renewal, and assimilation; a story of success.
The book is the culmin
ation of a four-year heritage project of the Alberta Estonian Heritage Society. The seeds for this ambitious initiative were planted by Estonian President Lennar Meri during his visit to Alberta in 2000. He suggested that “we have done very little to discover the recorded history of Estonians abroad. So with your help and interest…we will move forward.”
This book is a selection of stories about pioneers and refugees from Estonia and their collective efforts to establish themselves in Alberta. They tell the story about communities they helped to build and their efforts to preserve their cultural heritage through societies and community celebrations. Finally, the coverage extends to present-day activities, events and achievements to capture the unique 110-year history of Alberta’s Estonian community.
The 302-page, richly illustrated book will be available in mid-October at a price of $40.00 (Cdn) plus shipping and handling. Purchase information is available at www.aehs.ca.