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EESTI ELU reedel, 19. veebruaril 2021 — Friday, February 19, 2021
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Notice of Annual Meeting Northern Birch Credit Union Limited
Photo: Taavi Bergmann
What is the significance of the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture? Vincent Teetsov On Saturday February 13th, Abja-Paluoja, a town in the historic Estonian region of Mulgimaa, was awarded the title of Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture for the year 2021. Though these cultural identities may at times be spoken of as though they are gone, the day’s gathering and parade of colourful and finely-crafted folk costumes down the town’s streets display these cultures’ vitality. It was a frozen afternoon to meet outside, but the crowds were kept warm by their wool garments (such as the traditional long black cloaks and felt hats worn by men from Mulgimaa), squeezebox music floating through the air, the singing of the crowd, and the two MCs’ cheery introductions. With cameras at the front edifice of Abja Paluoja’s Culture House, those from around the FinnoUgric world, and beyond, cele brated heritage together. Within Estonia, Mulgimaa is well-known for its abundant and independent spirit. After locals became free from serf dom in 1819, they bought farm land to grow flax and became some of the wealthiest people in Estonia. This affluence gave energy to the local folk culture. From one end of the FinnoUgric world to another, however, what happens in a town with a population of 1,124 could blow by without being noticed if it weren’t for communities putting effort into connecting with each other. There were a few visual mo tifs found throughout the event, such as in the aforementioned folk costumes. Loops of red accentuated the cloaks, with the same details seen on the Mulgi flag of blue, white, red, and black. But the most prominent visual element was the symbolic wooden sculpture of a bird with its wings spread wide. This bird, referred to as the Tsirk, leads back to an ancient tale of the birth of the world. Accord ing to Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2021, it goes like this: “a bird lays three eggs and starts to lay out the nestlings – one becomes [the] Sun, one becomes [the] Moon and one becomes the Earth.” The sculp ture, made by artist Pavel Varunin, has 26 feathers that represent Finno-Ugric nations. The image of a bird is em powering. It sees from high
above, from the Baltic Sea to the slopes of the Ural Moun tains. It sees the past and future of Finno-Ugric peoples. Part of the ceremony was to bring the Tsirk and place it in the heart of town, a bookstore, for all to see. The sculpture was brought a long way from 2020’s capital, the town of Mishkino in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. While Bashkortostan is primarily Bashkir and Tatarspeaking, 60% of Mishkino’s residents are of the Mari people. Each year, a new town is cho sen by a jury with representa tion from across Finno-Ugric cultures. The title of “Capital of Culture” benefits awarded towns by instigating even more events centred around that region’s own culture. The title circulates global visibility of re gional knowledge. For example, Nadezhda Gainetdinova, a dele gate from Mishkino, described how “The flagship event of the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2020 year will be a bear festival in the autumn – given that the village name both in Mari and Russian refers to the bear, and due to the significance of [bears] in the mythology and identity of many Finno-Ugric peoples.” Organizational co operation expands the know ledge of these ideas and rein forces that these cultures are living, not extinct. These values were reflected by dignitaries attending the ceremony, including President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, the Minister of Culture Anneli Ott, a representative from Mishkino, and Former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Based on an ERR report, President Kaljulaid voiced her desire for the title’s benefits to extend to language. “I would so like to see that we would have not only textbooks for the Võru and Setu dialects, but for all other Estonian dialects as well...” The original organizer of the Finno-Ugric Capitals of Cul ture, in 2013, was the Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples. Now, they work along with the URALIC Centre for Indigenous Peoples, formed by Oliver Loode in 2017. With the latter organization, there is a foundation of cultural activism. The organization’s mission is “to protect and promote rights and sustainable development of indigenous peoples in accor dance with international law
Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 at 7:00 PM Admission begins at 6:00 PM To be held electronically via Zoom Webinar in compliance with Public Health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic Pre-registration is required and closes on Monday, March 8th at 3:00 PM For pre-registration and all AGM related information, in cluding technical preparation required, visit http://www.north ernbirchcu.com/annual-gener al-meeting Matters to be dealt with at the meeting include the election of directors, the appointment of external auditors, and the amendment of by-laws of the Credit Union. The Credit Union’s by-laws require the board to be comprised of twelve members. In accordance with corporate governance best prac tices, the Board of Directors is proposing to reduce the size of the board from twelve to eleven to improve the effectiveness of the Board, effective 2022 elec tions to be held at the AGM for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. A By-law amendment
to this effect has been approved by the Credit Union’s Board of Directors and will be presented to the membership for confir mation at the upcoming Annual General Meeting – see below. The agenda for the meeting will be as follows: 1. Introduction 2. Opening 3. Adoption of the Agenda 4. Report of the Chair, Board of Directors 5. Report of the Chief Executive Officer 6. Report of the Audit Com mittee 7. Report of the Auditor 8. New Business: a) Adoption of By-law amend ment b) Elections c) Appointment of the Auditors d) Other Business that is proper ly brought to the atten tion of the Board of Directors 9. Q&A 10. Termination Copies of the financial state ments and the reports of the audit committee and the auditor will be available for inspection upon request via email to info@ northernbirchcu.com at any time before the date of the meeting. BY-LAW TO AMEND THE
BY-LAWS OF THE NOR THERN BIRCH CREDIT UNION LIMITED (the “Credit Union”) WHEREAS the Credit Union finds it expedient to amend its by-laws to reduce the size of its Board of Directors to take effect for elections to be held at the 2022 Annual General Meeting of Members with respect to the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. NOW THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED, and it is so enacted as a by-law of the Credit Union as follows: By-law No. 1 of the Credit Union (the “By-laws”), be and are hereby amended effective 2022 AGM by repealing section 4.01 (a) thereof, and replacing it with the following: Number of Directors and Quorum 4.01 (a) Number – The Board shall consist of eleven (11) directors. ••• PASSED by the Board of Directors of the Credit Union at a meeting duly held in Toronto, Ontario this 12th day of February 2021.
Estonian-Canadian… (Continued from page 14)
that the narrator doesn’t know the significance of when she’s young. The story strongly re flects the refugee experience of living with parents whose trau ma we may not know or under stand, and trying to learn more about it as an adult. In a story with a lot of tragedy, the author still manages to mix in humour, as well as very strong symbol ism, with the shoes her mother lost on the night Tallinn was bombed. “Staff of Life” – This creative memoir strongly re flects part of the universal expe rience of the children of immi grants – through the image of Estonian leib. The parents’ generation has a nostalgia for the bread, leib they ate back in the old country – a bread that can’t be bought or made quite the right way in their new home. The story is told with humour and is very relatable for Estonians abroad. Honourable Mention: “Killu kesed Antsla Lapsepõlvest” – a touching memoir of a child hood in Estonia nearly a century ago. We enjoyed reading it and thank the author for taking the time to share their story with us!
and norms, and specifically the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).” These titles benefit the breadth of Finno-Ugric people because they can work together to continue passing their cul tural knowledge on to future generations.
Donor profile: Raivo and AnneMari Remmel Increased donation helps ignite a bright future for Estonian community When Raivo and Anne-Mari Remmel think of the next generation of Estonians, they envision a flame burning brightly for the future. Not only is this their hope, the Toronto couple decided to help make it very much a re ality. That’s why they have generously in creased their donation to the International Estonian Centre (IEC) Capital Campaign from the Viru Vanemad level to become members of the Kalevipoja Laud for $100,000. With the construction ground-breaking of the new IEC about to take place at its down town Toronto location on Madison Avenue, ex citement is mounting among the Estonian community. “We feel good about it,” Raivo and AnneMari said. “It’s the right thing to do, and giving to the centre to the best of our ability so the future of our community is strong is very much in our hearts.” “Watching this project evolve has been in credible,” said Raivo, who is a chemical engi neer and owner of specialty chemical compa nies Nortek Inc. and Aqua-Tek Inc. Raivo has been involved first-hand in how the Toronto Estonian community has evolved. He has been on the board of the Estonian House for over 20 years, most of the time as president, and was recently re-elected as vice president for another three-year term. “Our youth are very proud of their heri tage, and this is so positive,” remarks AnneMari, who is a business graduate from Ryerson University. “The new centre gives them a meeting point, a place where they can celebrate their roots and make lifelong connections.” Raivo points out that Estonia is a small country that has always “punched above its weight,” and that it needs to stay strong and visible to protect its integrity and independence. They believe the new centre will help ac
complish this goal. The couple say there is no question that staying connected to the Estonian community is one of the most important things in their lives – and they strongly believe everyone’s support will keep the spirit burning bright. “The more we give as a community, the better it can be!” Get involved and help support our future Are you interested in helping build this spectacular new home for the global Estonian community? Please join our growing list of capital campaign donors! The International Estonian Centre’s donor c ategories are Kalevipoja Laud for gifts over $100,000 (in cluding naming rights for specific areas), Viru Vanemad for gifts over $10,000, and Kungla Rahvas for gifts up to $10,000. Stay tuned for the launch of the Kungla Rahvas campaign in 2021. To make a donation, please contact donations@estoniancentre.ca. Donations may be made as a family gift, or in honour of an in dividual or family. All Canadian and U.S. dona tions will be issued a tax receipt. Let’s keep in touch! • Visit our website www.estoniancentre. ca for all the latest news • Sign up for our monthly email newsletter at www.estoniancentre.ca • Follow us on Facebook: @EestiKeskus
