Through the Baltic States, III-Estonia, An Oasis of Toleration
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
VanemadUuemad
Anonymous17 Mar 2005 03:31
Since when does Toronto have an Estonian Consulate. A consulate issues passports and arranges visas and is staffed with members of the countrys professional consular corps not honourary consuls who are local nationals that have very limited consular priviliges and immunities. In particular, their offices are not immune nor are they themselves or their familiy members immune from arrest.
You can say that something came out of the office of the honourary consul general but calling it a consulate is a a bit pretentious and an embarrassment.
Random Estonian17 Mar 2005 04:54
Peter, our holocaust-denier, appears to be annoyed by the tone and subject-matter of this article.

Be that as it may. I welcomed it because it portrays Estonians as the decent people that they are.
Marta Kivik17 Mar 2005 11:03
.... and what an insult to Ilmar Heinsoo, who funded the Consulate for over 25 years. We issued and renewed passports, visas, birth certificates etc. . The fact that we were an Honorary Consulate didn't matter to the Estonian community who needed these documents for i.d., travel or Canadian pension.
Peter18 Mar 2005 06:49
To Random Estonian: I am somewhat puzzled by your comment as I have not yet taken the time to comment on this article.
Much of what it says is true and I have stated the same in some of my previous comments. Jews in Estonia were treated very well and were allowed their own educational system by the Päts government. In fact they had more rights than minority groups in Canada.
It is interesting that when I have proposed the same thing here, that English Canadians give up some of their stranglehold on our "public" educational system that all Canadians, not just the English, have to fund through property taxes and allow Estonians and others the right to educate their children in their native language my ideas have been met with scepticism and even ridicule.





to Peter18 Mar 2005 17:40
Puzzled? Why? From the writing style it's obvious that you are the initial commentator.
In response to your bewilderment, an Estonian would say, fakk ahv.
Peter18 Mar 2005 20:01
No, that was not me. I have never used the name "anonymous" as there is already another person (or persons) who use that name on this site.
Consulate of Estonia, Toronto17 Mar 2005 09:41
Anonymous probably does not know that approximately 85% of Estonia's consular offices throughout the world are staffed by honorary consuls and honorary consuls general. It's a very Scandanavian tradition. In fact numerous consulates in Toronto representing many diferent states, large and small are staffed by honorary consuls. Latvian and Lithuanian consulates in Toronto are also staffed by honorary consuls. Toronto has one of the largest consular corps in the world. The protocol division of DFAIT and the Office of International Relations and Protocol, Ontario makes very little distinction between career consuls and honorary consuls, except in the area of immunities. Since May 1, 2004 with the accession of Estonia into the European Union, the duties of Estonian honorary Consuls changed drastically. My, my, such a vitriolic poisonous comment from someone who should at least do his/her homework.
anti-Anonymous17 Mar 2005 10:54
What an ignoramus this Anonymous is. He doesn't know or care about the good relationship the consulate has had with Canadian Estonians and the Canadian Government through the years of Soviet occupation and renewed independence and the subsequent unselfish accomplishments. His comment, not the consulate, is pretentious.
Anonymous17 Mar 2005 13:39
My goodness, what a touchy point with some!
It would be interesting to hear just how the office of the honourary consulate in Toronto differs from that of say, the Toronto US consulate which is staffed by professionals from the consular corps of their country.
Other than duty tax free alcohol and tobacco purchases a few times a year for national celebrations and the prestige of red license plates, there seems to be little comparison between the two from reading available information. Oh yes, in the case of arrest, the Canadian government would advise the foreign government, but that would be to protect the foreign government for undue embarrassment.
Perhaps someone who has done a bit more homework in the rights and privileges of honourary consuls and knows the difference between the diplomatic and consular corps of foreign governments could enlighten us on this.
There is no doubt that honourary counsels do good work for no pay except for the prestige, but it is doubtful if the respective Canadian governments really regard the two as synonomous or that their physical offices enjoy any kind of real immunity from entry and seizure.
Why not have somebody (obviously with no vested interest) write up something that is factually correct as to the functions of an honourary consul vs the real thing and let everyone decide for themselves.
to anonymous17 Mar 2005 14:32
Hello, we're not here to compare the Estonian and U.S. consulates.They have completely different functions you blathering idiot.
to anonymous17 Mar 2005 14:34
Hello, we're not here to compare the Estonian and U.S. consulates.They have completely different functions you blathering idiot.
Anonymous17 Mar 2005 15:31
Interesting and informative write up on this topic at
www.discovervancouver.com/gvb/...

Toronto prices are probably higher.
Kommentaarid sellele artiklile on suletud.