Once in a while we are called upon to do something for someone else regardless of the cost to ourselves. Such a thing happened to me last month. I made a sudden decision to leave Vancouver for Toronto. I had two days to buy a car and get myself to Cobourg, a small town an hour east of Toronto. The mission the first day was to buy a car. On the second day I was to insure the car and I expected no problems.

I rang up my previous insurance broker, Tom Heinsoo of Heinsoo Insurance Brokers Ltd., told him it was Eva Kelsey calling and I needed to get car insurance that same day. He told me in a matter of fact tone "You need an Ontario driver's license, and a Letter of Experience from Vancouver outlining your driving record."

Off I ran to get my Ontario Driver's License, and then I went to Eesti Maja and just turned up on Tom's doorstep. Luckily he was in the office, and when he came toward me I said "I'm Eva Kelsey Vabasalu and I have an urgent problem I need to attend in Cobourg tomorrow morning. I would appreciate anything you could do to help me get car insurance." He ushered me to his office where he scoured the Internet for my previous insurance records. Although I had been driving for the past 7 years, I had not been listed as a second driver on my husband's insurance in Vancouver. Tom made a series of telephone calls and relentless searches on the computer. Two other staff members pitched in with suggestions. After an hour of dead-ends it began to look dubious. "If we don't connect to a previous insurer you will have to pay the New Driver's rate which will cost you an extra thousand dollars," said Tom.

I turned to see Alar Suurkask's smiling face on a computer screen outside Tom's door. "He's my friend" I blurted out to no one in particular. I drew a lot of comfort from his familiar face at this low point. Suddenly my two worlds of east and west Canada were bridged, it was all one. Some guilt flooded in as I realized that Alar was left working on Eesti Päevad with one less helper. Saving grace is, fortunately, that the response to the West Coast Estonian Days has been outstanding. I had been working on publicity, and knew that Harrison Hot Springs Resort was almost fully booked. At the end of January we had over 300 people committed to attending the days July 4 - 8th.

After an hour and a half of working diligently on my behalf, Tom Heinsoo was able to find one of my old insurance companies who still had my name on file and was able to give me insurance at a reasonable rate. I am very grateful to him.

This is what it means to be Estonian .... being like Tom and Alar.

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