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Support Heritage Designation for St. Peter's Church

63 Comments

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Uku Vastopa
3 years ago

This church has been significant to me and my family since birth. My father helped to build it with countless other volunteers from the Estonian community, who them selves, were struggling to build lives in Canada. My mother was the church secretary for 25 years. This building is such an elegant example of community and tenacity. My beloved father and grandmother are interred in the columbarium, as was the intent for my mothers ashes, to join them in the niche (which we have already pre-paid). This stylish and significant modernist building must never be torn down, especially not to be replaced by forgettable and nondescript condos with a catchy name.

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david james lester
3 years ago Featured

Please save this church. In Palm Springs, California, an entire Modernism Festival celebrates this style of architecture. Here we want to allow a worthless developer to destroy it ??!? Please not.

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Peter Lohuaru
3 years ago

There is no good reason to tear down a culturally significant, beautiful and useful community building to make way for ugly condos.

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Erika Jogi
3 years ago

An architectural jewel by Mihkel Bach. Let's save this cultural icon and beautiful historic church.

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roul martjak
4 years ago

This unique building must be saved in its entirety !

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Mary Ots Donaldson
4 years ago

The church is an outstanding piece of architecture. It is important for the culture and history of our community and it has an outstanding pipe organ.

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Susan Pruvli
4 years ago

St. Peter's is part of our heritage. We should do everything possible to keep the church building and recognize the hard work and sacrifices that our parents and grandparents made to obtain this church.

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Tiina Jenkins
4 years ago

Save this church!

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LENNART ERIKS
4 years ago

My Fathers ashes are interned in the COLUMBARIUM wall.

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Aasa Reidak
4 years ago

This church holds many memories for our family. Save the church!

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Anu Ann Randmaa
4 years ago

I was 17 years old when I was confirmed at St.Peter's Estonian Lutheran Church in Toronto, Married there, baptised our 3 children there, have volunteered as a Sunday School teacher, a Nursery school leader, volunteer at archives, sang in the choir, and was church secretary for 2 plus years in the late 1990's. I am now 80 years old, this year 81, still volunteer & take in a church service when weather is good as mobility is now an issue with scoliosis. I love my forever church, the serenity I feel when looking up at the huge wooden cross behind the altar is what is a blessing to me. My faith has sustained me, even through thick and thin, and in these difficult times with a stranger who came years ago to shatter the sheep, we didn't go far! I'm immensely proud and relieved that faithful, true Estonians are continuing to honor the memory of our forebears that fled evil communism in 1944.

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Vaino Einola
4 years ago

An architectural gem and a significant part of the cultural heritage of Toronto

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Helen Suurvali
4 years ago

Toronto is well known and admired for being such a multi-cultural world class city. Estonians have had a significant presence in Toronto for well over half a century. We are fortunate to have here a church designed by an eminent Estonian architect, built for and by the Estonians who had made Toronto their home after WWII. This church has been an important part of the lives of Estonians in their new home, a place not only to worship but also to gather with friends and family, to celebrate important events and to take part in rituals that fostered a sense of community and belonging, a place of familiarity and support. I believe Heritage Toronto has been moving more in the direction of finding ways to preserve and celebrate the contributions of the wide diversity of groups who have become part of our city. St. Peter's Church is a great opportunity to support a building that helps to tell the story of one of these groups, that, in fact, is still telling that evolving story. It is also a beautiful and vibrant example of modernist architecture, an era and style of building that, unfortunately, has tended to fall somewhat under the radar here.

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Heikki Oja
4 years ago

St. Peter's is an important part of Toronto's architectural heritage and an indicator of our multicultural diversity. It needs to be recognized.

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Babak Eric
4 years ago

Save the church.

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Jenny Munro
4 years ago

Toronto has lost too much history already! Please keep this beautiful building safe.

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Lea Lundin
4 years ago

Best wishes!

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Ann Marie Leis
4 years ago Featured

Most of us were baptized here, confirmation classes, got married here, and said final goodbyes to loved ones. DO NOT TEAR DOWN OUR CHURCH

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Anne Pedel
4 years ago

May it be done according to God's will. Grace and peace to all. Jumala õnnistust.

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livia guo
4 years ago

support Estonian community~