We, the undersigned Canadians of Estonian heritage and their friends and family members, nominate MP Honourable Bryon Wilfert for the Estonian Central Council in Canada\'s Order of Merit. We ask the ECC to consider his many achievements in support of the Estonian community in Canada: Throughout his 10 years as a Member of Parliament, Mr. Wilfert has displayed outspoken support of the Estonian community in Canada in The House of Commons, in Parliamentary Committee and in Liberal Caucus. Most recently, Mr. Wilfert stood and spoke in support of Estonia during its crisis with Russia while members of the Government of Canada remained silent. His subsequent public statements urging Canadian support for Estonia on the internet and in the press, increased Canadian media coverage of the issue and awareness among the Canadian public. Furthermore, in 2003-04 Mr. Wilfert worked with his colleagues in caucus to initiate the removal of visa barriers for Estonians traveling to Canada. While the visa regime changed under the current government, it was the inevitable outcome of the hard work by Mr. Wilfert and his colleagues. A staunch supporter of the fundamental principles of sovereign democracy and human rights, Mr. Wilfert remains a vocal supporter of Estonian and Baltic democracy and a critic of those who oppose freedom and the rights of independent sovereignty in the region. We urge the Estonian Central Council in Canada to strongly consider our nomination of Mr. Wilfert to further encourage awareness of Estonian issues in Ottawa and in Canada.

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