Promised Land - A Life's Journey to Success in Canada

Kunstadt Memoir a Journey of Family, Resilience and Success

Peter Kunstadt and his fiancée Susan took a bold step into the unknown when they decided to break for the West—their homeland, Czechoslovakia, had been invaded by Soviet Bloc forces and they had to act quickly. Promised Land: A Life’s Journey to Success in Canada, released today by Burnstown Publishing House, is the story of that great escape, and the success that followed their arrival in Canada seven weeks later.

This is a story of bold decisions taken, of resilience, imagination and persistence, but above all it is a story of family. Kunstadt describes the history of his and Susan’s families in Eastern Europe, surviving Nazi tyranny, including family losses in the Holocaust, and the irony of liberation by Russian forces that soon led to a more persistent and deadening tyranny under Communist rule. But their resilient families survived, and went on to be successful in whatever they individually pursued.

Peter’s story is pervaded with his love of sport – he was a member of the Czechoslovak national ski team, and his family founded the Ottawa institution Kunstadt Sports. After enjoying a successful career as a professional engineer, Peter retired early to take on full-time duties in the family business. Still an avid skier and downhill racer, Peter tries hard to keep up with his children, Eric, Ron and Monica, on the slopes, tennis courts, and bike trails.

Promised Land: A Life’s Journey to Success in Canada comes highly recommended:

It's great to read how it all happened, and to see how his values have been passed on to his family. Stories like this show how Canada is enriched by the contributions of refugees. Peter is right--Canada is the best country in the world! - Nancy Greene, OC

His themes—that people should stop being hyphenated Canadians and just be Canadians, and that a peaceful nation, which gives its citizens an opportunity to make a life for themselves and their families free from oppression, is a treasure—ring true to me in every way. Thanks for sharing your story, Peter, with our next generation. - Bruce M Firestone, PhD, Ottawa Senators founder

Peter has dedicated his book to his family: “Family is what gives meaning to our lives. Neither Susan nor I have any memories of our grandparents as they all perished at the hands of the Nazis in World War 2. We feel lucky and privileged to have all seven of our grandchildren living near us. My primary intention in writing this book had always been for those kids to understand their roots and to appreciate their ancestors’ determination, clarity of purpose, and persistence in the face of obstacles and danger.”