Greek Canadians

Ελληνοκαναδοί
Total population
262,142 (by ancestry, 2021 Census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Canada
Ontario	132,442[2]
Quebec	89,985[3]
British Columbia	42,770[4]
Alberta	11,945[5]
Languages
English • French • Greek
Religion
Predominantly Greek Orthodox Christianity[6]

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Greek Canadians (Greek: Ελληνοκαναδοί) are Canadian citizens who have full or partial Greek heritage or people who emigrated from Greece and reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there were 262,140 Canadians who claimed Greek ancestry.^[1]

Demographics

Provinces and territories with the highest population of Greek Canadians, according to 2016 Census:^[7]

Province or territory	Greek Canadians	Percentage	Born in Greece
Canada	271,410	0.79
Ontario	148,555	1.12	36,575
Quebec	71,330	0.90	18,420
British Columbia	24,460	0.54	3,635
Alberta	15,025	0.38	2,005
Manitoba	4,130	0.33	820
Nova Scotia	3,360	0.37	510
Saskatchewan	2,880	0.27	605
New Brunswick	950	0.13	95
Newfoundland and Labrador	380	0.07	30
Prince Edward Island	175	0.13	15
Yukon	90	0.26	10
Northwest Territories	50	0.12	10
Nunavut	20	0.06	10

Census Metropolitan Agglomerations (CMAs) with the highest population of Greek Canadians, according to 2016 Census:^[7]

CMA		Greek Canadians	Percentage	Born in Greece
Toronto	Ontario	99,145	1.69	27,890
Montreal	Quebec	66,395	1.66	17,890
Vancouver	British Columbia	16,085	0.66	2,890
Ottawa - Gatineau	Ontario /  Quebec	8,005	0.62	990
Hamilton	Ontario	6,940	0.94	1,620
Calgary	Alberta	6,770	0.49	940
London	Ontario	5,365	1.10	1,180
Edmonton	Alberta	5,015	0.39	655
Oshawa	Ontario	4,690	1.25	715
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo	Ontario	3,885	0.75	580

Cities with the highest population of Greek Canadians, according to 2016 Census:^[8]

City	Province	Greek Canadians	Percentage	Born in Greece
Toronto	Ontario	57,420	2.13	19,240
Montreal	Quebec	29,060	1.75	9,150
Laval	Quebec	20,385	4.96	5,940
Mississauga	Ontario	7,490	1.05
Ottawa	Ontario	6,975	0.76
Markham	Ontario	6,215	1.90
Calgary	Alberta	6,150	0.50
Vancouver	British Columbia	5,760	0.93
Vaughan	Ontario	5,065	1.67
Hamilton	Ontario	5,030	0.95

Ridings (Federal electoral districts) with the highest percentage of Greek Canadians, according to 2016 Census:^[9]

Riding	Province	Greek Canadians	Percentage
Laval—Les Îles	Quebec	13,190	12.46
Toronto—Danforth	Ontario	7,655	7.26
Papineau	Quebec	5,490	5.01
Saint-Laurent	Quebec	4,795	4.92
Scarborough Centre	Ontario	4,945	4.48
Beaches—East York	Ontario	4,585	4.23
Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Quebec	4,695	4.18
Vimy	Quebec	4,335	4.07
Don Valley East	Ontario	3,785	4.06
Pierrefonds—Dollard	Quebec	3,680	3.43

List of notable Canadians of Greek ancestry

Business and philanthropy

Mike Lazaridis, creator of BlackBerry

• Jack Agrios – former director and executive member of the Edmonton Elks
• Andreas Apostolopoulos – real estate
• Chris Giannou – war surgeon
• Sam Kolias – founder, Chairman and CEO of Boardwalk REIT
• Mike Lazaridis – founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), creator of BlackBerry
• Sam Panopoulos - Chef and businessman best known for his invention of the Hawaiian Pizza

Creatives

Canadians of Greek ancestry mark the independence of Greece in Montreal's Park Extension neighbourhood.

Artists

• Eleonora Dimakos – model, actress, journalist and makeup artist
• Billy Mavreas – cartoonist
• Pythia – drag queen
• Paul Soulikias – artist painter
• Chrysanne Stathacos - multidisciplinary artist
• George Trakas – environmental sculptor

See also

• Canadian-Greek relations
• Greek Torontonians
• Canadian people of Greek descent
• Philhellenism
• 1918 Toronto anti-Greek riot

References

External links

• hellenism.net – a comprehensive list of famous Greeks and Greek Americans

Further reading

• Magocsi, Paul R (1997). Encyclopedia of Canada's peoples. Multicultural History Society of Ontario. pp. 616–26. ISBN 0-8020-2938-8.
• Ember, Melvin (2005). Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. p. 207. ISBN 9780306483219.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Greek diaspora in Canada.

• Greek-Canadians – A comprehensive list of famous Greeks and Greek Canadians
• GreekGateway.com – Greek cultural entertainment site, event resource and business directory
• Toronto-Danforth political riding with concentrated Hellenic population

Embassy and Consulates

• Embassy of Greece in Ottawa, Ontario
• Consulate General of Greece in Toronto, Ontario
• Consulate General of Greece in Montreal, Quebec
• Consulate General of Greece in Vancouver, British Columbia

Charitable organizations

• AHEPA home page – American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
• Hellenic Heritage Foundation
• Hellenic Home for the Aged
• Hellenic Hope Center – supports people with disabilities Archived July 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
• Hellenic Scholarships

Communities

• Ottawa Hellenic Community
• Greek Community of Toronto
• Hellenic Community of York Region
• Greek Community of London
• Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal
• Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Calgary
• Victoria, British Columbia
• Hellenic Community of Vancouver

Trade organizations

• Hellenic Canadian Board of Trade
• Hellenic Canadian Lawyers Association
• Hellenic Canadian Congress of British Columbia

Affiliate trade organizations

• Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce
• Hellenic-Argentine Chamber of Industry and Commerce (C.I.C.H.A.)

Performance art groups

• Kyklos
• Theatre Nefeli