Greek Canadians

Greek Canadian (Hellenic Canadian)
	;
	Nia Vardalos • Pan Bouyoucas; Dini Dimakos • Mike Lazaridis; Tony Clement • Gerry Sklavounos; John Limniatis • George Stroumboulopoulos • Trish Stratus
Total population
	242,685 (2006 census)
Regions with significant populations
	Canada
Languages
	Canadian English, Greek, Canadian French
Religion
	predominantly Greek Orthodox Christianity

Greek (Hellenic) Canadians (Greek: Ελληνοκαναδοί; French: Gréco-Canadiens, Canadiens grecs) are Canadian citizens of Greek origin, also known as Hellenic origin. According to the 2006 Canadian census, there were 242,685 Canadians who claimed Greek ethnicity.^[1]

[edit] List of notable Canadians of Greek ancestry

[edit] Academics

[edit] Authors

Pan Bouyoucas – finalist for The Governor General’s Literary Award, 2001
Tess Fragoulis
Thomas King
Dimitrios Roussopoulos

[edit] Professors

Athanasios Asimakopulos – Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Economics, McGill University
Nick Bontis – DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University 3M National Teaching Fellow
André Gerolymatos – Hellenic Studies
Dimitri Kitsikis – Professor Emeritus of History, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Fotini Markopoulou-Kalamara – Physics
Nikolaos Oikonomides – Byzantine history
David N. Stamos – Philosophy
Thanasis Stengos - Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Guelph ^[7]
Anastasios Venetsanopoulos – Vice President Research and Innovation at Ryerson University

[edit] Business and philanthropy

Flag of Greece and Canada

Andreas Apostolopoulos – real estate
Chris Giannou – war surgeon
Mike Lazaridis – founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), creator of BlackBerry
Sam Kolias – founder, Chairman and CEO of Boardwalk REIT
Steve Stavro Incorrect : Considered himself ServoMacedonian

[edit] Creatives

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

[edit] Artists

Eleonora Dimakos – model, actress, journalist and makeup artist
Billy Mavreas – cartoonist

[edit] Sport

[edit] Diving

Alexandre Despatie -(Greek Grandmother) diver, Olympic silver medalist

[edit] Field Hockey

Ernie Cholakis – player

[edit] Football

Dave Sapunjis – CFL all-star receiver, Calgary Stampeders

[edit] Ice Hockey

Chris Kibermanis – player
Chris Kontos – player
Nick Kypreos – former NHL player, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers
Dave Nonis – former Canadian ice hockey defenceman, former general manager and executive of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks and current general manager of the Toronto Marlies.

[edit] Martial Arts

Olga Bakalopoulos – mixed martial artist

[edit] Soccer

David Fronimadis – player
Stathis Kappos – player
John Limniatis – player
Nick Papadakis – player
Peter Sarantopoulos – player
Kenny Stamatopolous – player, former Toronto FC and Kalamata
Theo Zagar – player
George Balasakis- Soccer Player

[edit] Strength Athletics

Dominic Filiou – strongman

[edit] Water Skiing

George Athans – water-skier

[edit] Wrestling

Bret Hart – former pro wrestler, multiple World Champion in WWF & WCW. Greek Ancestry – Mother is half Greek as is published in his autobiography "Hitman: My Real Life In The Cartoon World Of Wrestling"
Trish Stratus (aka Patricia Anne Stratigias) – former professional wrestler

[edit] Film, TV and stage

[edit] Actors and performers

Alex Carter – actor
John Colicos – actor
Chris Diamantopoulos – actor
John Ioannou – actor
John Kapelos – actor
Argiris Karras – actor
Alex Karzis – actor, singer and musician
Elias Koteas – actor (Crash)
Daniel Samonas – actor
Elias Toufexis
Angelo Tsarouchas – comedian/actor It's all Greek to Me Comedy Show
Nia Vardalos – actress, screenwriter (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)
Nikki Ponte – singer

[edit] Directors and producers

Stephano Barberis
Tony Asimakopoulos, documentary film director
Austin Garrick aka Watts – music producer

Director of Sideways

[edit] Entertainers

Thea Andrews – actress now in US on Entertainment Tonight
Ariana Chris – mezzo-soprano
Christine Cushing – celebrity chef
Dini Dimakos – comedian/actor Video on Trial,Love Court
Hannah Georgas – singer/songwriter
Alex Karzis – actor, voiceover artist, musician and singer.
KO – musician
Peter Bexis – musician
Sid Krofft – puppeteer
Billy Mavreas – cartoonist
Kanaris Paraskevopoulos – Producer (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), kickbox champion
George Sapounidis – musician / troubadour, statistician and a Sinophile. Subject of documentary Chairman George
Teresa Stratas – soprano OC (born May 26, 1938, Toronto, Ontario), is a retired Canadian operatic soprano. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu.
Angelo Tsarouchas – comedian/actor It's all Greek to Me Comedy Show
Nia Vardalos – actress, screenwriter (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)
Phil X (born Phil Xenidis) – guitarist, prolific session guitarist

[edit] Journalists and broadcasters

Thalia Assuras – anchor/reporter
Ernie Afaganis – retired CBC-TV Sports/Olympics anchor
Athena King, newscaster on Naked News
Steve Kouleas – sports anchor/reporter
George Lagogianes – television personality, currently a reporter/anchor for CP24. Host of Auto Shop.
Peter Loubardias – sportscaster
Ioanna Roumeliotis – CBC Newsworld reporter
Lou Schizas – equities analyst
George Stroumboulopoulos – host, CBC Newsworld's The Hour, former MuchMusic VJ
Antonia Zerbisias – Toronto Star columnist

[edit] Historical figures

[edit] Immigrants

Ioánnis Fokás Juan de Fuca – first Greek-Canadian (1592)

[edit] Politicians

Niki Ashton – NDP Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Churchill, Manitoba
Sophia Aggelonitis – former Liberal MPP for Hamilton Mountain
Eleni Bakopanos – former Liberal MP for Saint-Denis
Staff Barootes – former Conservative Senator
Marie Bountrogianni – former Liberal MPP for Hamilton Mountain
Diane Stratas – former Progressive Conservative MP for Scarborough Centre, 1979 to 1980
John Cannis – former Liberal MP for Scarborough Centre, 1993 to 2011
Tony Clement – Member of Parliament for Muskoka, and President of the Treasury Board
Mary Fragedakis – Toronto City Councillor for Ward 29, Toronto-Danforth
Philippe Gigantès – former Liberal Senator
Leo Housakos – Conservative Senator
Maurine Karagianis – New Democratic Party of British Columbia MLA, former Esquimalt – municipal councillor, British Columbia
Jim Karygiannis – Liberal MP for Scarborough—Agincourt since 1988
Chris Kibermanis – Liberal candidate
Peter Kormos – MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as candidate of the New Democratic Party
Pana Merchant – Liberal Senator from Saskatchewan
Constantine George Mitges – former PC MP, first Greek elected federally
George Samis – former Ontario New Democratic Party MPP, first Greek elected in Canada to a Legislature
Christos Sirros – former Quebec Liberal MNA and provincial cabinet minister
Gerry Sklavounos – Liberal Member of the Québec National Assembly
Dimitri Soudas – Communications director to the Prime Minister of Canada
Michael Tziretas – former City Councillor, Toronto (2001–2003)

[edit] Judiciary

Justice Andromache Karakatsanis – Supreme Court of Canada, 2011 to present
Justice David Stratas – Federal Court of Appeal, 2009 to present

[edit] Religious figures

Nicholas Salamis – priest

[edit] Order of Canada recipients

Teresa Stratas – soprano OC (born May 26, 1938, Toronto, Ontario), is a retired Canadian operatic soprano. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu.

[edit] See also

Canadian-Greek relations
Greek Torontonians
Canadian People of Greek Descent
Famous Greek-Americans – A comprehensive list of famous Greeks and Greek Americans.
Greeks of Niagara Book Published
Philhellenism

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
^ "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – Ontario". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
^ "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – Quebec". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
^ "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – British Columbia". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
^ "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – Alberta". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
^ "Selected Demographic and Cultural Characteristics". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
^ http://www.uoguelph.ca/economics/economics-thanasis-stengos

[edit] 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.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Canadians of Greek descent

Greek-Canadians – A comprehensive list of famous Greeks and Greek Canadians.
GreekGateway.com – Greek cultural entertainment site, event resource and business directory.
Anti-Greek Riots in Canada 1918
Toronto-Danforth political riding with concentrated Hellenic population

Embassy and Consulates

Charitable organizations

Communities

Trade organizations

Affiliate trade organizations

Performance art groups

[Census2006-1] "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.

[2] "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – Ontario". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.

[3] "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – Quebec". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.

[4] "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – British Columbia". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.

[5] "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories – Alberta". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.

[6] "Selected Demographic and Cultural Characteristics". Statistics Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2009.

[7] ttp://www.uoguelph.ca/economics/economics-thanasis-stengos

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