By Helen Walsh 

The Hellenic Heritage Foundation’s History Committee spent the month of March leading a record 30 tours to Grade 6 TDSB classes for Greek Heritage Month. Students were led along Danforth Avenue learning how the Danforth became the centre of Greek Canadian life in Toronto. 

The History Committee is made up of 25 volunteers from all walks of life, who share an interest in history, their Hellenic roots and all are great story tellers. The Committee takes on projects such as the walking tours, to elevate awareness of the HHF’s mission. 

Since its inception in 2017, the History Committee has developed three tours that tell the story of Greeks in Canada’s largest city, from immigration stories to how community was built. In addition to the Danforth walking tour, the 1918 Anti-Greek Riots tour explores a little-known chapter of Toronto’s history. The newest tour, Greek Life in the West End, recreates the community that existed parallel to the Danforth Greek community, but which has now largely disappeared.  

“The History Committee’s walking tours ensure we preserve, promote, and advance Hellenic education, culture, and heritage in Canada,” says Andy Seretis, President of the HHF. 

The first walking tour was part of a larger effort to commemorate the centenary of 1918 Anti Greek Riots in Toronto. That tour was based on a 2009 documentary called Violent August, directed by John Burry, who is also a History Committee volunteer. “Adapting John’s documentary to a walking tour was such a natural and easy thing for us to do. The story tells itself,”, says Sandra Gionas, Chair of the History Committee, and Board Member of the HHF. 

The tours were such a success that season, both among members of the Greek diaspora, Toronto residents and tourists, that the Committee continued to offer them. 

The story of how the Danforth became Greek followed soon after. Former History Committee member Chris Grafos had completed a PhD in Greek Canadian History and had developed a similar tour for Myseum’s annual festival. He, along with the History Committee adapted it and it’s been the most successful tour so far, in terms of attendance. 

“I took the Danforth walking tour and I immediately joined the HHF History Committee,” says Tina Poulimenou-Tzatzanis. “It taught me about parts of Toronto’s Greek history I didn’t know about.” 

At that point, the HHF partnered with Heritage Toronto, a City of Toronto agency, which runs a very successful walking tour series. The HHF’s tours are run as part of the annual series, which runs from May to October.  

“Partnering with Heritage Toronto is great in that our volunteers get proper tour training, and we have the organization’s support system helping us to deliver our tours,” says Gionas. 

The biggest tour project the History committee has taken on was the development of the West End walking tour. “We had to start from scratch with that one,” says Gionas. Toronto’s west end history wasn’t well documented, and the History Committee volunteers spent a year researching the area, its businesses and the types of jobs Greeks took upon arrival, via the HHF’s Greek Canadian Archives at York University.  

Katherine Kirzati is a recent addition to the Committee and also joined after taking one of the Danforth tours. “Enjoying local history, reminiscing about growing up on the Danforth and being able to contribute to the story of the Danforth is a lot of fun” says the retired urban planner.  

Should you require more information or additional details, please contact us at [email protected].