Greek Canadians

Greek Canadians
Ελληνοκαναδοί

File:Nia Vardalos.jpg Nia Vardalos Dini Dimakos Mike Lazaridis File:Tony Clement - 2007-06-30 in Kearney, Ontario.JPG Tony Clement File:Gerry Sklavounos.jpg Gerry Sklavounos File:John-Limniatis08-09-13.jpg John Limniatis File:Robin Wong TIFF Schmooze George Stroumboulopoulos.jpg George Stroumboulopoulos Trish Stratus File:Tracy Spiridakos at PaleyFest 2013.jpg Tracy Spiridakos
Total population
(252,960 (by ancestry, 2011 Census))
Regions with significant populations
Canada
Ontario	132,440
Quebec	89,985
British Columbia	42,770
Alberta	11,945
Languages
Canadian English, Canadian French, Greek
Religion
predominantly Greek Orthodox Christianity

Greek Canadians (Greek: Ελληνοκαναδοί) are Canadian citizens either fully or partially of Greek descent or a Greece-born person who resides in Canada. According to the 2011 Census, there were 252,960 Canadians who claimed Greek ancestry.

Demographics

Greek Canadian population by province and territory in Canada in 2011:

Province or territory	Greek Canadians	Percentage
Canada	252,960
Ontario	140,965
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Yukon
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Northwest Territories
Nunavut

List of notable Canadians of Greek ancestry

Academics

• Andreas Mandelis – expert on photonics, member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Awarded the 2014 Killam Prize

Authors

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

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
• Anastasios Venetsanopoulos – Vice President Research and Innovation at Ryerson University

Business and philanthropy

Flag of Greece and Canada

• Jack Agrios - former director and executive member of the Edmonton Eskimos
• 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

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
• George Trakas - environmental sculptor

Sport

Athletics

• Nicolas Macrozonaris – 100m sprinter

Baseball

• George Kottaras – Major League player
• Vickie Panos – player, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1944
• Alex Anthopoulos – General Manager, Toronto Blue Jays

Basketball

• Kevin Pangos - Playmaker, Gonzaga University alumni who currently plays in Europe

Boxing

• Hercules Kyvelos – boxer

Chess

• Peter Biyiasas - chess grandmaster

Diving

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

Field Hockey

• Ernie Cholakis – player

Football

• Dave Sapunjis – CFL all-star receiver, Calgary Stampeders

Ice Hockey

• 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 Maple Leafs.
• Steven Stamkos - NHL player, Tampa Bay Lighting
• Chris Chelios - former NHL player

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

Strength Athletics

• Dominic Filiou – strongman

Water Skiing

• George Athans – water-skier

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

Film, TV and stage

Actors and performers

• Marie Avgeropoulos – actress – "Tracers" (film), "Supernatural", "Fringe"
• 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
• Tracy Spiridakos – actress – "Being Human", "Revolution"
• 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
• Sofia Shinas- singer, actress "The Crow"
• Athena Karkanis- actress, The Border, Lost Girl, Low Winter Sun, The Lottery

Directors and producers

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

Entertainers

• 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
• 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

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

Historical figures

Immigrants

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

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
• Costas Menegakis – Conservative Party of Canada MP for Richmond Hill
• 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

Judiciary

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

Religious figures

• Nicholas Salamis – priest

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.

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
• 1918 Toronto anti-Greek riot

External links

• 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, Canada
• Consulate General of Greece in Toronto
• Consulate General of Greece in Montreal
• Consulate General of Greece in Vancouver

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
• Hellenic Scholarships

Communities

• Ottawa Hellenic Community
• Toronto Greek Community
• Hellenic Community of York Region
• Greek Community of London
• Montreal Hellenic Community
• 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