Early Greek Orthodox Community

Early Greek Orthodox Community. . , Between 1912 and 1938, this building was home to Toronto's first Greek Orthodox church and Greek language school. It was also an early centre of Greek identity and community., In the beginning of the 20th century, Greek immigrants settled in Toronto seeking economic and political prosperity. Over 50 years, a strong Greek community of around 3,000 people began to take shape in the area bounded by Yonge, Carlton, and Church Streets, as well as Dundas Street East., In 1909, approximately 200 of Toronto's Greek immigrants formed the St. George's Greek Orthodox Community of Ontario. The organization bought this building in 1912 with a down payment collected from Greeks across Ontario., The first floor was converted into a church. In 1921, the upper level of the building housed a day school called Athena, which taught English and Greek. It eventually grew into an afternoon language school for more than 100 students. The building was a place where Greeks worshipped, socialized, married, and learned within their language., In 1938, the church moved to a converted synagogue on Bond Street, where it remains active more than 100 years after its creation., Exterior of the building, no date. The church helped the Greek community to establish roots in the city and acted as an anchor point for new Greek migrants. Courtesy of Michael Mouratidis