Andreas Nicolaides & Georgia Pantelidis
Interviewer(s):
Theo Xenophontos
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Richmond Hill, ON
LANGUAGE:
Englsh & Greek
DATE:
October 10, 2025

Interview Summary:

Andreas Nicolaides was born in Agios Theodoros (Limassol District), Cyprus in 1939. His daughter, Georgia Pantelidis was born in Limassol, Cyprus in 1963. As a teenager, Andreas took part in the EOKA struggle of the 1950s, under the direct command of Grigoris Afxentiou. In 1967, Andreas and Georgia migrated to Canada with the rest of their family for greater economic and educational opportunities, as well as to avoid the political tensions in Cyprus. In 1974, Andreas helped to provide aid to refugees with the Cyprus Relief Fund of Ontario. From the late 1970s through most of the 1980s, Georgia took part in the Cypriot dance group. In this interview, she notes the political strife within the dance group stemming from the aftermath of the invasion. She also uses the interview to detail the transformation of the Cypriot Brotherhood into the Cypriot Federation of Canada. Before moving back to Cyprus in 2003 on a semi-permanent basis, Andreas was an active member in both the Greek and Cypriot communities, taking part in various Hellenic causes such as the Macedonia naming dispute.

Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
October 10, 2025
Richmond Hill, ON
Interviewee(s)
Andreas Nicolaides & Georgia Pantelidis
Interviewer(s)
Theo Xenophontos
Languages
Englsh & Greek
Reference ID
GICREF128
Project
Greek Canadian Stories
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Categories
Associational Life
Canadian Society
Culture and Tradition
Education
Historical Events
Homeland Activism
Migration
Rites
Working Life
Tags
Australia
Cypriot Canadian 1974 Protests
Cypriot Canadian Identity
Cypriot Community of Toronto Inc.
Cypriot Federation Of Canada
Cypriot Intercommunal Violence
Cyprus 1974
Cyprus Coup
Cyprus Relief Fund of Ontario
Dance
English Learning
EOKA
EOKA-B
Greek Community
Greek Community of Toronto Inc.
Greek School
Junta
Language
Macedonia Naming Dispute
Marriage
Pre-1974 Migration
Religion
Return Migration
The Cypriot Brotherhood
Traditions
UK
USA
Decades Referenced
1930s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Locations Referenced
Cyprus; Agios Theodoros (Limassol District); Potamitissa (Limassol District); Agios Pavlos (Limassol District); Agios Konstantinos (Limassol District); Agros (Limassol District); Agridia (Limassol District); Kyperounda (Limassol District); Kyperounda Regional Hospital (formerly Kyperounda Sanatorium); Limassol; Vasilikos River; Machairas Monastery; Paphos; Famagusta; Northern Cyprus; Canada; Toronto; Bathurst; Pape Avenue and Lipton Avenue; Pape Station; St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church of Toronto; St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church; St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church; Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Panagia); Queen's Park; Jackman Public School; Sir John A Macdonald Collegiate Institute; Scarborough; Belleville; Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (Belleville); Ottawa; Montreal; McGill University; Greece; Crete; Kozani; Macedonia; Turkey; Israel; the United Kingdom; the United States of America
Occupation(s)
As a teenager, Andreas served in EOKA. He then worked as a cooper in Canada. He also served as a cantor at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church of Toronto and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, as well as a Treasurer and Vice President in the Cypriot community. Georgia was a principal at a Greek Sunday school.
Parents Occupation(s)
Georgia's mother gave out pamphlets and flyers for EOKA. She then worked at a bra factory in Canada.
Names Referenced
Androula Tsoukalas; Anna Ellinas (referred to by her maiden last name of Charalambous in this interview); Christine Amygdalidis (President of the Cypriot Federation of Canada); David Weatherhead (Liberal MP); Dimitrios Ioannidis; George Patinios; Georgios Grivas; Grigoris Afxentiou; Irene Ramphalie (President of the Cypriot Community of Toronto); Jean Chrétien; Makarios III; Mrs. Papadakis (Sunday school teacher at St. Demetrios); Pierre Trudeau; Professor Michael P. Païdoussis (McGill University); St. Helena; Stella Partheniou Grasso; Themis Drakos; Theodoros Xenophontos; Trifonas Nicolaides (brother of Andreas); Xanthos Charalambous

[00:00:25] Early life in Cyprus & the story of St. Helena

[00:08:32] Siblings staying in Cyprus, except one in Israel

[00:10:13] His involvement with EOKA

[00:20:05] Their opinions on why enosis was not achieved

[00:24:52] Contradictory stories about the 1963/64 period

[00:26:39] Limited interactions with Turkish Cypriots

[00:30:35] Migration and work in Canada

[00:33:01] Resisting assimilation & time at St. George’s

[00:34:49] The Cyprus Relief Fund of Ontario

[00:39:00] His involvement with Cypriot cultural groups

[00:40:03] St. Demetrios & the Cyprus Relief Fund of Ontario

[00:41:42] Keeping in touch with the news in Cyprus

[00:42:38] The role of Professor Païdoussis in giving aid

[00:45:34] Communicating with family in Cyprus

[00:47:06] Her mother’s role in EOKA & how he met his wife

[00:50:40] His other children and Georgia’s birth year

[00:51:19] Background on her grandparents & his childhood

[00:52:21] His role in the Cypriot community (1970s – 1980s)

[00:52:38] Staying out of politics during the junta period

[00:54:05] Politics pervading the dance group due to 1974

[00:57:48] The Cypriot Brotherhood

[00:59:59] Her involvement with the dance group (70s & 80s)

[01:01:03] Lobbying for Cyprus through the Liberal Party

[01:03:21] His involvement with the church & Cypriot groups

[01:04:27] Avoiding the occupied area due to his past in EOKA

[01:06:17] Her experience in Greek school and with Greeks

[01:11:56] Details about her mother’s life

[01:13:37] Debating the validity of enosis

[01:24:49] Her uncle’s experience in 1974

[01:26:37] His hopes for the future of Cyprus

[01:32:26] Taking part in the Macedonia naming dispute

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