Athanasios (Tom) Kypraios (Interview 1)
Interviewer(s):
Effrosyni Rantou
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Toronto, ON
LANGUAGE:
Greek
DATE:
February 28, 2024

Interview Summary:

Athanasios (Tom) Kypraios, born in 1939 in Greece, grew up during the hardships of the Greek Civil War before immigrating to Canada in 1954 with his mother and sister. Starting with labour jobs and facing discrimination, he built a life in Ontario. He eventually became a successful restaurateur, owning businesses in Kingston and Toronto, including Cyro’s Restaurant on Bloor Street West. In his interview he discusses entrepreneurship, notion of identity, and ties to the Greek immigrant community in postwar Canada.

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Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
February 28, 2024
Toronto, ON
Interviewee(s)
Athanasios (Tom) Kypraios (Interview 1)
Interviewer(s)
Effrosyni Rantou
Languages
Greek
Reference ID
GICREF068A
Project
Greek Canadian Stories
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Categories
Associational Life
Canadian Society
Culture and Tradition
Education
Historical Events
Migration
Working Life
Tags
Cleaning Work
Discrimination
Entrepreneurship
Greek Civil War
Greek Community
K12Education
Ocean Liner
Post-WW2 Migration
Remittances
Restaurant Work
Soccer
WW2
Decades Referenced
1910s
1940s
1950s
1960s
Locations Referenced
Athens, Laconia, Sparta, Halifax, Toronto, London, Kingston, New York, Owen Sound, Richmond Hill, Hillcrest
Occupation(s)
Shoe polisher, Bellhop, Dishwasher, Waiter, Restaurateur
Parents Occupation(s)
Agricultural workers
Names Referenced
George Kypraios, George Pavlakos

[00:00:09] Childhood in Greece, family life, Civil War

[00:06:34] Postwar migration and his immigration

[00:11:05] Ship journey and arrival in Halifax

[00:16:04] School, work, and discrimination in London

[00:24:52] Greek church and community life

[00:26:17] Work struggles, moving to Kingston

[00:40:51] Lido restaurant and legal issues

[00:49:39] Toronto life and Cyro’s restaurant

[00:52:34] Greek businesses in Ontario

[00:58:51] Education and identity

[01:03:43] Toronto work and bouzouki culture

[01:07:31] Politics, sports, community

[01:09:31] Hellenism and identity

[01:15:11] Supporting family

[01:17:10] Story of a girl from Greece

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