Christine Amygdalidis | Oral History Archive | HHFGCA

Christine Amygdalidis

Interviewer(s):

Theo Xenophontos

Project:

Greek Canadian Stories

INTERVIEW LOCATION:

Scarborough, ON

LANGUAGE:

English

DATE:

December 18, 2025

Interview Summary:

Christine Amygdalidis was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1956. Christine recounts how she was born during the EOKA struggle and how her parents assisted the guerrillas. She also discusses the good relations her family had with Turkish Cypriots before the intercommunal troubles began. In her teenage years, she witnessed the divide between EOKA-B and Makarios supporters as members of both factions lived in her suburb of Agios Pavlos. Christine further detailed her vivid memories of seeing the paratroopers land during the Turkish invasion and how her family became refugees in 1974. In 1979, she migrated to Canada where she later became an active member of the Cypriot Community of Toronto holding the positions of Dance Group Coordinator, Educational Committee Chair, Treasurer, and Vice President over various decades. She also taught at the Greek school run by the Cypriot Community of Toronto for thirty-six years. Since 2016, Christine has served as the President of the Cypriot Federation of Canada. In this interview, Christine explains the institutional connection Cypriot and Greek organizations have to each other in Canada.

‍

Date and Location

December 18, 2025

Scarborough, ON

Interviewee(s)

Christine Amygdalidis

Interviewer(s)

Theo Xenophontos

Languages

English

Reference ID

GICREF136

Project

Greek Canadian Stories

Use and Reproduction: Digital content found on the HHF GCA digital portal is meant for research and private study used in compliance with copyright legislation. Access to digital content, and the technical capacity to download or copy it, does not imply permission to re-use. Prior written permission to publish or otherwise use content must be obtained from the copyright holder. Please contact the HHF GCA at hhfgca@yorku.ca for further information.

Categories

Associational Life

Canadian Society

Culture and Tradition

Education

Historical Events

Homeland Activism

Migration

Rites

Tags

Decades Referenced

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Locations Referenced

Cyprus; Agios Pavlos (suburb of Nicosia); Larnaca; Limassol; Nicosia; Paphos; Pentadaktylos (mountain range in Kyrenia); Troodos Mountains; Canada; Calgary; Edmonton; Kitchener; Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Toronto); Mississauga; Oshawa; Ottawa; Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church (Mississauga); Quebec; Toronto; Toronto City Hall; Vancouver; Waterloo; Winnipeg; York University; Greece; Turkey

Occupation(s)

Clerical worker, factror worker

Parents Occupation(s)

Father: contractor. Mother: cleaner

Names Referenced

Andreas Charalambides (brother-in-law); Anna Ellinas; Athina Charlambides (sister); Archbishop Sotirios; Bartholomew I of Constantinople; Basil Avramis; Christakis Christoforou (Greek school teacher); Dimitris Mantalas; Evagoras Pallikarides; Georgios Grivas; George Patinios; Giorgos Seferis (addendum: after our interview, Christine clarified that when she referenced Seferis she meant to reference Leonidas Manelis); Makarios III; Nicole Kyrou (daughter); Savas Tsivicos (AHEPA President); Stephanie Pasceri (daughter); Steve Amygdalidis (husband); Themis Drakos; Xanthos Charalambous

[00:00:18] Early memories of her parents

[00:02:35] Siblings divided between Canada and Cyprus

[00:03:12] Family stories of the EOKA struggle

[00:06:15] Interactions with Turkish Cypriots

[00:07:34] Her life in Cyprus

[00:08:33] Discussing EOKA-B and Makarios

[00:10:45] Memories of 1974

[00:17:34] Her migration to Canada in 1979

[00:18:51] Her first impressions of Canada

[00:20:30] Her experience at York University

[00:21:43] Teaching at the Cypriot Greek school for 36 years

[00:24:49] Her experience leading the Cypriot dance group

[00:34:02] The role of theatre in teaching Cypriot culture

[00:38:58] Connection to the wider Greek Canadian community

[00:42:18] Foregrounding the distinctness of Cypriot culture

[00:45:03] Her good relations with Greeks

[00:47:41] Her work with the Cypriot Federation of Canada

[00:55:18] Connection with AHEPA

[00:56:13] The importance of Cypriot groups across Canada

[00:59:55] Hopes for the future of Cyprus

No items found.

Land Acknowledgement: York University recognizes that many Indigenous Nations have longstanding relationships with the territories upon which York University campuses are located that precede the establishment of York University. York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.