George Patinios | Oral History Archive | HHFGCA

George Patinios

Interviewer(s):

Theo Xenophontos

Project:

Film as Mediator: Cultivating a Cypriot Canadian Community Audiovisual Media Archive

INTERVIEW LOCATION:

Unionville, ON

LANGUAGE:

English

DATE:

July 20, 2022

Interview Summary:

George Patinios was born in Kyrenia, Cyprus in 1939. In 1965, he migrated to Canada due to the intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In 1974, his father went missing as a result of the Turkish invasion.

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Date and Location

July 20, 2022

Unionville, ON

Interviewee(s)

George Patinios

Interviewer(s)

Theo Xenophontos

Languages

English

Reference ID

FAMREF006

Project

Film as Mediator: Cultivating a Cypriot Canadian Community Audiovisual Media Archive

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Categories

Associational Life

Canadian Society

Culture and Tradition

Education

Historical Events

Migration

Rites

Tags

Australia

Baptism

Cypriot Canadian Identity

Cypriot Community of Toronto Inc.

Cypriot Intercommunal Violence

Cyprus 1974

Engagement

English Learning

Greek School

Language

Marriage

Military Service

Ocean Liner

Post-1974 Migration

Pre-1974 Migration

Religion

Sponsorship

WW2

Decades Referenced

1930s

1940s

1960s

1970s

1980s

2000s

2010s

Locations Referenced

Cyprus; Kyrenia; Kambos (Nicosia District); Kykkos Monastery; Ledra Palace; Geneva; Germany; Greece; Italy; Spain; Ukraine; Olympia (Immigration Ship); Halifax; Danforth; Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church (Toronto); Ryerson University; Cypriot Community Centre (Throncliffe); Scarborough; Mississauga; Kitchener; Vancouver; New York City; Brooklyn; Cuba; South Africa; Australia

Occupation(s)

He worked as an electrician.

Parents Occupation(s)

His father served in the British military during World War II and his mother was a harvester.

Names Referenced

Theodoros Xenophontos

[00:00:08] The 48th anniversary of 1974 and biographical info

[00:02:10] His father's service during World War II

[00:03:26] Helping family migrate after 1974 & life before

[00:06:21] Leaving Cyprus in the 1960s due to the troubles

[00:08:47] The story of his father going missing in 1974

[00:09:44] Family background and settling in Canada

[00:12:35] Interactions with Turkish Cypriots

[00:14:44] Balancing Cypriot and Canadian cultures

[00:18:09] Communication with family in Cyprus

[00:19:34] Details about the immigration process

[00:21:05] Visiting Cyprus and in-laws moving to Australia

[00:22:26] Memories of Kambos and Kyrenia

[00:26:31] The importance of photography

[00:28:40] Feeling more Cypriot than Canadian & future hopes

[00:31:24] Details about the boat ride when immigrating

[00:33:07] Photographs of Kyrenia

[00:40:36] Photographs from the 1960s

[00:57:14] Photographs of the missing from 1974

[01:05:38] Plaques commemorating his father

[01:10:15] Photographs on Facebook of the invasion

[01:15:48] Facebook photographs of modern Kyrenia

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