Georghia Epaminondas
Interviewer(s):
Theo Xenophontos
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Courtice, ON
LANGUAGE:
English
DATE:
April 15, 2026

Interview Summary:

Georghia Epaminondas was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1958. Raised in the village of Mitsero, Georghia describes the economic and environmental impact mining had on that community. She also recalls growing up during the tumultuous 1963 – 1974 period, including her memories of seeing the Canadian troops that served in UNFICYP, the divide between Makarios and Grivas supporters, the junta-engineered coup, and Turkish invasion. Her harrowing visit to a refugee camp played a part in her decision to migrate to Canada in 1977. Upon arrival, she joined the Greek Community of Oshawa and District as both her uncle, Cleanthis Chrysostomou and her husband, Andreas Epaminondas served as the President of that organization at various different points between 1977 – 2001. Georghia also became involved with Cypriot Canadian institutions. Most important to Georghia however is her work as a Greek school teacher, which she has done since the early 1990s until the present day.

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Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
April 15, 2026
Courtice, ON
Interviewee(s)
Georghia Epaminondas
Interviewer(s)
Theo Xenophontos
Languages
English
Reference ID
GICREF148
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
Baptism
Cypriot Canadian Identity
Cypriot Community of Toronto Inc.
Cypriot Federation Of Canada
Cypriot Intercommunal Violence
Cyprus 1974
Cyprus Coup
Dance
Discrimination
Egypt
EOKA
EOKA-B
Greek Community
Greek Food
Greek School
Hellenic Heritage Foundation
Junta
K12Education
Macedonia Naming Dispute
Marriage
Music
NEPOMAK Canada
Philoptochos
POMAK
Post-1974 Migration
Postsecondary Education
PSEKA
Religion
Restaurant Work
Traditions
UK
USA
WW2
Decades Referenced
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Locations Referenced
Cyprus; Amiandos (Limassol District); Apostolos Andreas Monastery; Ayia Napa; Famagusta; Farmakas (Nicosia District); Kalavasos (Larnaca District); Koili (Paphos District); Kyrenia; Kythrea (Nicosia District); Larnaca; Lefka (Nicosia District); Limni Mine (Paphos District); Livadia (Larnaca District); Meniko (Nicosia District); Mitsero (Nicosia District); Morphou (Nicosia District); Nicosia; Omorfita (Nicosia District); Paphos; Paralimni (Famagusta District); Pentadaktylos (mountain range in Kyrenia); Polis Chrysochous (Paphos District); Saint Hilarion Castle; Salamis (Famagusta District); Soli (Nicosia District); Xeros (Nicosia District); Canada; All Saints Greek Orthodox Church (Toronto); Cypriana (restaurant and music venue in Scarborough); Cypriot Community Centre (Thorncliffe); Danforth; Durham Region; Evangelismos Tis Theotokou, Saints Nectarios and Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church (Oshawa); Kitchener; Kostas Meat Market (Scarborough); Mississauga; Montreal; Niagara Falls; Oshawa; Port Credit; Port Perry; Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church (Mississauga); Ottawa; Scarborough; Socrates School (Montreal); St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church (Scarborough); Toronto; Whitby; Greece; Crete; Macedonia; the United States of America; Alaska; California; Florida; Philadelphia; San Diego; Egypt; North Macedonia; Turkey; the United Kingdom; USSR; Yugoslavia
Occupation(s)
Coffee shop worker, Greek school teacher, retail worker, and restaurant worker
Parents Occupation(s)
Father: truck driver
Names Referenced
Andreas Charalambous; Andreas Epaminondas; Androulla Charalambous; Angelos Epaminondas; Anna Ellinas; Anna Marangou; Athina Charalambides; Basil Avramis; Bill Makris; Chris Erodotou; Christine Amygdalidis; Cleanthis Alexandrou; Cleanthis Chrysostomou; Costis Hadjicostis; Dino Sophocleous; Evagoras Pallikarides; Father Tryfonopoulos; Georgios Grivas; Glafcos Clerides; Henry Kissinger; Ioannis Kapodistrias; Irene Ramphalie; Katia Hadjidemetriou; Kostas Theodorou; Makarios III; Marios Georghiades; Petros Georgiou; Rauf Denktaş; Stelios Kazantzidis; Stella Partheniou Grasso; Takis Hadjidemetriou; Themis Drakos; Theodore Petrou; Xanthos Charlambous

[00:00:24] Growing up in Mitsero

[00:06:50] The environmental impact of mining in Mitsero

[00:10:38] World War II and familial migration patterns

[00:17:11] Familial memories of the EOKA struggle

[00:18:14] Memories of the 1960s and of Turkish Cypriots

[00:21:25] The divide between Makarios and Grivas supporters

[00:26:31] Her visits to the occupied area in recent years

[00:36:36] The coup, invasion, and visiting a refugee camp

[00:46:48] Her husband’s background and migration story

[00:49:05] Her migration story and early life in Canada

[00:53:31] Interactions with Greeks in Durham Region

[00:58:16] Learning Cypriot history from Hadjidemetriou

[01:01:23] Greek and Cypriot businesses in Durham Region

[01:04:34] Her experiences at Cypriana

[01:08:24] Greek Community of Oshawa and District

[01:14:17] The importance of preserving the Greek language

[01:31:54] Cypriot Canadian events, institutions, & politics

[01:58:23] Attending a POMAK and PSEKA conference

[02:02:47] Cypriots in the Greek Community of Oshawa

[02:09:15] Discussing the Xronika newspaper

[02:18:26] Her husband protesting Denktaş’ visit to Toronto

[02:20:31] Taking part in the Macedonia naming dispute

[02:24:52] Discussing various forms of Greek & Cypriot media

[02:29:04] How the diaspora differs from those who stayed

This is some text inside of a div block.
Book about Mitsero, including a picture of Makarios' visit to the village
Georghia's grandparents in the book about Mitsero
Calendar from Mitsero that includes Georghia's class photo from 1965 (top image). She is seated in the bottom row, fifth from the left
Calendar from Mitsero that includes two photos of Georghia from 1967. In the top image, she is second from the left and in the bottom image, she is in the first row, second from the right
Calendar from Mitsero that includes Georghia's class photo from 1967 (top image). She is seated in the bottom row, second from the right
Front and interior cover of a book commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Greek Community of Oshawa and District
Letter to Georghia's husband from Ivan B. Grose included in the book
Message from Georghia's husband included in the book
List of Presidents of the Greek Community of Oshawa and District (1971 - 2001)
Letter from the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Greek Community of Oshawa and District
No items found.
Book about Mitsero, including a picture of Makarios' visit to the village
Georghia's grandparents in the book about Mitsero
Calendar from Mitsero that includes Georghia's class photo from 1965 (top image). She is seated in the bottom row, fifth from the left
Calendar from Mitsero that includes two photos of Georghia from 1967. In the top image, she is second from the left and in the bottom image, she is in the first row, second from the right
Calendar from Mitsero that includes Georghia's class photo from 1967 (top image). She is seated in the bottom row, second from the right
Front and interior cover of a book commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Greek Community of Oshawa and District
Letter to Georghia's husband from Ivan B. Grose included in the book
Message from Georghia's husband included in the book
List of Presidents of the Greek Community of Oshawa and District (1971 - 2001)
Letter from the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Greek Community of Oshawa and District
No items found.
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