Katerina Margaritis (née Gerou)
Interviewer(s):
Alexandros Balasis
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Toronto, ON
LANGUAGE:
Greek
DATE:
March 1, 2025

Interview Summary:

Katerina Margaritis (née Gerou) was born in 1940 and grew upin Lesvos. Due to her father's scholarship, Theofastos Gerou, she visited Edinburgh to study in high school and later studied in Athens before moving to Canada during the Dictatorship. She pursued further education at Teachers College in Toronto and worked as a high school teacher in St. Thomas, Ontario. She later taught ESL and Greek at community schools in Toronto. Margaritis describes her experience as a teacher and reflects on her memories of her students.

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Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
March 1, 2025
Toronto, ON
Interviewee(s)
Katerina Margaritis (née Gerou)
Interviewer(s)
Alexandros Balasis
Languages
Greek
Reference ID
GICREF114
Project
Greek Canadian Stories
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Categories
Associational Life
Canadian Society
Education
Historical Events
Migration
Tags
English Learning
Greek Civil War
Greek Community of Toronto Inc.
Greek School
Post-WW2 Migration
WW2
Decades Referenced
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
Locations Referenced
Didimoticho, Agiasos, Petra, Mytilene, Lesvos, Edinburgh, Athens, Toronto, St. Thomas ON,
Occupation(s)
Teacher
Parents Occupation(s)
Teachers
Names Referenced
Theofrastos Gerou (father, educator), Eusebia Kourktsi (mother, teacher)

[00:00:40]Memories from WWII and the Civil War in Lesvos

[00:04:50]High school and studying for a year in Edinburgh

[00:09:23]Studying in Athens and the 1960s political crisis

[00:14:07]Working part-time and deciding to emigrate

[00:17:11]Studying at Teachers College in Toronto

[00:19:40]Working as a high school teacher in St. Thomas

[00:22:40]Her parents’ life in Toronto and N. America

[00:25:49]Teaching ESL and in Greek schools

[00:39:44]Community schools and her father’s involvement

[00:44:12]Greek education provided by the Church

[00:46:05]Underestimating the importance of elementary school

[00:50:27]Lack of structure in Greek education in Toronto

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Katerina with her father Theofrastos Gerou
Greek Language Program, Dewson Public School, 65 Concord Ave, Toronto. In the photo: Katina Margaritis.
Children received daily lessons in Greek language, mythology, and dance as part of a pilot program (1968–early 1970s)—the first in Toronto to integrate a migrant language into the public school system.
No items found.
Katerina with her father Theofrastos Gerou
Greek Language Program, Dewson Public School, 65 Concord Ave, Toronto. In the photo: Katina Margaritis.
Children received daily lessons in Greek language, mythology, and dance as part of a pilot program (1968–early 1970s)—the first in Toronto to integrate a migrant language into the public school system.
No items found.
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