Koula Lakas (Interview 2)
Interviewer(s):
Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas
Angelo Laskaris
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Stoufville, ON
LANGUAGE:
English
DATE:
October 2, 2023

Interview Summary:

Koula Leousis Lakas, born in 1926, grew up on the Danforth in Toronto, where her father, who migrated to Canada in 1912, ran multiple food services related businesses, among them Crown Tea Room. She describes her childhood, including Greek school, church activities, and community celebrations like the 25th of March at Century Theatre. During the Second World War, she was active in fundraising efforts and worked in government and insurance sectors. She was deeply involved in organizations such as AHEPA and Philoptochos.

Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
October 2, 2023
Stoufville, ON
Interviewee(s)
Koula Lakas (Interview 2)
Interviewer(s)
Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas
Angelo Laskaris
Languages
English
Reference ID
GICREF001B
Project
Greek Canadian Stories
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Categories
Associational Life
Canadian Society
Culture and Tradition
Working Life
Rites
Tags
AHEPA
Gender
GOYA
Marriage
Restaurant Work
Decades Referenced
1940s
1960s
1970s
Locations Referenced
Toronto, Danforth, London, Greece, Oshawa
Occupation(s)
Accountant
Parents Occupation(s)
Confectioner (father)
Names Referenced
George Kefaleas (cousin), Teresa Stratas

[00:00:21] Involvement with AHEPA

[00:04:00] The Danforth and her mother’s house

[00:11:11] Her relative’s migration story and her cousins

[00:16:55] Listening to the radio at home

[00:18:41] Spending time with her father during his days off

[00:21:20] Greek food, Christmas and describing her house

[00:26:10] Correspondence with relatives in Greece

[00:29:00] Working as a waitress in her dad’s shop

[00:32:10] Her trip to London and Greece in 1974

[00:36:00] Stories from the customers at her dad’s shop

[00:38:00] Wedding gifts in the 1940s and her wedding buffet

[00:41:12] Greeks outside Toronto

[00:43:48] Describing her wedding

[00:50:00] AHEPA's first debutante ball in Canada in 1964

[00:52:08] Beauty pageants in Toronto

[00:53:58] Dancing classes in Greek schools

[00:54:32] Teresa Stratas’ story

[00:59:02] Moving to Oshawa

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