Koula Lakas (Interview 4)
Interviewer(s):
Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas
Angelo Laskaris
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Stouffville, ON
LANGUAGE:
English
DATE:
December 4, 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
December 4, 2023
Stouffville, ON
Interviewee(s)
Koula Lakas (Interview 4)
Interviewer(s)
Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas
Angelo Laskaris
Languages
English
Reference ID
GICREF001D
Project
Greek Canadian Stories
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Categories
Associational Life
Canadian Society
Culture and Tradition
Migration
Rites
Tags
Entrepreneurship
Gender
Greek Canadian Identity
Greek Community
Marriage
Pre-WW2 Migration
Decades Referenced
1910s
1930s
1940s
1960s
1970s
Locations Referenced
Toronto; Caledonia; Young (Toronto); Bloor (Toronto); Albany Street (Toronto); Devon Ice Cream; Parkdale (Toronto); Sea Breeze; Chicago; New York; Montreal; Coney Island; Empire State; Boca Raton (Florida); Kalamata; Niagara Falls; Olympia Billiard; Olympia Bowling Alley; Ghoul Street (Toronto); St.George Greek Orthodox Church; Danforth (Toronto); Forest Hill (Toronto); Mount Pleasant; Bo Peep Restaurant (Danforth); Famous Sweets Restaurant; Pape (Toronto)
Occupation(s)
Accountant
Parents Occupation(s)
Confectioner (father)
Names Referenced
George (Brother); Louis (Brother); Nick (Brother); Vasili (Uncle), Bazos family, Nick (husband), Bulucon family, Charlie Brown, Archbishop Iakovos

[00:00:23] Father’s migration to Canada in 1912

[00:03:21] Family photograph description

[00:05:47] What does being Greek mean to you?

[00:08:18] Involvement in Greek church

[00:09:03] Raising children in the Greek church

[00:11:17] Greeks who came in 1960s/1970s

[00:12:40] Family restaurant businesses

[00:15:40] Family financial struggles

[00:17:42] Bazos Family

[00:19:20] Memories through wedding photographs

[00:19:57] Early memories meeting husband and first dates

[00:23:16] Marriage and wedding

[00:24:06] Going to Chicago for cousins wedding

[00:25:20] Memories of her father and why he did not smile

[00:27:02] Differences between Greeks in American and Canada

[00:30:34] Relatives in New York and Chicago

[00:32:26] Trouble getting married

[00:38:05] Describing where other Greeks lived

[00:45:42] Greeks owning businesses on Young Street

[00:46:40] Financial differences and separation from husband

[00:49:10] Fathers businesses and living on the Danforth

[00:50:29] Describing the type of food sold at restaurants

[00:54:33] The Celebrating of Toronto Centennial Birthday 1934

[00:59:46] St.Georges Hellenic Young Ladies Association 1934

[01:03:22] 1952 Celebration of the Anniversary of October 28th

[01:04:48] Famous Sweets Restaurant

[01:05:32] Women and children working

[01:08:07] Greek school class at St.George

[01:09:57] Sending children to Greek camp

[01:12:07] Initiatives to help Greeks coming to Canada

[01:15.50] How the Danforth is changing today

[01:18:35] Travelling alone in her teens

[01:21:35] Differences between Toronto and New York

[01:23:18] Thoughts on the future of Greeks in Canada

[01:26:23] Differences between waves of migration

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