Maria Papademetriou

GICREF029

Participants
Maria Papademetriou
Intervieweer(s)
Effrosyni Rantou
Date and Location
May 29, 2023
Toronto, ON
Languages
Greek
Permalink
Project
Greeks in Canada: A Digital Public History
Reference ID
GICREF029
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Categories
Tags
Decades Referenced
Locations Referenced
Pella, Toronto, Thessaloniki, Serbia
Occupation(s)
Entrepreneur
Parents Occupation(s)

[00:00:17] A brief summary of her migration story

[00:02:04] Origin and memories from the 1940s

[00:06:14] Meeting her husband and marrying in 1957

[00:08:29] Her Vlachic identity and language

[00:12:00] Migrating to Canada in 1967; being sponsored

[00:14:54] Migration stories from Germany and Canada

[00:19:45] First impressions and occupations in Toronto

[00:24:04] Canada as a better option despite the difficulties

[00:25:46] Meeting Greeks in Pellas’ Association and church

[00:29:10] How Toronto transformed over the years

[00:29:25] Working in a Christmas tree factory & as a cleaner

[00:33:54] The Orthodox churches of Toronto

[00:36:55] The Hellenic Home for the Aged

[00:40:48] Travelling back to Greece every year

[00:43:42] Bloor Street and her husband’s hair salon

[00:48:24] Differences with her friends back in her village

[00:51:40] Greek identity in Toronto

[00:58:35] Working on a worm farm late at nights

[01:01:45] Toronto as a multicultural city

[01:02:43] Singing Vlachic and Greek traditional songs

[01:07:25] Memories from the German and Bulgarian occupation

[01:13:17] Changing accommodations until buying a house

[01:17:00] Importance of Greek church, associations, and radio

[01:18:22] Feeling foreign both in Canada and Greece

[01:21:44] Her husband hiding his Vlachic identity