Harry Pantoulias
Interviewer:
Angelo Laskaris
Project:
Childhood Narratives of Greek Canadians from the 1940s
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Oshawa-Whitby, ON
LANGUAGE:
English
DATE:
February 14, 2023

Interview Summary:

Harry Pantoulias was born in 1935 in the village of Agla Vista (now Perivoli) in Greece. He shared memories of growing up during the German and Italian occupation of Greece during the Second World War. In 1948, at age 12, Pantoulias and his family immigrated to Canada, settling in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He described the challenges of adjusting to the harsh Canadian winters and finding work, including shining shoes and working in restaurants and construction. He went on to become a high school teacher and was very active in the Greek community in Oshawa, Ontario, serving in various leadership roles.

Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
February 14, 2023
Oshawa-Whitby, ON
Participants
Harry Pantoulias
Intervieweer(s)
Angelo Laskaris
Languages
English
Reference ID
40sREF033
Project
Childhood Narratives of Greek Canadians from the 1940s
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Categories
Historical Events
Migration
Tags
Greek Civil War
Greek Community
Post-WW2 Migration
Decades Referenced
1940s
1950s
1960s
Locations Referenced
Aglavista Phocis (now Perivoli), Krokyleio, Lidoriki, Amfissa, Athens, Piraeus, Thunder Bay, Oshawa.
Occupation(s)
Teacher, Active President with the Greek Community of Oshawa
Parents Occupation(s)
Farmers, alderman of the village, Resteranteurs, entrepreneurs
Names Referenced

[00:01:39] Memories of Village Life, Second World War

[00:07:10] Describing his family and school during WW2

[00:12:54] Memories of war from 1940

[00:18:40] His father’s experience in Albania

[00:20:09] Memories of occupation and famine

[00:24:36] Anti-German groups and underground networks

[00:30:20] Father sponsoring others to come to Canada

[00:31:05] Bounty on father’s head in 1946 (anti-communist)

[00:32:34] Memories of Germans in the village

[00:34:40] Intro to civil war in Greece

[00:35:28] Ideological split in the village during Civil War

[00:40:45] Family reunited in Amfissa & Communist occupation

[00:44:17] Grandfather’s execution 1948

[00:48:13] Mother’s feelings about divided family ideologies

[00:49:09] Communists executions and Civil War in Athens

[00:52:52] Move to Canada: motives & journeys

[00:59:31] Initial language barriers and anglicizing names

[01:01:06] Memories of the train ride

[01:03:47] Thunder Bay and Greek Community

[01:06:13] Restaurants and entrepreneurship

[01:07:55] Attending School and working in Thunder Bay

[01:12:23] Greek church and rites in Thunder Bay

[01:14:13] Losing family members

[01:19:36] Phases of life and working

[01:23:47] Oshawa and involvement in Greek Community

[01:31:13] Describing the 1940s

[01:34:31] Village divisions and the Junta

[01:39:24] Memories of childhood games

[01:41:17] Nationalism in schools and childhood happiness

[01:44:27] American aid in 1945 (food and clothing)

[01:48:15] Memories of winter in Thunder Bay

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