HHF Greek Canadian Archives at York University Marks Milestones

The HHF Greek Canadian Archives at York University (HHF GCA) is proud to announce a series of significant milestones in its ongoing mission to preserve and promote the rich history of Greek Canada:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABw9ifkaNtE

Thanks to the commitment of our donors, partners, and community, our physical collection has seen remarkable growth over the past year. Hundreds of donated Greek books have been catalogued into the Hellenic Heritage and Michael Vitopoulos Collections within Omni, York libraries’ search tool. Our new archivist, Maria Paraschos, has completed the arrangement and description of the George Papadatos fonds. This collection offers critical insight into the history of Toronto’s Greek community from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Finally, we have begun processing a donation from John Sotos, which features materials describing the activities of several Greek Canadian and Canadian ethnocultural organizations active from the 1980s to the present. The accessioning of these materials by our partners in the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections ensures that these memories and artifacts remain safeguarded for future generations.

In response to the increasing need for accessibility, the HHF GCA has amplified its digitization efforts. We have digitized dozens of recordings by Dr. George Thaniel, the chair of the University of Toronto’s Modern Greek Program from 1971 to 1991. These cassettes contain discussions, lectures, and performances from prominent twentieth-century Greek voices. They cover a range of topics from poetry to prose and theatre. We are digitizing a significant photo collection created by Dimitrios Mantalas at his Danforth Avenue photo studio and a loan of photographs and textual records from former Member of Parliament John Cannis, documenting his early life and political career. In the coming year, we will begin digitizing footage from over 1000 u-matic videocassettes filmed by Basil Avramis documenting decades of community events in Toronto and a collection of mini DV tapes and DVDs of community events and interviews donated by Trifon Haitas. These initiatives will make more of our rich historical resources available to a global audience of students and researchers.

Most notably, we are thrilled to unveil the HHF GCA digital portal. This platform provides access to a treasure trove of oral history interviews from three research projects: “Greeks in Canada: A Digital Public History,” “Childhood Narratives of Greek Canadians from the 1940s,” and “Film as Mediator: Cultivating a Cypriot Canadian Community Audiovisual Media Archive.” In the coming years, we will add to our repository of interviews, complementing them with digitized records, photographs, newspapers, and recordings, making it easier than ever to research Greek Canadian history.

With the help of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, York University, and our donors, we are rewriting the narrative of Greek Canadian history. We are telling more nuanced stories of our shared past, highlighting our triumphs, blemishes, and contradictions. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X for updates on our activities.

To donate materials or to explore our archive firsthand, please contact:

Vasilis (Bill) Molos
Director and Research Lead
HHF Greek Canadian Archives at York University
vmolos@yorku.ca

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