102nd Anniversary of the Pontian Genocide

Statement by Nick Mantas, Councillor, Ward 22

Today, I commemorate with members of the Pontian community, the 102nd Anniversary of the Pontian Genocide.

We pause to remember the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire – the deaths of three hundred and fifty three thousand Greeks between 1914 and 1922.  We also remember the 1.25 million individuals who were forced from their homes.

During and in the aftermath of World War 1, the Pontian Greek population of the Ottoman Empire faced persecution, massacre, expulsion and death marches from the historic region of Pontus, the southeastern Black Sea province of the Ottoman Empire, by the Young Turk administration.

In 2016, Toronto City Council passed a Motion to recognize the Pontian Genocide, and to honour the memory of the men, women and children who have died as a result.

Today, we remember the victims and express solidarity with the survivors and their descendants.  It is a day to solemnly acknowledge the atrocities of the past to be able to work toward a better future for all mankind.