Below are our interview audio files, hosted on archive.org, and accompanied by a link to the document(s) containing the interview’s timed summary. You can find the complementary photos to these interviews here.
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Our Community Remembers the 1974 Turkish Invasion of Cyprus (July 20, 2018)
Today marks the anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, an event which had tragic effects on the Greek community within Cyprus.To remember this day, and to show how the invasion had effects on members within our own Greek community in Kingston, we are presenting a clip from an interview with the Cypriot Andreas Frantzeskos. Here, he speaks about needing to leave Cyprus to come to Canada following the invasion.
Afro Ioannidis
The interview is in Greek. Afro (Afroditi) is a Pontian Greek (or Pontic Greek) who was born in Nea Kerasounta of Preveza prefecture in Greece. Her grandparents and her father came to Greece in 1922 as refugees from the south shores of the Black Sea, the area of the Pontian Greeks. She came to Montreal in 1964, as a domestic worker – a program organized between the Greek and Canadian governments in order to send young Greek women abroad. In 1971 she moved to Kingston with her husband and her two children. Her immigration story is unique, as she was the one who brought her husband over to Canada through her work status. This is contrary to most immigration stories, in which a husband brings his family over. In this interview, Afro describes her immigration experiences, her experiences in Kingston, and her family. There are two parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button on the audio below to hear the other part.
Interview Summary: Ioannidis, Afro Part A • Ioannidis, Afro Part B
Andreas Frantzeskos
Andreas Frantzeskos, married to Cleo Frantzeskos, is a Greek Cypriot who came to Canada after Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974. They lived in Saskatchewan for years and then moved to Kingston in 1994. Andreas grew up in the village of Boghazi in Cyprus, before moving to England to pursue studies in electrical engineering. Before moving back to Cyprus, he worked in Nigeria. The Turkish invasion occurred while Andreas and Cleo were living in Ammohostos, Cyrpus. “My wife was ready to give birth at that time. We left early in the morning when we heard bombs, taking nothing with us,” he says. He and Cleo stayed in Southern Cyprus for two years, before Cleo’s brother sponsored them to come to Saskatchewan. In his interview, Andreas describes the shock that arriving to Canada was. He and Cleo had three children, all of whom ended up studying in Kingston, and so they moved here. He describes the support the Greek community gave them during this time.
Interview Summary: Frantzeskos, Andreas
Cleo Frantzeskos
Cleo Frantzeskos, married to Andreas Frantzeskos, is a Greek Cypriot who came to Canada after Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974. They lived in Saskatchewan for years and then moved to Kingston in 1994. She was born in the city of Ammohostos, in Cyprus. Before the Turkish invasion, Cleo had studied in universities in both Rome and Athens, and had been working. Cleo and Andreas got married in Ammohostos in 1971. The pain of the Turkish Invasion still hurts. They visit Cyprus yet they cannot go back to their city and their house, which Cleo describes as a big wound. When Cleo came to Canada, she lived with Andreas and their family in Saskatchewan. The change was a big shock. Her passion for preserving the Greek language and culture pushed Cleo to establish a Greek school in Saskatchewan. In Kingston, Cleo was a Greek school teacher for ten years, having a huge impact on the youth of our community.
Interview Summary: Frantseskos, Cleo
Catherine Penney
Catherine Penny is the wife of Father Matthew Penny who is currently (as of August 2018) the priest of the Greek community of Kingston. In Greek she is referred to as the “Presvytera”, or the wife of the Priest. Catherine and her husband came to Kingston in in 2014. Catherine and Fr. Matthew were not born into the Greek Orthodox faith. Instead, they converted to Orthodoxy after University. They studied in Thessaloniki, and both speak fluent Greek. While Father Matthew finishes his PhD, Catherine is working on her Master’s degree in Social Work. She wants to do social work so she can help people in a practical way. In this interview, she describes her journey in discovering Orthodoxy, her role as Presvytera, and her inspirational beliefs and experiences. Catherine wants “to be someone who people are comfortable around. I want to be someone who helps others, and someone who is open and who people can speak to.” She also helps our chanters in Church.
Interview Summary: Penney, Catherine Greek and English Summary
Fr. Chrysostomos Achilleos
Fr. Chrysostomos is a beloved former priest for our Greek Community, and is currently a priest in Sarnia. Kingston’s Greek Community has a special place in his heart because it is here that he had his first parish as an ordained priest. In this interview, we speak about the Orthodox Religion, the role of the Priest, the role of the church in the Greek community, and much more. We also speak about Fr. Achilleos’s family: his wife Presvytera Dina, and his children Maria, Joanna, Nektaria, and Theognostos.
Interview Summary: Fr Achilleos Interview Summary
Fil Menikefs
Fil came to Canada in 1951, following his brother Leukos who came to Kingston for studies at Queen’s University. Instead of attending university, Fil began working in construction at a time when very few Greeks were in that industry. He eventually bought a dairy bar from Manos Tryfonopolous and ran it for 20 years. He married Maria in 1966 after he met her on a trip to Cyprus, and asked her to follow him to Canada. In his interview, Fil speaks about his marriage and his children. He witnessed the growth of the Greek community, and the establishment of the Greek church, so he speaks about what the early years of Kingston’s Greek Community were like. Both Fil and Maria were heavily involved in the Church Council. There are four parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button on the audio below to hear the other parts.
Interview Summary: Menikefs, Fil Part A • Menikefs, Fil Part B • Menikefs, Fil Part C • Menikefs, Fil Part D
George Katinas
George Katinas is the Project Lead of the Kingston Greek History Project. In this interview, he discusses his immigration to Canada, his experience in Kingston’s Greek community, his interest in being involved in this project, and much more. Although George was born in Canada, he has no memory of it: he immigrated to Canada after high school, a decision that was in part made because he had heard about his family’s memories of Canada. He also had a support network here. When George first immigrated to Kingston, he “craved all things Greek”, but he pushed himself to form connections outside of the Greek community. This is in contrast to most immigration stories, since most connections for Greek immigrants are made through the Greek community. George describes his culture shock in immigrating to Kingston, including his initial reaction that there was no “philotimo” – an essential part of Greek culture. George eventually married a non-Greek, and tries to preserve the Greek culture and language through his daughter. George is passionate about the Greek history project: he loves the ‘democratization of history’ – to record the histories of everyday people whose stories may be omitted from the usual history we hear about. There are two parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button below to hear part two.
Interview Summary: George Katinas Interview Summary
Glykeria Martou
The interview is in Greek. Dr. Glykeria (or Glyka) Martou was born in Kavala, Greece, and moved to Canada in 1994 with plans to become a medical doctor. She studied at University of Waterloo and University of Toronto. She became a Canadian citizen in 2009. When she arrived to Kingston’s Greek community, she found it amazing to see how Greeks kept all their traditions while being in Canada. Glykeria is a successful plastic surgeon who leads a team for breast reconstruction surgery for breast cancer patients here in Kingston. She has been recently featured in the newspaper for her incredible work. She and her husband, Dr. Tasos Papalazarou, have two sons named Yiorgos and Pavlos. There are three parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button on the audio below to hear the other parts.
Interview Summary: Martou, G Part A • Martou, G Part B • Martou, G Part C
John Karkoulis
This interview is in Greek. John Karkoulis was born at Thana, Tripoli in the prefecture of Arcadia in Greece. He came to Kingston in 1953 to join his older brother George and his younger brother Pete who were already living in Kingston. The three brothers, before buying the LaSalle Motel in 1969 (now known as the Travelodge Motel), owned a restaurant at Princess and Division called the “Lunch Bar”, or often called “the GJP” (for George, John, and Peter). Today, they still own the Travelodge Hotel, home to the acclaimed Cavelier Dining Room. John was involved with the establishment of the Greek Community’s Church in the early 1960s. He was present, and heavily involved, in the meeting that was held to organize an official Greek Community in Kingston, involving the Archbishop Athinagoras in the 1960s. He worked hard towards the purchasing and renovating of the Greek Orthodox Church on 121 Johnson Street; he purchased and brought over Church materials to Kingston from Athens. In 1963, John traveled back to Greece where he met and married his wife, Maria. They have three children, all of whom completed university, and two grandchildren. In his interview, John also speaks about his experience immigrating to Kingston with his brothers, his experience establishing successful businesses, and more.
Interview Summary: Karkoulis, John
The following biography was written by John’s daughter, Gina Karkoulis: John Karkoulis Biography
Manos Tryfonopoulos
Manos immigrated to Kingston in 1954 with his late first wife, with whom he has two children. He describes his experiences in these early days of the Greek community, when the community was divided between those who went to Ottawa for church and those who went to Watertown. As the son of a priest, church was always an important part of Manos’s life, and so he quickly became involved in the religious life of the community. Eventually, he became involved in community council as well and made efforts to bridge the gap between these two divisions of the community through organizing youth activities. He started the Greek men’s soccer team for kingston (circa 1970) and was its first manager and coach. Manos is a long-time chanter in our church: there is not a single Sunday you will not find him up at the front of the church, singing hymns from memory. If you see our recorded church service in the Video Archives, you can clearly hear his voice. Manos has worked very hard to make his way in Kingston, owning a shoe repair shop at one point where he met Shirley, who he is married to today. As a very active member of our Greek community, Manos’s interview provides invaluable insight into its history.
The following document was written by Manos’s daughter, and it outlines a summary of his life story and his involvement with the Greek community: Manos biography
Margaret Zakos and Peggy Geracimo
The interview is in English. Peggy Geracimo and Margaret Zakos are two of the granddaughters of James Zakos. James Zakos (Dimitrios Zekios) came to Kingston in 1914 and together with his family owned several businesses. The Zakos family was an important and well-known family from the first wave of Greek immigration to Kingston (pre-WW2 immigration wave). Peggy’s father was Chris Zakos and Margaret’s father was Thomas Zakos. According to the wishes of the two narrators the interview was not about their own personal lives but about the family as a whole. There are three parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button below to hear the other parts.
Interview Summary: Geracimo, Peggy and Zakos, Margaret Part A • Geracimo, Peggy and Zakos, Margaret Part B • Geracimo, Peggy and Zakos, Margaret Part C
Maria Karis Brousalis
The interview is in English. Maria is the daughter of Frank Karis who together with his uncle Peter Karis were one of earliest Greek families to settle in Kingston during the early 1910s. Frank Karis married Anastasia Kontos who was born in Canada from Greek parents. The family was involved in the confection and ice cream making business. Maria married Ted Brusalis, a Greek immigrant who owned and ran restaurants in Kingston. In this interview, Maria speaks about the growth of the early Greek community in Kingston, including the purchase of the church. Her family, as early and experience Greek immigrants, helped those who were newly arriving to Kingston. They opened their doors to newly arrived Greek people, giving them a place to stay, helping them find jobs, and looking after them. Some other members in the community helped too. Would take them to doctors, if they didn’t understand English. “A lot of people passed through our house,” Maria said. Maria provides important information about the Karis family in her interview, and she also speaks about her own children and their experience growing up in the Greek Community.
Interview Summary: Brousalis, Maria Karis
Maria Triada Karkoulis
Maria Triada was born and raised in Tripoli, Arcadia, Greece in 1942. She graduated from high school in 1961 and married her current husband, Peter Karkoulis. The Karkoulis family immigrated to Canada in 1962, and Maria Triada joined them. In her interview, Maria Triada speaks about her strong academic (and athletic) abilities and her dreams to study in University, how she met her husband, her experience immigrating to Canada, how she saw the Greek church become established, and much more. Maria Triada was one of the first Greek School teachers in our community, as well as one of the first Sunday School teachers. She has been very active in our community, from being in Philoptohos to being a chanter in our church. There are two parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button below to hear the other part.
Interview Summary: Karkoulis, Maria Part A • Karkoulis, Maria Part B
Mike Kanellos
The interview is in Greek. Mike was born in 1928 at Hiliomodi of Corinth Greece. He came to Kingston in the early 50s to join his brother Theodoros, after fighting in World War II and Greece’s civil war. Within this interview, he speaks about his years in both wars. After World War II Canada allowed everyone that served as soldier in Europe to come to Canada freely, and so Mike came to Kingston. Initially he worked at the Davis Tannery for 11 years, and afterwards worked for Queens University as a janitor for 25 years. At the same time he owned a cleaning business with his wife and made several investments in real estate. In his interview, he also speaks about his family, and meeting his wife. Unfortunately, Mike passed away on October 3, 2018, shortly after his interview was recorded. We hope his story may be remembered.
Interview Summary: Kanellos, Mike
Olga Xenodochidou
After completing her Master’s degree and after teaching in Thessaloniki, Olga moved to the United States. Once she met her husband, Aris, he received a job offer at Queen’s University and so they moved to Kingston together. Olga describes her difficulties leaving her family to move to Canada permanently, and her difficulties adjusting to life in Kingston. Olga began working at Queens too, and eventually became a Greek School teacher in the Greek community in Kingston for 7 years. As Olga describes, (translated) “it happened once a week, every Saturday from 9-3. It was fantastic. She better organized the school, initiated traditional Greek dance lessons and introduced more Greek culture and language to students. She found that she had introduced many things to the children, such as the 10 Greek dances they learned perfectly.” In her interview, Olga also describes the birth of her son, George, and her passion for preserving the Greek language and culture for her son.
Interview Summary: Xenodoxidou, Olga
Pandelis Bettas
Pandelis was born in Hiliomodi, Corinth. In the 1960s, Anastasios (his older brother) moved to Canada, followed by George and Peter. Later they brought their sister Georgia. Finally their parents, along with their sister, Ypapanti, immigrated to Canada. Peter worked for the restaurant owned by the Karis family (Superior Restaurant) when he first arrived in Kingston. He worked several other jobs before finally opening his own business, the “Olympian Billiards and Restaurant Take-out”. He worked there for 43 years and then he retired. Pandelis’s restaurant was popular in the Greek community, and he worked long hours to make his business successful. In the interview, Pandelis also speaks about meeting his wife “through a photo”, and he speaks about his children.
Interview Summary: Bettas, P Part A • Bettas, P Part B
Voula Bettas
The interview is in Greek and took place after the interview of her husband Pandelis Betas. Voula was born at Halki of the Corinth prefecture in Greece. She came to Canada in 1965 to marry Pandelis, who she met through an arranged marriage. Voula was 19 years old when she arrived in Canada. She has three children and worked for 26 years at the hospital. While her children were growing up, she was very passionate about up-keeping their Greek language and heritage, and brought them to Greek School and Sunday School every week. There are two parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button on the audio below to hear the other part.
Interview Summary: Voula Bettas Interview Summary
Paula Antonakos
Paula Antonakos-Boswell is an extremely active member of the Greek community in Kingston – from being a Sunday School and a former Greek School teacher to being heavily involved in the church council. Paula is also the Community Lead of the Kingston Greek History Project. Paula’s parents, Angelo and Bessie, immigrated to Canada in the 1960s, opening up successful businesses in Eastern Ontario. Paula moved to Kingston for University in the 1980s, and quickly encountered Kingston’s Greek community. In her interview, she speaks about growing up Greek, about her involvement in the Greek community, about marrying someone who wasn’t Greek, and much more. She lives in Kingston with her husband, Rick Boswell, and her two daughters, Angeline and Alexandra.
Interview Summary: Antonakos, Paula
Peter Fountas
The interview is in English. Peter, his mother and his brother came to Kingston in 1965. Peter’s father had been to Canada before on his own. Peter lived for some time in Toronto. He and his family owned and ran restaurants, including the Ms. Kingston Delicatessen. Peter was a president of the Greek community for some time. In 1965, when he arrived to Kingston, the church had just been established. Peter was part of the choir and was a chanter until the ’70s. In his interview, he describes his active involvement in the Greek community, watching the Greek community grow, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his time in politics. There are five parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button on the audio below to hear the other parts.
Interview Summary: Fountas, Peter Part A • Fountas, Peter Part B • Fountas, Peter Part C • Fountas, Peter Part D • Fountas, Peter Part E
Spiro Sakell
This interview is in English. Spiro is the son of Andrew and Crysanthy Sakell, some of the first Greek immigrants to Kingston who immigrated in the 1910s. In his interview, he speaks about his family and the successful businesses they owned here. After working in the family business, Spiro decided to pursue pharmaceutical studies and became a pharmacist. He is married to Maureen Sakell, and both are very active members of our community. Since Spiro has been in Kingston his entire life, he clearly remembers the Greek community in Kingston almost from its very beginning. Spiro gives us the unique perspective of someone who was in AHEPA – an important Hellenic organization in Kingston through much of the twentieth century – and someone who saw the community throughout all of its different phases. There are three parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button below to hear the other parts.
Interview Summary: Sakell, Spiro Part B • Sakell, Spiro Part C
Maureen Sakell
Maureen became part of the Greek Community in Kingston when she married Spiro Sakell, also a narrator included in the project. In this interview, she speaks about her extensive involvement in the community – especially her involvement with Folklore, an important annual cultural event in Kingston from the 1970s to 1990s. Maureen was also part of the Daughters of Penelope, the female auxiliary group to AHEPA, and so she provides insight on what it was like to be part of what was once a central Hellenic organizational body in Kingston. Maureen also speaks about what it was like to marry into a Greek family, and how she and Spiro keep up the Greek cultural traditions for their children and grandchildren. There are three parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button below to hear the other parts.
Interview Summary: Maureen Sakell Interview Summary
Toula Leos
The interview is in Greek, Toula’s daughter (Marina Leos) was also present. Toula was born in 1930 at Stadio, Arcadia Greece. She came to Canada in 1953. In 1963 she married Louis Leos, and their wedding was the last Greek wedding hosted in St. George’s Cathedral before the Greek Church was bought in 1964. Both Toula and Louis were extremely active in the Greek Community throughout their lives. Together they owned businesses, such as the GJP Restaurant on Princess Street. In her interview, Toula speaks about her experience immigrating from Greece to Kingston, her experience being involved in the Greek Community from its beginning within the current church, and much more. Toula is still a very active member of the community in Philoptohos. She and Louis (who unfortunately passed away) have two daughters, Niki and Marina. There are two parts to this interview. Please press the ‘next’ arrow button on the audio below to hear the other part.
Interview Summary: Leos, Toula
Voula Stathopoulos
This interview is in English. Voula was born into the Anagnostopoulos family who immigrated to Canada in the 1940s. In her interview, she speaks about the difficulties of immigrating to Canada as a child, with learning a new language and becoming accustomed to a new culture. She speaks a lot about her family life. Voula moved from Belleville to Kingston when she was 21, meeting her husband, Tom Stathopoulos, here. Together, they have been successful entrepreneurs in Kingston throughout the years. She has tried to teach her children important values, such as putting family before work. She also wanted her children to have an education because she never had one. Voula is currently the President of Philoptohos (2018), and an active member of the community. She has seen the community grow, arriving in Kingston before we even had a church of our own, and she worries now about the declining number of people who attend the church and other Greek cultural events. She speaks about what it means to be a Greek Canadian – to live with both cultures – and how incorporating and recognizing both cultures in our daily lives, especially among youth, is the best way to ensure the Greek community continues on.
Interview Summary: Stathopolous, Voula
Chris Nikas
Chris Nikas arrived to Canada at a very young age, and worked hard to become a successful entrepreneur, eventually owning four businesses in Kingston. He owned a coffee shop, two restaurants, and a variety store. In his interview, done in English, he describes his immigration journey and how he built his success up from nothing – coming to Kingston with only $20 in his pocket. He speaks about his family; he is married to Murva Nikas, a non-Greek who became very involved in the Greek community. He has two children, Jim and Toni, and one grandchild, Christina. Because Chris has been in Kingston since 1951, he has been a member of our Greek community for a long time. He speaks about his memories of the community both before and after the purchasing of our church. Chris also sponsored many people to immigrate to Canada from Greece and helped new immigrants significantly throughout his life, often helping them find employment opportunities and places to stay. Now, he speaks about enjoying his retirement surrounded by family. His wife, Murva, has assisted with this project as well through providing us with her own historical facts and memories as an extremely active member of the Greek Community since the 1960s.
Interview Summary: Chris Nikas Interview Summary
Father Matthew Penney
Fathew Matthew Penney was our community’s priest from 2017 – 2018 although he was involved in our community since 2014. He is married to Presvytera Catherine Penney. In this Video-style interview, he introduces Kingston’s Koimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church, as well as some introductory concepts and facts about Orthodoxy. He shows us the symbolic meaning of many of the aspects of an Orthodox Church, discusses the role of the Priest, and much more.
Kingston Greek History Project 