Local students take part in walk through Greektown on the Danforth as part of Hellenic History Month

By JOSHUA McGINNIS

Gordon A. Brown Middle School students and faculty members participated in a history walk along the Danforth last week to learn about the community’s strong ties to the Greek community.

The Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF) organized the Thursday, March 20, field trip in partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the school to teach students about the history of Greektown and Toronto.

Sandra Gionas, chair of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation’s (HHF) history committee, believes students should be informed about the long history of the Greek community in Toronto.

“It is Hellenic History Month. With this tour, we can show these students how neighbourhoods like the Danforth have changed and evolved from a Greek-focused community with many Greek-owned businesses and restaurants to the diverse community it is now,” said Gionas.

“We are taking these kids on a trip down memory lane, from Greektown in its heyday to what it has become now, and we can discuss how communities grow and change over time.”

According to the Greektown on the Danforth Business Improvement Area (BIA), in the 1970s and early 1980s, the area was considered the largest Greektown in North America and had one of the highest concentrations of Hellenic immigrants living outside of Greece.

“The Greek community is no different from any other community. Like everyone else, we moved to different suburbs within the GTA, but Greektown is still a place for community events, such as the two annual Greek parades,” added Gionas.

The historical walk started at the northwest corner of Broadview and Danforth avenues and led students east along the Danforth and into Greektown. The walk highlighted key spots in the area, including long-standing local businesses and significant historical sites.

The HHF provides students and other attendees with audible headsets for a guided tour. They discuss one of the 12 different tour spots at each stop for a few minutes.

For Gordon A. Brown Middle School students, the 90-minute tour sparked curiosity and engagement, with students asking many questions.

Anna Epitropou, the school’s principal and co-chair of the TDSB Greek Heritage Month Committee, grew up in the area and saw this as an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about their community.

“What’s important is for the kids to connect with identity and heritage, whether they are Greek or from somewhere else. It teaches them the idea of heritage and the importance of community, and it also shows the students how Greektown came to be,” said Epitropou.

“For everyone, it is important to know how our city was built from several different cultures and heritages. Greektown is not just Greektown anymore. This walk can show students how previous generations brought their skills into this area. The kids can connect and think, ‘Hey, my grandma and grandpa came here—what did they bring to the city?’”

Along with the Gordon A. Brown contingent, students from other local schools and Toronto-Danforth TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhardt also took part in the March 20 walking tour.

The tour is offered to all schools in the TDSB and anyone interested in learning more about Greek history in Toronto. The HHF also supports many initiatives across the city that focus on Greek history in Canada.

To learn more about the tours and the HHF, visit the website at https://hhf.ca/