Greektown (Vancouver)
Encyclopedia
Greektown in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
is an area in the Kitsilano
neighborhood that was historically an enclave of Greek immigrants and their descendants. The term is an informal one, and Greektown's borders were never strictly defined. However, West Broadway
at Trutch Street is generally considered the neighbourhood's heart. Residents of Vancouver's west side also refer to Greektown as "Greek West Broadway." Vancouverites of Greek descent, who live in Kitsilano, nostalgically also call the area Ουέστ Μπροντουέι (literally "West Broadway").
This Greek identity has waned considerably since the area first became a community of exiles during the dictatorship in Greece of the 1960s and early 1970s, and the primary markers of Greektown are St. George's Greek Orthodox Church at 31st Avenue and Arbutus, the local Athens Social Club, a Greek supermarket, and a higher-than-average concentration of Greek restaurants. St. George's Greek Orthodox Church has been noted for its beautiful, traditional Byzantine Iconography
. St. George's Hellenic Community of Vancouver (attached to the church with the same patron saint), has a long standing tradition of holding every year a Greek Food Festival from October 20 to October 22.
The Hellenic Cultural Festival takes place every June in Kitsilano. The highlight is Greek Day, when Broadway is closed to vehicle traffic between MacDonald and Blenheim for free, family-oriented festivities. The festival is part of an ongoing effort to restore the Greek identity of Greektown.
, Greek refugees from Europe and western Canada congregated in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. They founded the aforementioned Greek Orthodox church, several businesses and social clubs, schools, a bank, newspapers, and, later, a television station.
In the 1971 Canada census, Greek was the second-most common language and ethnicity in the Kitsilano area (most common was English and the British Isles, respectively). In 1974, the city of Vancouver sanctioned an annual Greek Day celebration in the area.
During the 1980s a combination of cultural assimilation
, an influx of baby boomers, rising property prices, and Asian immigration began to significantly erode the Greek influence on the area. During this time, many Greek businesses moved or closed, and the television station went off the air. Greek Day was canceled in 1988. Many of the Greeks migrated to other parts of the greater Vancouver area or even returned to Greece. Also, many Greeks who moved to Vancouver during that time period had neither connection to nor immediate knowledge of Greektown.
In the 2001 Canada census, the percentage of people in Kitsilano reporting Greek as their mother tongue had shrunk to 2 percent, fewer than those speaking English, Chinese, French, or German.
In 2005 the City of Vancouver, the Government of British Columbia
, and the Government of Greece
sponsored a return of Greek Day that has continued annually since.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is an area in the Kitsilano
Kitsilano
Kitsilano is an upmarket neighbourhood on the West Side of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Known colloquially as "Kits", this neighborhood is home to many yuppies, young families and students as well as yoga studios, organic markets, cafes and Vancouver's Greektown. The primary...
neighborhood that was historically an enclave of Greek immigrants and their descendants. The term is an informal one, and Greektown's borders were never strictly defined. However, West Broadway
Broadway (Vancouver)
Broadway is a major east-west thoroughfare in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Vancouver's numbered avenue grid system, it runs in place of a 9th Avenue, between 8th and 10th. The street has four lanes for most of its course...
at Trutch Street is generally considered the neighbourhood's heart. Residents of Vancouver's west side also refer to Greektown as "Greek West Broadway." Vancouverites of Greek descent, who live in Kitsilano, nostalgically also call the area Ουέστ Μπροντουέι (literally "West Broadway").
This Greek identity has waned considerably since the area first became a community of exiles during the dictatorship in Greece of the 1960s and early 1970s, and the primary markers of Greektown are St. George's Greek Orthodox Church at 31st Avenue and Arbutus, the local Athens Social Club, a Greek supermarket, and a higher-than-average concentration of Greek restaurants. St. George's Greek Orthodox Church has been noted for its beautiful, traditional Byzantine Iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
. St. George's Hellenic Community of Vancouver (attached to the church with the same patron saint), has a long standing tradition of holding every year a Greek Food Festival from October 20 to October 22.
The Hellenic Cultural Festival takes place every June in Kitsilano. The highlight is Greek Day, when Broadway is closed to vehicle traffic between MacDonald and Blenheim for free, family-oriented festivities. The festival is part of an ongoing effort to restore the Greek identity of Greektown.
History
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Greek refugees from Europe and western Canada congregated in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. They founded the aforementioned Greek Orthodox church, several businesses and social clubs, schools, a bank, newspapers, and, later, a television station.
In the 1971 Canada census, Greek was the second-most common language and ethnicity in the Kitsilano area (most common was English and the British Isles, respectively). In 1974, the city of Vancouver sanctioned an annual Greek Day celebration in the area.
During the 1980s a combination of cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
, an influx of baby boomers, rising property prices, and Asian immigration began to significantly erode the Greek influence on the area. During this time, many Greek businesses moved or closed, and the television station went off the air. Greek Day was canceled in 1988. Many of the Greeks migrated to other parts of the greater Vancouver area or even returned to Greece. Also, many Greeks who moved to Vancouver during that time period had neither connection to nor immediate knowledge of Greektown.
In the 2001 Canada census, the percentage of people in Kitsilano reporting Greek as their mother tongue had shrunk to 2 percent, fewer than those speaking English, Chinese, French, or German.
In 2005 the City of Vancouver, the Government of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and the Government of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
sponsored a return of Greek Day that has continued annually since.