SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — War of Greek Independence
March 25, 2026
Honourable senators, I rise today, as I do each year, to mark the anniversary of the War of Greek Independence, a moment that forms the bedrock of the modern Greek state and the heartbeat of the tens of thousands of Canadian Hellenes who call this country home.
It has been 205 years since Greek rebels gathered in Areopoli, on the rugged cliffs of the Mani Peninsula, to formally declare war. Together they raised the revolutionary flag and swore an oath: “Liberty or death.” As Hellenes, that defiance is our heritage. Our ancestors stood on that day, ready to shake off 400 years of being under the boot of Ottoman subjection and defend their Greek Orthodox way of life to the death. They were outnumbered and outarmed, but not outfought.
The struggle that followed, from the Peloponnese to the waters of Navarino, birthed the modern Greek state, which stands today as the phoenix of the ancient Hellenic world and a foundation of our modern Western civilization and democratic values. That is the Greece my parents grew up in, a nation forged in sacrifice, facing the monumental task of rebuilding from the wreckage of a brutal empire.
When they eventually made their way to Quebec, Canada, they brought with them that iron spirit, a tireless work ethic, a fierce devotion to family, a deep faith in Orthodox Christianity and a bone-deep belief in the democratic ideals reborn in 1821.
Central to those is the ancient Greek virtue of filotimo, a word almost impossible to translate, yet every Hellene feels it deep in their soul. It is more than “love of honour;” it is the complex sense of duty to one’s family and community, the innate desire to do what is right and the selfless hospitality that defines our people.
Today, those values are woven into the fabric of Canada through its wide-reaching Hellenic community. We come from a people who refused to be defeated. We celebrate more than a date on a calendar; we celebrate the enduring character of a people who, for generations, have chosen to live free and live with filotimo.
Zito h Hellas. Zito h Eleftheria. Long live freedom.
