Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-220, An Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month.

I want to thank Senator Housakos — a great Greek Canadian — who accepted to serve as a friendly critic. Thank you.

Senators will recall that I introduced Bill S-259 during the previous Parliament. The bill we have before us today is the exact same version.

My remarks today coincide with Oxi Day, an important public holiday in the Greek calendar. It was on October 28, 1940 — exactly 85 years ago today — that the prime minister of Greece denied the request from Italy’s Mussolini to allow Italian troops to cross the border into Greece. And we just heard the compelling statement from Senator Housakos today. Thank you for that.

It seems only fitting that I speak to Bill S-220 today, a day that is associated with the bravery, solidarity and heroism of Greeks during the Second World War.

Today, I will address four key points in my remarks. First, I will briefly speak of my connection with the Hellenic community. Second, I want to speak to how this bill came about. I will then provide a short summary of Canada’s Greek heritage. Finally, I will end my remarks by sharing with you some positive feedback I received from the Hellenic organizations and community leaders who support the passage of Bill S-220.

My speech today borrows quite heavily from the one I delivered at second reading on June 1, 2023. I invite you to review those remarks should you want a more comprehensive account of my views.

Many may wonder why an Italian Canadian is sponsoring a bill to honour Greek Canadians.

It is a good question. The answer is quite simple. In so many ways, I’ve been an honorary member of the community for decades. The Greek community in Montreal has more or less adopted me as one of their own.

In my former life, I had the honour to play an active role in supporting various community organizations and ethnic groups by sponsoring and chairing numerous events and fundraising activities. They were numerous. Montreal’s Hellenic community was certainly one of the communities I had a deep connection with. The prestigious École Socrates-Démosthène comes to mind.

Along with our colleague Senator Housakos, I am a patron of the Montreal chapter of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, also known as AHEPA.

I also serve as a distinguished patron of the Hellenic Ladies Benevolent Society, a non-profit organization that celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary last year. They help all those in need. Over the years, I am proud to say we’ve helped the community raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for many worthy causes that have benefited various groups and individuals of Hellenic descent. Earlier this month, I was once again honoured to take part in the Hellenic Ladies Benevolent Society’s annual gala in Montreal.

A few years ago, I was also deeply honoured to have been named Philhellene of the Year by the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal for my advocacy and commitment to the community. It was Senator Housakos who presented me with that award. That is my connection.

I also had the distinct honour to join our Speaker, along with Senator Housakos and Senator Saint-Germain, for an official visit to the Hellenic Republic in 2022. Our visit coincided with the eightieth anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with Greece. This was my first official international trip as a senator. I returned to Canada determined to have Parliament adopt a bill to honour our Greek communities and to celebrate the strong ties that unite our two nations.

It’s often said that good things come in threes. The bill before us today is more or less the third version of the same bill.

In March 2021, our colleague Annie Koutrakis, an MP from Montreal, introduced Bill C-276, which died on the Order Paper.

Following discussions with MP Koutrakis and Senator Housakos, we decided that I would take over.

So here I am again today.

For the second time, I am seeking the Senate’s support for this bill, which aims to recognize a community for which I have the utmost respect and admiration.

MP Koutrakis did a lot of community outreach before introducing her bill in 2021. Of course, I had confidence in her work, but I also felt the need to reach out to Hellenic organizations and community leaders myself to seek their feedback.

After conducting such research on my own, I launched consultations in early 2023. I reached out to different organizations and many individuals across the country from a wide spectrum of sectors including non-profits, academics and scholars, legal experts, community advocates, religious leaders and individuals of Greek heritage. In total, my office contacted nearly 150 different groups and individuals.

The feedback we received was unanimous: everyone supported this initiative. They encouraged me to introduce the bill as soon as possible, and — not to put any pressure on us — they also urged parliamentarians to adopt the bill as soon as possible.

Most importantly, I was delighted that we received some constructive suggestions and minor editorial changes to the preamble of Bill C-276, the predecessor of Bills S-259 and S-220. Working with a few of our fellow parliamentarians, including member of Parliament Annie Koutrakis and Senator Housakos, I feel we have properly integrated these changes into the bill we now have before us.

I am hopeful and confident that Bill S-220 in its current form will meet the needs and aspirations of the Hellenic community. I trust that the committee to which this bill will be referred will invite members of the community to hear their views on it.

I want to publicly thank everyone who, I think, made the preamble better, along with MP Koutrakis, who did a lot of the heavy lifting in the initial development of this bill.

Let me discuss the history of Greek Canadians. The history of Greek Canadians goes back nearly 200 years, when some of the first immigrants settled in Montreal in the 1840s. Modest in numbers at first, the Greek population increased over the years thanks to two waves of emigration from Greece.

The first one occurred in the late 19th century and early 20th century in response to the 1893 economic crisis in the Hellenic Republic. The second wave occurred after the Second World War. Of the more than 1 million Greeks who left their country during this second wave, nearly 120,000 chose Canada as their destination.

Today, there are over 260,000 Canadians of Greek heritage in our nation. They are strong, they are proud, and they are an integral part of Canada’s cultural mosaic.

In a scholarly article published in 2022, the following account summarizes how Greek immigrants integrated to their new home country:

. . . Greeks in Canada tried to balance their efforts at integration in their new country and maintaining their Greek identity as many of them were hopeful that they would return to Greece within a decade. . . .

The author goes on to say:

For various reasons . . . most of the Greek immigrant families stayed in Canada, and for the original immigrants and their descendants, integration became the main goal. . . .

I think this excerpt speaks volumes about Canada — about our warm hospitality and caring nature. Many Greeks intended to return to Europe but then opted to say here. Many reasons may explain this change of heart, but I have no doubt that many chose to stay because they felt welcomed and at home. They knew Canada could offer them countless opportunities and a safe environment to raise a family. I know that to be true for the Italian community, as well.

Naturally, as the Greek population increased in Canada, so did the number of Greek-centric associations, organizations and churches in communities across the nation. In no time, Greeks were making a difference in our communities at every level. As stipulated in the preamble of the bill, Canadians of Greek descent have made lasting contributions to our nation in various fields, and I know those organizations have played an integral part in those individual success stories.

I thank Senator Cardozo, who spoke to Bill S-259 during the last Parliament and highlighted the achievements of 10 great Canadians of Hellenic heritage.

Let me share some examples of positive feedback we received from some of the associations. While there are many, it’s important to put at least a few of them on the record. As I mentioned earlier, through my consultations with the Hellenic community, I have amassed a great deal of support and formal endorsements from Canadians who welcome this legislative initiative. If I’m unable to convince you of the merits of this bill, surely community leaders will be able to. And if not, Senator Housakos will be able to.

The Canadian Hellenic Congress, or CHC, is very favourable to the bill. Dr. Theodore Halatsis, the President of the CHC, wrote that the CHC “proudly and wholeheartedly endorses” my initiative. The Canadian Order of AHEPA also welcomes Bill S-220. As they pointed out, not only will this bill pay tribute to the contributions of Greek Canadians to the economic, social, political and scientific fabric of Canada over the past century, but it will also pay homage to the contributions of Greek culture and civilization to Canadian values of liberty, democracy, education, civic responsibility and individual and family excellence.

The Socrates Educational Foundation wrote to me, indicating to what extent Bill S-220 “has elicited excitement and pride” in its members.

Vasilios Sioulas, President of the Ottawa Chapter of AHEPA, wrote that:

The history of Greeks in Canada is full of inspiring stories of accomplishment and success. It is a history of significant and important contributions to their adopted country.

Should Bill S-220 be adopted, he feels that:

 . . . it will ignite the immortal spirit of our ancestors and fire our imagination to the beauty and mutual benefit of all concerned.

His colleague at AHEPA, Nicolas Pantieras, also endorsed our legislative initiative. He feels that:

By recognizing March as Greek heritage month, we acknowledge and celebrate the rich cultural and historical contributions of the Greek community to Canada and the world.

He added that:

It also provides an opportunity for Greeks to share their culture and heritage with the wider Canadian community, promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding.

Tony Lourakis, former president of the highly respected Hellenic Heritage Foundation, which encourages and provides higher education in Hellenic studies, reminded me that what isn’t shared, studied or recognized is ultimately forgotten. Therefore, as he put it:

Recognizing Hellenic culture and history is vital to preserving it and vital to understanding the roots of a culture that influences our society to this day.

He added that:

Recognizing Hellenic heritage month, gives us the opportunity to highlight Greece’s priceless history, both classical and modern, while emphasizing Canada’s greatest strength, which is undoubtedly its diversity.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Archbishop Sotirios, the head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada, offered his full support, both personally and on behalf of the archdiocese. He wrote:

This Act is not only important to the current Greek community of this country, but I believe it will be even more meaningful for future generations who are born and raised in this glorious country of Canada, but whose roots trace back to Greece and its unparalleled history.

Vasilis Molos, Director and Research Lead of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives at York University, wrote the following:

Heritage months offer Canadians an opportunity to celebrate different cultural groups’ contributions to our country. Empowering communities to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives helps to promote greater understanding and inclusion in Canadian society. And in learning about our differences, we nurture a sense of belonging to a shared Canada, blurring the contours of our vibrant mosaic.

Scott Gallimore, past president of the board of directors of the Canadian Institute in Greece, or CIG, shared his organization’s full support for the bill, indicating that “. . . the CIG believes this is an important initiative to further strengthen relationships between our two countries . . .”

Professor Jacques Perreault of the Université de Montréal, who’s also a director of the CIG, endorsed my initiative while reiterating that the Greek community’s contribution to the economic and cultural development of Canada and Quebec and the promotion of its cultural heritage have helped make Canada what it is today.

Chris Adamopoulos, who’s a close friend of mine, and the staff of Montreal’s École Socrates-Démosthène shared the following testimonial with me:

We think this initiative should be supported, of course . . . But especially in this time of younger generations with Greek origins, there is a great need to revitalize their Greek heritage and also honour the contribution of past generations of Greek people.

Honourable colleagues, I’ll stop there, but I could have shared many other testimonials from people who welcome Bill S-220.

If these testimonials have failed to convince you of the need to pass this bill, I invite you once again to speak with Senator Housakos, who will undoubtedly succeed in changing your minds.

As I have mentioned, I made it my duty to consult the community before introducing my bill. It was important to me to get their feedback and their support. I believe I have truly incorporated their comments into the wording of the preamble, and I believe that I have their support.

Obviously, I would like yours too.

To that end, I encourage everyone to pass this bill at second reading as quickly as possible so we can send it to a committee.

I appreciate that the Social Affairs Committee, to which this bill will likely be referred, is often overwhelmed with bills. I am available to work with its members and steering committee to help complete the study of this bill as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

We saw great collaboration earlier this fall regarding two other bills recognizing Ukrainian and Arab heritage. I hope that I — but, most important, that Canada’s Greek community — can rely upon similar collaboration and support from all of my honourable colleagues to pass Bill S-220 as soon as possible. We should keep that winning streak going before our legislative agenda becomes inundated with government legislation.

I’m on a bit of a winning streak myself with the adoption of Bill S-1001 in the other place last week. Hopefully, we can move this bill along just as quickly.

While I was at the Hellenic Ladies Benevolent Society’s Ilios Soirée earlier this month, many were asking about my bill. They wondered why a bill as straightforward as Bill S-259 was not adopted during the last Parliament. I bring this up so that we are all aware that the Greek community is watching and patiently waiting for us to formalize March as Hellenic Heritage Month. We are in a minority Parliament once again, so there is that added pressure and urgency to consider, as well.

In conclusion, honourable senators — and yes, I know you have been waiting for my conclusion. However, it is important to put those associations and individuals who helped us on the record.

I have much more, but I have to conclude at some point. So, in conclusion, it is important to them. They’ll show it to their kids and their grandkids, and we’re all part of history. Right? That’s important.

Honourable senators, it has been a personal honour for me to introduce Bill S-220, an Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month, and to speak to you about the lasting achievements and immense contributions of the Greek community to our nation’s social, cultural and economic fabric.

In my view, Canada’s outstanding reputation on the global stage is attributed to our rich history of immigration and successful integration policies. Immigrants have helped build this country and shape it into one of the most envied nations in the world. Arguably, our diversity may be Canada’s greatest strength and most important asset. We must be proud of this rich heritage. Our differences make us better. They unite us. They don’t divide us.

I want to conclude with a touching story, which I shared during my remarks two years ago. The Honourable Andromache Karakatsanis, the first Greek Canadian to serve on the Supreme Court of Canada, once commented on how her name always marked her as different.

Many in this chamber, including myself, can probably relate to her, but she never allowed her name to be anglicized. She was proud of its heritage. After all, Andromache was a strong woman in Greek mythology. Her parents always told her that different could be better.

As Madam Justice Karakatsanis once said:

. . . in Canada differences are strengths. It is a land of astonishing generosity and diversity. And the daughter of Greek immigrants can become a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. This illustrates the opportunity of Canada.

Colleagues, Greek Canadians deserve this special recognition. They have helped make our country stronger, better and more vibrant. I hope you will join me in recognizing this lasting legacy by supporting this legislative initiative.

Parliament could send a clear, united and resounding message to Greek Canadians with the passage of this bill. Bill S-220 gives us the opportunity to thank them for all they have done and to ensure that every March, moving forward, we take the time to celebrate Hellenism, honour Greek Canadians, past and present, educate Canadians on their many contributions to our society and indulge in all things Greek.

To all Greek Canadians, I want to extend my very best wishes on Oxi Day. I reiterate my commitment to them to have this bill cross the finish line in this Parliament. Thank you. Efcharistó.