MONTREAL – With traditional dances and songs, open-air barbecues and performances, a fantastic feast, including many fun activities – such as cooking demonstrations and tasting sessions of olive oil and Greek dishes – the annual Greek Festival in Ottawa continues, the biggest in all of Canada.
The first day of the festival was Thursday, August 10, and the 11-day celebration of the Greeks in the Canadian capital ends with a big feast – after the closing ceremony – on Sunday, August 20.
The Greek Fest of Ottawa takes place at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, under the responsibility of the Hellenic Community of the city, estimated to be around 5,000 members, with its President Tony Georgiou.
Hundreds of visitors from Montreal and all of Quebec, as well as from Toronto and other areas of Ontario, traveled to Ottawa for the festival, especially last weekend.
“We estimate that each year about 35,000 to 40,000 visitors attend our festival, every day, maybe more,” Georgiou told The National Herald. He added that most of the visitors are Canadian nationals or other nationalities. “Greeks come not only from Ottawa, but from Quebec, and from other cities of Ontario,” he pointed out.
Since the festival is free and open to the public, no ticket required, Georgiou explained, it is difficult to determine the exact number of visitors every year. “We have the biggest celebration, always with many events, with many volunteers whom we thank and with visitors who come to be entertained or to experience our culture, our religion, Greece and our traditions,” said Georgiou.
Among the guests this year was Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne and mayor of Ottawa, the Canadian capital, Jim Watson, while the Greek Embassy was represented by First Counsellor Christodoulos Margaritis since the Ambassador George Marcantonatos is away in Greece.
Georgiou focused on the visit of the Premier of Ontario, who, as he told TNH, “spoke to us warmly about our festival and about the Hellenism of Ontario, and that is why we thank her very much for her presence and for her greeting.”
In fact, Ontario’s Premier posted a photo on her personal Twitter account from her visit to the Greek festival. She does not seem to be looking at any of the other people in the photo, hence her comment, “I had my eye on a souvlaki platter at @OttawaGreekFest! Celebrated Hellenic culture with this wonderful community.”
It should be noted that the festival was organized for the first time in August 1975 by the Kimisis tis Theotokou Church (Dormition of the Virgin Mary) and gradually acquired a multicultural dimension, also hosting groups from other national communities in the city. This year’s program of events includes dance groups from Venezuela, Romania, Egypt, Mexico, Bulgaria, Colombia, and others.
In total, some 200 volunteers have helped organize this year’s events, which, helped by the weather, have so far been extremely successful.
Meanwhile, this weekend (August 19 and 20) a two-day celebration called “Laval Souvlaki Festival” takes place at the Holy Cross Church in Montreal’s Laval suburb. The events on both days take place at 4-10 PM. The well-known Dj Mamacita (Alexandra Sevapsidis) will spin the music at the festival. The celebration is organized by the Laval Regional Council of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, with free admission on both days.
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