Photo by Rania Hatzioannou

“Live a Day the Greek Way!” – Originally a weekend event in 1987, the annual Vancouver Greek Summerfest has become a 10-day event over two weekends run solely by volunteers.

But what is the “Greek Way?”

“The ‘Greek Way’ is one of filotimo,” says Rania Hatzioannou, who works behind the scenes of the summer festival as well as in public relations and social media. Filotimo, a Greek word that has no exact English translation, relates closely to the sentiment of sharing.

While food and eating are always found at the heart of Greek culture, fellow volunteer Vivean Ready, on the organizing committee for the festival, contends that there is much more to the “Greek Way.”

“It is not just about sharing our food, but also our time, our memories, our respect.”

“One Big Fat Greek Community”

Christos Argyroudis in the Kitchen at Olympia Pizza | Photo by Nicole Alivojvodic

The first enclave of Greek immigrants in Vancouver is known as “Greektown” or “Greek West Broadway” in Kitsilano on the West Side of Vancouver.

Marking this territory is the high concentration of Greek restaurants and other Greek-owned businesses in the area, the heart of which is considered to be at West Broadway and Trutch. This corner is home to Olympia Pizza, a restaurant owned by six brothers from the island of Evia, Greece who now call Vancouver home, bringing rich cultural history to the heart of Greektown.

Hatzioannou explains that as the city of Vancouver and its suburbs saw an influx of immigrants in the late 20th century, more Greeks began to settle on the East side, finding the trek to the West side onerous.

“We are best described as siblings from the same parents,” Hatzioannou suggests, with Greek West Broadway being the older sibling and the East Vancouver Greeks being the younger one. “One big community with more than one place to gather, worship and celebrate our Hellenic roots.”

With three Greek churches spread across the lower mainland, Ready also believes in the unity of all of Vancouver’s Greek population.

“We are ALL one big fat Greek community.”

Maintaining Greek roots

Born and raised in Vancouver, Ready loves being part of a Greek community.

“It’s all about the food, and dance and music. I would have probably lost my Greek identity if it wasn’t for being a part of the community.”

Hatzioannou on the other hand, born in Cyprus, an island country located in the Eastern Mediterranean, to a Greek mother and Cypriot father, finds in the Greek community of Vancouver a family.

“I have only a handful of relatives in Canada, so the Greek community here is an extension of that.”

Also connecting with his Greek roots in Vancouver is Christos Argyroudis, cook and close friend of the owners at Olympia Pizza. He emigrated from Athens to Vancouver with his wife and kids nearly 20 years ago.

“Being so far away from home, it’s great to have the Greek community here,” says Argyroudis. “We have a great church and community centre and even Greek schools! It really seems like a lot of care has been put into building the community and making it into what it is today.”

Vancouver’s Greek summer

Although Metro Vancouver is home to around 15,000 people identifying as Greek, the Greek population seems to be dwindling with 25 percent fewer Greek-born residents than five years ago according to a chart created by The Vancouver Sun’s, Chad Skelton.

Vancouver’s Greek summer festivals aim to restore a sense of Greek identity as well as sharing the “Greek Way” with the rest of Metro Vancouver’s communities.

The festivities begin with Kitsilano’s Greek Day on Broadway taking place Sunday, June 28 from 11 a.m–9 p.m. West Broadway will be shut down to cars from Blenheim to MacDonald so that local businesses and restaurants can bring their food and goods onto the street for all to enjoy.

The Vancouver Greek Summerfest takes place at 4641 Boundary Road, from July 2nd to 12th, 2015.

Both events are family friendly and free to the public.

“The ‘Greek Way’ is about enjoying life, and sharing what you have with others,” says Ready.

For more information, please visit www.greekday.com, www.vancouvergreeksummerfest.com and www.canada.greekreporter.com/2013/06/24/greek-population-shrinks-in-metro-vancouver