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| THE MONTREAL GREEK TIMES GOPHER NEWS SERVICE |
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March 2026
Pierrefonds-Roxboro officially proclaims March as Hellenic heritage
month to honour diaspora history
(GIF) article photo
By Dimitri Papadopoulos
Pierrefonds-Roxboro council (Photo by Harry Barba)
Two Greek flags stood prominently on a blue-draped table inside the
wood-paneled municipal council chambers of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, flanking
an open golden guest book meant to record a significant civic milestone.
The visual arrangement established an atmosphere of deep reverence for
ancestral traditions and language before the start of the regular
council session. The gathering forecasted weighty themes of cultural
preservation, the strengthening of Hellenic identity abroad, and the
profound historical footprint of the Greek diaspora in Canadian society.
During the sitting on March 9, 2026, the municipal council passed a
resolution to officially recognize the one hundred and twentieth
anniversary of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal. The
official municipal document highlighted the organization's historical
and current contributions to the social, cultural, and civic
development of the local collectivity. Furthermore, the borough
formally proclaimed the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month. The
resolution encourages all residents to participate in activities and
events that highlight the history, culture, and continuous
contributions of the Hellenic community.
The municipal documents provided deep context for the proclamation,
noting that Hellenic thought, particularly its advancements in civic
life, democratic participation, and collective responsibility, has
profoundly influenced contemporary institutions and municipal values.
The official agenda highlighted that generations of citizens of
Hellenic heritage have remarkably aided the growth of the borough in
fields including entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, community
action, the arts, and philanthropy. The borough council also noted in
its official texts that the Parliament of Canada is currently studying
a legislative project to officially recognize March as Hellenic
Heritage Month on a national scale.
Borough Mayor Dimitrios Beis welcomed a full room of attendees and
online viewers to the meeting. He was joined by city councillors Sophie
Mohsen, Louise Leroux, Benoit Langevin, and Chahi Tarakjian, along with
the administrative team. Mayor Beis addressed the crowd to explain the
cultural importance of the evening, noting that the borough was
commemorating Greek Independence Day alongside the milestone anniversary
of the Hellenic community. Earlier in the day, Mayor Beis, speaking as a
municipal leader of Greek origin, had the privilege of hoisting the
Greek flag at the borough hall.
The mayor took time to highlight the specific contributions of three
distinguished guests seated in the audience. He first introduced
Nikolaos Karalekas, the Consul General of Greece in Montreal. Mayor Beis
listed the consul general's extensive diplomatic background, which
included serving as an ambassador advisor, deputy chief of mission at
the Greek embassy in Stockholm, and diplomatic advisor to the Deputy
Prime Minister in Athens. Mayor Beis expressed admiration for his
record, noting that reading such a list of professional accomplishments
puts everyday achievements into perspective.
The council also recognized several representatives of the local
Greek community. Mayor Beis acknowledged these community members for
their collective work in fostering civic engagement and maintaining
the active educational, cultural, and religious institutions that
allow the diaspora to prosper.
Mayor Beis invited the broader population to learn more about the
Greek community. He announced that the local municipal libraries had
brought out books and documentation illustrating the heritage of
Greece. The mayor invited everyone to celebrate the history and the
culture, adding humorously that the diaspora brought the amazing
culinary traditions of Greece to Canada.
Weaving in a personal narrative, Mayor Beis shared his own family's
immigration story to provide a human element to the diaspora experience.
He recounted that he was born in Canada, but his father decided to
return to Greece when he was very young. Finding that Greece had changed
during his absence, his father faced the difficult decision of whether
to bring his children back to North America. When Mayor Beis was five
years old, his father chose to settle the family in Pierrefonds. The
mayor recalled that in 1970, the area consisted mostly of dirt roads and
farmland. Reflecting on his current position after five mandates as
borough mayor, he expressed deep emotion about raising the Greek flag at
City Hall. He stated that if his parents were alive today, they would be
immensely proud to see the municipality they chose fifty-five years ago
recognizing their heritage in such a public manner.
At the culmination of his address, Mayor Beis requested that Consul
General of Greece and representatives from the Greek community come
forward to sign the borough's golden guest book to formally document
their visit. He then transitioned from speaking the two official
languages of the council to speaking in his ancestral Greek
language. He explained to the chamber that he pursued these
recognitions for the community, for himself, and for his family,
ensuring his children understand their origins and their potential.
The mayor concluded the official presentation by stating, long live
Greece, long live Canada, and long live Montreal.
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