200 Years of Greek Independence – Blue and White Canada
Get ready for blue and white Canada! Many landmarks in Ontario on March 24 and 25, 2021, will be illuminated in white and blue on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Greek independence.
The beginning of the Greek Revolution of 1821 is considered the beginning of modern Greece.
The Greek Consulate General in Toronto organized a virtual celebration of this anniversary in the following three venues:
- TORONTO sign in Nathan Philips Square
Toronto Mayor John Tory, Councilor Nick Mantas and Greek Consul General in Toronto Victor Maligoudis will admire this illumination together on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
The ceremony will be broadcast live at this link:
https://toronto.webex.com/toronto/onstage/g.php?MTID=eeda25d7657a0f6b759e22ef22e4eb2bd
Event number: 133 821 6066
The slogan of the event: toronto2021
- CN Tower in Toronto
The illumination of the tower will start on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at sunset, i.e. at 7:36 pm EST.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the official website of the CN Tower (no password will be required):
https://www.cntower.ca/en-ca/home.html#earthcams
- Niagara Falls
The Waterfalls will illuminate Thursday, March 25, 2021 from 9:45 am-10:00pm EST.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Niagara Falls official website (no password required):
As part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Greek struggle for independence in 1821, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias presents a virtual exhibition of historical documents relating to the emergence and recognition of the modern Greek state.
At this address you can visit the virtual exhibition:
March 25 is celebrated as the beginning of the victorious struggle of the Greek people against the Ottoman Empire in 1821-1830, which culminated in the establishment of an independent state. In addition to the national connotation, it is also traditionally commemorated as the Day of the Annunciation.
If you want to visit Greece in Toronto then head to Greektown, also known as The Danforth – a Greek neighborhood and ethnic enclave in Toronto. It is located on Danforth Avenue between Chester Avenue and Dewhurst Boulevard, in the eastern part of the city. It is named after Asa Danforth Jr., the American construction contractor who designed Queen Street and Kingston Road. This district is famous for its 1910 architecture and many delicious Greek restaurants, shops and amenities. The area was one of the main settlement destinations for Greek immigrants to Toronto after World War I.
Canada and the Hellenic Republic (Hellenic Republic is the official name of Greece) have shared diplomatic relations for 75 years. Bilateral relations are friendly and active. Greece and Canada have many international interests and goals. Canada has an embassy in Athens and Greece is represented by an embassy in Ottawa.
Greek-Canadian community
An estimated 243,000 Canadians are of Greek ancestry. In 2018, 345,800 Canadians visited Greece and 12,948 Greeks visited Canada.
In 1996, the business community in Athens founded the Canadian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. Hellenic Canadian Friendship Association – Friends of Canada is an informal network for Canadians living in Greece.
You can learn more about Canadian-Greek relations here:
https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/greece-grece/relations.aspx?lang=eng
You can find out about the travel guidelines to and from Greece here:
https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/greece-grece/index.aspx?lang=eng
