Halifax NS Saint George Greek Orthodox Church 1932

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 1932 and 1934

— Edited from histories written by Peter Delefes.

First presence of Greek-speakers in Halifax

The first Greek-speaking person known to have arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was John Alexander Lavanticis (or Levante, or Levantakos). Upon arrival in 1814, he was registered with the last name “Greek” (as usual, this was because the immigration officer had difficulty with hearing or spelling the name). He had been previously impressed into the British Army and then released in Halifax. He married a local woman in 1814, and he took up residence in Lunenburg, where he was a fisherman. He reposed in the Lord in 1868.

Early immigration after 1900

After him, there were very few new arrivals until about 1900. After this, the population of Greek-speakers slowly increased. According to a parish history, the number slowly increased to reach 150 in 1921. After that, the increase was more rapid. Up until that time, the names of many of the immigrating people are known :

Amongst the first, Evangelos Protopappas arrived from the island of Tinos ; Andrew Zafiropoulos from
Galaxidi, and Panayis Karamanos from the island of Spetsai. All 3 were sailors who had left their ships
upon their arrival in the Port of Halifax.

In 1907, James Karas arrived from the village of Katouna in mountainous Acarnania. Alex Meletides
arrived in 1908, and Aristides Meletides in the following year. In 1910, 2 brothers, Argyris and
Nicholas Petropolis, came to Halifax via Newfoundland from Arcadia. Although Argyris soon returned to
Greece, Nicholas Petropolis was best remembered for his ownership of the Empire Theatre. In 1912, Peter,
another Petropolis brother, arrived and soon founded the well-known Cameo Restaurant. Gregory Poulos,
who had reached Halifax in 1914, joined his Petropolis in-laws in running The Cameo Restaurant. A few
years later, Argyris Lacas became a family member and a partner in that restaurant. As the time passed,
the owners of The Cameo Restaurant sponsored numerous Greek-speakers who landed in Halifax, worked in the
restaurant, and from there went on to open successful businesses of their own. In 1912, Thomas Castas
arrived from Monasterion (Kosovo) in Yugoslavia. Evangelos (Angelo) Paros arrived from Acarnania. The
Alexander brothers who established the Alexander Sweets Shop arrived in Halifax in 1920. Born in
Constantinople, they had first gone to Greece in 1912, but they later crossed the Atlantic to settle in
Syracuse, New York. From there, they came to Canada. Members of that family have continued to be very
involved in the Halifax Greek community. James Bastas arrived from the island of Euboea in 1916, and he
soon established the J.B. Coffee Shop on Argyle Street. After his arrival (also in 1916), Nick G Aliotis
opened first a shoe repair shop, and later the Diana Cigar Store on Barrington Street. The brothers
George and Constantine Manolopoulos from Arcadia were both in Halifax shortly after 1915. Later, each
served a distinguished term as president of the Greek Council. Other names from that early Greek
community in Halifax include Theodore Sideris (1915, from Triglia in Asia Minor) ; Emmanuel Symaeon
(1913, from Rhodes) ; and Joseph Tzagarakis (1914, from Crete).

Prehistory of the first building

The little church on the southeast corner of Queen and Morris Streets in Halifax, Nova Scotia, began to serve Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church in 1941.

The building was erected in 1863 in order to serve as a parochial day school and Sunday school for Saint Luke’s Anglican Cathedral, which was then 1ocated on the corner of Morris and Church Streets. Much later, that site became reconfigured and re-purposed as the Westminster Apartments. In the days before education was free and universal, Saint Luke’s was available, for a fee, to children of all denominations, although the instruction given was in strict accordance with the doctrines of the Church of England.

Construction of the building, 1862

On 19 June, 1862, the cornerstone of this building was set in place by the Countess Maria of Mulgrave in the company of the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, Charles Hastings Doyle, and a large number of people. Following an eloquent address in Latin, several items, including daily newspapers and coins, were deposited in the cavity before the cornerstone was sealed in place. The building itself was designed in the gothic style by a well-known Halifax architect, Henry S Eliot, and built by George Laing at a cost of about £1,000.

A few days after the laying of the cornerstone, an article, entitled “City Improvements” appeared in the “Halifax Reporter”, and it described some of the architectural features of the new school house. The building was to be 60 feet long and 30 feet wide with its main body of walling to be of red brick, relieved and lightened by the introduction of a considerable quantity of light-colored sandstone from the Albert quarries in New Brunswick. This was to be used for sills, jambs, mullions and arches for the doors and windows. The roof was to be high-pitched and open timbered and covered with Vermont slating of 2 tints, purple and green, topped by a bell turret surrounded by wrought iron finial. Nine square-headed windows were designed to provide ample light, along with a large gothic-arched window at the north end and a smaller gothic window at the south end. Five buttresses on each side of the building were intended to strengthen the walls. A porch-projection on the west side formed the entrance from Queen Street.

Saint Luke’s parochial school as such lasted only until 1865, at which time public schools were established in Nova Scotia. The building was then leased to the Halifax School Commissioners who used it as a public school until they were given notice in May, 1875, that Saint Luke’s required possession of the building again. It later became one of the oldest buildings once to have housed a public school in the city.

Saint Luke's Church and hall, 1900

Fire, 1905 ; re-construction

On the evening of 14 December, 1905, Saint Luke’s Cathedral was destroyed by a fire which was believed to have been started by an arsonist, who also set fire to the school house. The flames in the school house were first noticed at about 1 a.m. by 2 passers-by who alerted the Queen Street fire station. Firemen arrived and put out the fire in the school house, where some chairs and portions of the floor were ablaze. The destruction of Saint Luke’s Church hastened the construction of All Saints Cathedral which was completed in 1910.

World War I, 1914-1918

During World War I, weekly religious services were held in Saint Luke’s Hall for 300 Russian labourers who had been brought to the Port of Halifax in order to work on the construction of the terminals for ocean-sailing ships. The services were conducted by the Rev’d. V E Harris, an Anglican clergyman, who had learnt enough of the Russian language to preach to his congregation in Russian.

In 1915, Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky), of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America, arrived from New York City, and he conducted a three-hour service (Hierarchical Divine Liturgy) in the hall. The weekly offerings of this congregation were set aside by Mr. Harris, and they were later donated to the Hellenic (Greek-speaking) community towards the purchase of a church-building. When this sum was transferred to the community in 1940, it amounted to $700.00, and it encouraged other contributions. Within a year, enough money had been raised to pay for a building.

Saint Luke's Hall

During the years between the 2 World Wars, Saint Luke’s Hall was an active social centre for the Anglican community in south end Halifax. On Sundays, the hall was transformed into 12-14 little curtained classrooms for Sunday school. Throughout the week, a variety of groups, including the Boy Scouts, a youth club, and a women’s’ sewing group, met in the hall. Teas, suppers, dances and plays were regular events. During the 1930s, the hall was also used for recreational badminton and for the weekly games of a church badminton league. All these events took place in the area which was later used for the Greek Orthodox Temple. The lower-level portion of the building was used for rummage sales, and it also contained a small room where the Boy Scouts kept their equipment. At election times, the lower level became a polling station.

Prehistory of the Greek Orthodox congregation, first services, 1932

The earliest Hellenes (Greek-speakers) arrived in Halifax in the first decade of the 20th century, and by the early 1930s there were about 25 families living in the city. In 1932, the tiny congregation was able to obtain the services of a priest, the Priest Theodore Scartsiades, whose duties included regular trips to Glace Bay, and to Saint John, New Brunswick, where several Hellenic families had also settled. In Halifax, services were held in rented premises on the corner of Hollis and Sackville Streets. The families worked together with Father Theodore in order to form a parish community.

Founding the parish, 1934

On 2 May, 1934, an Act of Incorporation was passed in the provincial legislature, which officially established the Greek Orthodox Church in Nova Scotia.

First permanent Temple, 1941

On 25 January, 1941, the trustees of the Greek Church in Halifax purchased Saint Luke’s Hall on the corner of Morris and Queen Streets from the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia for the sum of $6,000.00. The members of the Greek community had been saving their money towards this goal for some years, and near the end of their fundraising efforts, they received a generous donation of $800.00 from the will of a local Anglican priest, the Rev'd. V R Harris.

Because of its architecture, there was ample space for the Temple on the main floor, and for a hall beneath it. Because of its location in central Halifax (near where most of the congregation lived), the new Temple was ideally suited to the needs of the Hellenic community at that time.

Saint Luke's Hall, Saint George's Church

From that time, it became the centre of religious and cultural life for the Hellenic community of Halifax.

During World War II, the Temple building welcomed many seamen and armed forces personnel who visited or were stationed in Halifax. The hall was the scene of many social activities, including events to entertain the servicemen and to support the war effort. For 15 months in 1943-44, the hall was transformed into a depot for clothing and materials, including 15,000 pairs of shoes, which were collected by the War Relief Committee for distribution in Greece.

Renovations, 1943

Extensive renovations to the interior of the building were completed in 1943 at a cost of $12,500.00. The domed ceiling was installed and the iconostas (the divider between the Altar and the congregation) was added, along with pews for the congregation. A wall was erected along the back of the Temple in order to form a hallway leading from the front door to the back stairway. On the evening of 9 March, 1950, a fire which originated in the basement did extensive damage to the Temple. This damage required the replacement of the exterior brickwork of the side walls. At this time, the original slate roofing tiles, which were by this time in poor condition, were also replaced. The total cost of the renovations and repairs was $20,000.00.

The Priest E Athanasiou, the pastor of Saint George’s Church during the 1940s, wrote to the Canadian Red Cross Society, and he indicated that the entire collection from the church services for that week was being given to the Red Cross. A second letter signed by 13 men from the Greek community reads in part :

 The business men whose names appear below are all Canadian citizens of Greek descent [...] On the occasion of
 the current appeal for funds by the Canadian Red Cross we are anxious to assist in every possible way and 
 to show our desire by contributing as substantially as possible.  We therefore ask the Canadian Red Cross 
 Society to accept the amount of total sales in our stores on March 16th as our donation to its campaign. 
 We propose to deduct nothing.  Our employees’ services will be donated and all other expenses will be 
 borne by us.  The total of all money in our respective tills will be handed to your representative.

The $2,000.00 this collection raised was an enormous sum for that time. In a letter to the local newspaper, “The Halifax Daily Star”, the President of the Nova Scotia Red Cross publicly expressed appreciation for this generous gesture. His letter says : “These men are citizens of whom fellow Canadians may feel the deepest pride. Their response to national appeals has been consistently generous and wholehearted”.

In addition to support for the Red Cross and its worldwide work, the Halifax Greek community collected money and thousands of pounds of used clothing for the Greek War Relief Fund. In a letter of 26 April, 1943, which was addressed to Mr. Gus Manolopoulos, the Hon. G Depasta of the Royal Greek Legation in Ottawa wrote :

 I have learned with national pride of the splendid work done by the Committee under your leadership in 
 the campaign for the Canadian Red Cross as well as your contribution to the Greek War Relief Fund.  The 
 above acts are praiseworthy and touch every Greek heart, for which in my capacity of Greek Minister in 
 this country, I wish to express to you and through you to the members of your Committee and all who 
 contributed in this great humanitarian work, the heartfelt thanks of the Greek Government to which I add 
 my own.  Greece is really proud of all of you.

The Hellenic community grew rapidly in the post-war years. By the 1970s, there were over 250 families living in the Halifax-Dartmouth area. The little Temple was filled with parishioners during the regular Sunday services. At the Feasts of the Nativity of Christ, at Pascha, and during other special observances, members of the congregation had to stand in the aisles, the hallway, and even on the sidewalk outside the Temple.

Halifax’s Hellenic community had outgrown this site of Saint George’s Orthodox Church, but it would long retain a special place in the memories of its congregation.

In 1950, Priest Antonios Mavromaras was assigned to serve this parish. He did so for 10 years.

Saints Anargyroi Community in Glace Bay, 1952

Since 1952, the Greek community on Cape Breton Island has had their own Temple on Marconi Sreet in Glace Bay, now a part of Sydney. It is dedicated to the Saints Anargyroi (that is, the unmercenary physicians, Saints Cosmas and Damian, who were given the gift by the Lord to heal people, and who did so always without receiving payment).

Because the small Greek community on Cape Breton Island could not and cannot afford to maintain a full-time priest, the Greek priest of Saint George's visits the community 7 or 8 times each year in order to offer the Divine Liturgy, and to perform other pastoral duties. The Feast-day of Saints Cosmas and Damian, 1 July (and Canada Day), is an annual festival occasion for the parish of Saints Anargyroi in Glace Bay. On this day, the priest from the Halifax parish always makes a special effort to be with the parishioners there.

The decision to build a Greek Orthodox Temple on Cape Breton took years of planning. It was Mr. George Markadonis, more than any other person, who helped the project begin by donating a piece of his own land in Glace Bay for a Greek Orthodox Temple. After Mr. Markadonis’ death in 1947, the whole Greek Canadian community in Cape Breton worked together to raise funds. In 1962-1963, the original small building was expanded and almost doubled in size to its present capacity of about 80. To memorialise the work and dedication of George Markadonis, his picture was hung in the basement hall of the Temple.

Saints Anargyroi Temple, Glace Bay

Nativity Pageant, Glace Bay

Since that time, the congregation of the Saints Anargyroi community has decreased significantly. Economic difficulties on the island caused a general decrease in the whole population. Nevertheless, despite the low numbers, a Sunday school meets every week at the Temple, and the children are taught the elements of the Orthodox Faith, some Greek language, and some traditional poems and history. The children’s Christmas concerts are said to be a delight for anyone who is able to attend. Strong family ties between Greek Canadians in Cape Breton and those in the Halifax area mean that parishioners of Saints Anargyroi often visit in Halifax and take part in the life of Saint George’s community. Mrs. Katherine Farmakoulas, the long-time president of the Church Council at Ss. Anargyroi’s said :

 The church life is a very important part of the identity of all Greek Canadians in Cape Breton.  Our 
 culture and our religion are very connected, but without the church I feel that we would lose an 
 important part of our identity.  Although our church in Cape Breton is small, it’s still like home to all 
 of us.

Second permanent Temple in Halifax, 1974-1982

In December, 1974, the decision was taken to purchase a 4.5-acre lot on the shore of the North West Arm’s Melville Cove. The lot was owned by the Rocca Group, a development company, which was planning to build a motel on the site. However, the Group was unsuccessful in having the site re-zoned for commercial use. In May, 1977, the sod was turned for a community centre, which was designed by Gregory Lambros. After the completion of the Community Centre, the first building in downtown Halifax continued to serve the spiritual needs of the community, while the new building on the Purcell's Cove Road functioned as a social centre.

Then, 5 years later, in the summer of 1982, construction of the new Temple was begun. The building was designed by the firm of Dumaresque and Byrne in such a way as to incorporate “Byzantine” features of architecture, including a large plexiglas cupola which was fastened in place on 28 January, 1984.

Ninth District becomes a Diocese, 1979

In 1979, following a re-structuring of the Archdiocese of North and South America, the Ninth District of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was elevated by the Patriarch of Constantinople to be the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Toronto (Canada), and Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Constantia became Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Toronto (Canada).

In 1979, Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Constantia was elevated to be the Bishop of Toronto (Canada), in Ontario.

Sanctification of the Temple, 1985

In 1985, the new Temple was sanctified by the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Toronto (Canada), Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas).

The Temple viewed from the southeast

The old building was then sold. It was later converted into condominium apartments (Westminster Apartments), with the addition of a second storey, and it retained its original façade.

The "re-purposed" original building

The new Temple

Altar and Holy Table (left) ; Bishop's throne (right)

Temple eastern interior, iconostas (left) ; Western nave, entrance (right)

Dome iconography

Temple interior, Father Peter (left) ; The Temple, side view (right)

The Diocese of Canada becomes a Metropolis, 1996

On 30 July, 1996, the Patriarchate of Constantinople divided the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America into 4 parts : the USA, Canada, Central America, and South America. The Diocese of Canada was elevated to the status of a metropolitanate.

At the same time, the Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) was detached from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and placed directly under the authority of the Patriarchal Throne in Constantinople.

On 24 September, 1996, Bishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan, and he was given the title and responsibility of Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto (Canada), and Exarch of all Canada.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic, 2019

In 2019, the Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) was elevated to the dignity of Archdiocese. Thus, the official title of the diocese became “Holy Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic”, and alternatively, “Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada”.

Thus, Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, with the title “Archbishop of Canada and All the Arctic”, and alternatively, “Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Canada”.

Parish Organisations

Saint Catherine’s Greek Ladies’ Philoptochos Society, 1920s

The Saint Catherine’s Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society of Halifax, of Saint George's parish, (as is the case in other parish communities) fulfils a core-nurturing responsibility. The word “philoptochos” is a Greek word which means “lovers of the poor”.

The “philoptochos” takes care to provide meals for parishioners on many occasions. For instance, the “philoptochos” members provide coffee every Sunday after church as well as at funerals and “mnemosyna” (memorial) services. The members also work to raise funds for all sorts of parish needs. It is a major fundraiser for the parish community through activities such as support for the annual Greek Festival, and by regular bake sales. Most importantly, the members raise funds for the purpose of caring for the poor and the needy. This service fulfils the meaning of “philoptochos”.

Therefore, the “philoptochos” is equally active in a wide range of volunteer activities for parish and local charities. Their charity work outside the Greek community includes help to the "Heart and Stroke Foundation", the "Disability Foundation", the "IWK Children's Hospital", "Bryony House", "Phoenix House", "Hope Cottage" and the "Metro Food Bank".

Saint George’s Greek School, 1920s

Saint George’s Greek School offers classes for children of pre-primary and primary ages, and for those in grades 1 through 6. Greek language instruction is also offered to adults as needed.

Classes for pre-primary and primary ages are offered on Saturdays from 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Classes for grades 1 through 6 are offered on Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Orthodox Fellowship Jesus Christ

This group is organised and led by the pastor, the Priest Panagiotis (Peter) Maropoulos.

Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA)

According to a recent president, Peter Tsuluhas, (son of former Council president Charles Tsuluhas) the Halifax GOYA has about 30 members amongst the young people in grades 7 to 12. This group has close ties both to the parish priest and the council. As Peter Tsuluhas said :

 GOYA doesn't exist in Greece.  They don't have to work at being Greek.  We here in Halifax do have to 
 work at it.  GOYA helps hold us together.

The GOYA became so strong in Halifax that it divided into 2 groups according to age. The young people of GOYA organise many social events. Dances are a great favorite, and are viewed as a way to raise money to help their parish and various local charities. An annual trip outside the province is a new feature of GOYA life for the Halifax group. When the young people leave GOYA after high school, many of them will go on to the newly reactivated Hellenic Student Association which exists for the university student population of Metro Halifax.

The Hellenic Student Association

The Hellenic Student Association has about 20-25 members who study at the Dalhousie, DalTech, Saint Mary's, and Mount Saint Vincent Universities in Halifax. This organisation provides an opportunity for Greek Canadian students to meet and share common interests. The Hellenic Student Association gets involved in local community projects such as the donation of blood for medical purposes. They hold frequent dances, which are both social events and fundraisers. Recently, they donated the profits from these dances to Saint George's Church to help towards the costs of the icons.

AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope

Adults in the Greek community can join 1 of 2 organisations, which stand outside the direction of the Greek Church. Those organisations are "AHEPA" ("American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association") for men, and the "Daughters of Penelope" for women.

"AHEPA" began in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, as a fraternal association (with some Masonic influences) for Greek businessmen. This organisation was first formed to fight discrimination and prejudice against immigrants, but later concerned itself more and more with social, educational, and benevolent activities. The first Canadian branch opened in Toronto in 1928. AHEPA is committed to Greek identity in a North American context with English as its official language. In Canada AHEPA strives to promote 2 cultures, Canadian and Greek, and it encourages its members to be active participants in the life of their local communities. Thus the Nova Scotia branch of AHEPA raises money for Saint George’s in Halifax, gives scholarships to Greek students who are graduating from high school and going on to university, and participates in local community projects. The "Daughters of Penelope" began in the USA as an auxiliary of AHEPA in some of its functions, but at other times the members act on their own initiative. In 1999, the Halifax chapter of the Daughters of Penelope announced an annual $500 scholarship for a young woman graduating from high school who wanted to pursue post-secondary education.

Greek Festival, 1986

Once the church building was completed, the community took the decision to hold a Greek festival at the Community Centre where guests could enjoy an authentic Greek 'glendi', or party, and sample Greek food, music, dance, and other elements of the Greek culture. It was hoped the festival could become an annual event to help raise funds for the parish and for charitable work within the community at large. This decision was inspired by encouragement from Lillian Meletedis, who had attended a similar event in the USA. The movement was then spearheaded by Father Charalambos Elles (the pastor from 1979 to 1991) and by the community leaders, (the late) Steve Panais and John Angelopoulos.

The first “Greekfest”, as the festival has come to be called, was held in June of 1986, and it attracted over 10,000 people. The organisers had greatly underestimated the local interest. Because they had run out of food, the whole community worked at night in order to be able to provide food for the coming day.

From that year, the festival has provided entertainment through the dancing-group of community. The dancers practiced for many hours in order to perform during the festival. The dancers, ranging in age from 6 years old to those over 30, performed an array of Greek folk-dances with great skill and attention. During the early years, the dances performed were primarily from mainland Greece. Over the years, the dances expanded to include those from all the regions of Greece, the Greek isles and Cyprus. Modern Greek dances were also introduced in later years, typically referred to as “taverna” dances. The elaborate costumes expanded over the years as well.

It has always been considered important that the festival not only demonstrate Greek culinary specialties, but also Greek cultural and historical customs. Thus, in addition to food and dance, those attending are encouraged to visit the Exhibit Room which demonstrates Greek lifestyle, crafts, art replicas, and religious artifacts. At the same time, they may take a tour of the Greek Orthodox Temple of Saint George. In addition, participation in Greek wine-tasting sessions is offered, and these are led by local sommeliers. As well, a “Kids Olympics” area is available.

Since 1986, the event has continued to grow in popularity and attendance in the metropolitan area. The proceeds from successive festivals have enabled the parish to make some renovations to the community centre, to landscape the property completely around the Temple, and to add an asphalt parking lot and a tennis court. Then an iconographer from Greece was hired to paint icons on the interior walls and ceiling of the Temple, in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Donations have also been made to the Children's Hospital, to the Grace Maternity Hospital, and to other charities.

Romiosyni Greek Dance Group

The dance group under the Greek Community of Halifax began in November, 1985 (in the form that is known at present), when Dr. Metalinos and his wife came from Montreal, for a weekend seminar. With considerable encouragement and help from the Priest Charalambos Elles, the community’s pastor, the group was formed. In the beginning there were 2 groups : the Greek School and the University students who performed for the very first time at the Greek Fest in 1986. Then, the following year, the youth of the community known as GOYA, started to have regular practices and became the third group.

Since then, many students have become teachers, and a good number of people, who had only dreamt of dancing in the group, have joined in as dancers. What has brought everyone together is the love for Greek dancing. There were more seminars held by bringing teachers from Montréal (Taki and Tasia Tzotzis and Popi Nanna) and the USA (Joe Graziosi), while some of the teachers have developed professionally by attending seminars in Greece and Canada. This way, new material is brought back to keep the interest in the Greek heritage active.

Weekly radio programme

For a time, “Hellenic Voice of Halifax”, a radio programme, was aired on station CKDU on Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. both at 88.1 FM, and on the internet at http://www.ckdu.ca/.

Weekly parish bulletin

The weekly bulletin is available on the internet by using this address.

Addition to the structure of the Temple, 2018

In 2018, the parish community began to construct an addition to the structure of the Temple in order to provide more classroom space for the Greek School.

Parish clergy

 The priests who have served in this parish include :
 
 Priest Theodore Scartsiades		1932-____
 Priest Emmanuel Athanasiou		1940s
 Priest Antonios Mavromaras		1950-1960
 Priest Charalambos Elles 		1979-1991
 Priest Theodore Efthimiadis		1991-2004
 Priest Panagiotis (Peter) Maropoulos	2004-____

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic, 2019

In 2019, the Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) was elevated to the dignity of Archdiocese. Thus, the official title of the diocese became “Holy Archdiocese of Canada and All the Arctic”, and alternatively, “Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada”.

Thus, Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas) was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, with the title “Archbishop of Canada and All the Arctic”, and alternatively, “Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Canada”.

Particular parish information

This parish is a part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Canada, of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople. The bishop is Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas). The Vicar-Bishop is Bishop Athenagoras (Salmas). The patriarch is Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis).

This parish follows the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of the Great Martyr George, 23 April.

In 2022, the pastor of the parish is the Priest Panagiotis (Peter) Maropoulos.

Address :

Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church

1146, Purcell’s Cove Road

Halifax, Nova Scotia

B3N 1R4

Web-site : http://www.halifaxgreeks.ca/

Facebook

Philoptochos web-site : http://www.halifaxgreeks.ca/philoptochos/index.htm#FiloNews

Romiosyni Dancers web-site : http://www.romiosyni.org/

Saint George’s Greek School web-site : http://www.halifaxgreeks.ca/school/

Directions :

Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church is found in the Armdale neighbourhood of southern Halifax, by the “Northwest Arm” inlet of the Atlantic Ocean.

By car :

From the north :

From Amherst in the north of Nova Scotia, drive southwards on Highway #102 (the aeroport is at Exit 6) until Exit 0 (the last exit). Take the ramp to the right, and turn right onto Joseph Howe Drive. Continue on until the rotary. In the rotary, take the exit to the right for Highway #349, Herring Cove Road. Turn left onto Highway #253, Purcell’s Cove Road. The Temple is on the left.

From the south :

From Yarmouth in southwestern Nova Scotia, drive northwards on Highway #103 until it merges with Highway #102. Continue on Highway #102 until Exit 0. Take the ramp to the right, and turn right onto Joseph Howe Drive. Continue on until the rotary. In the rotary, take the exit to the right for Highway #349, Herring Cove Road. Turn left onto Highway #253, Purcell’s Cove Road. The Temple is on the left.

From Dartmouth (across the "Northwest Arm"), drive southwards across the Angus L MacDonald Bridge to North Street, and continue straight on. Veer to the right onto Chebucto Road, and continue straight on until the rotary. In the rotary, take the exit to the right for Highway #349, Herring Cove Road. Turn left onto Highway #253, Purcell’s Cove Road. The Temple is on the left.

By bus :

Consult Halifax Transit. Bus #25 serves this Temple.

Priest Panagiotis (Peter) Maropoulos

Telephones : 902-479-1271 (office) ; 902-830-3377 (mobile)