Greektown (Vancouver)

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Greektown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is an area in the Kitsilano neighborhood which was historically an enclave of Greek immigrants and their descendants. The term is an informal one, and Greektown's borders were never strictly defined. However, West Broadway at MacDonald Street is generally considered the centre.

By 2005 this Greek identity has waned considerably, and the primary remnants of Greektown are St. George's Greek Orthodox Church at 31st Ave. and Arbutus, the local Athens Social Club, a Greek supermarket, and a higher-than-average concentration of Greek restaurants.

Greek Day returned to Kitsilano between MacDonald and Blenheim on West Broadway for festivities; it had been since 1988 when the last Greek Day was allowed to transpire.

[edit] History

After World War II, Greek refugees from Europe and western Canada congregated in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. They founded the aforementioned Greek Orthodox church, several businesses and social clubs, schools, a bank, newspapers, and, later, even a television station.

In the 1971 Canada census, Greek was the second-most common language and ethnic origin in the Kitsilano area, second only to English and the British Isles, respectively. In 1974 the city of Vancouver sanctioned an annual "Greek Day" celebration in the area.

During the 1980s a combination of cultural assimilation, an influx of baby boomers, rising property prices, and Asian immigration began to significantly erode the Greek influence in the area. During this time many Greek businesses moved or ceased operation, the television station went off-air, and Greek Day was canceled.

In the 2001 Canada census, the percentage of people in Kitsilano reporting Greek as their mother tongue had shrunk to 2%, below that of English, Chinese, French, and even German.

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Neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia