This year’s programming includes numerous tributes to well appreciate and internationally acclaimed Greek artists. First, Pandelis Voulgaris’s work as an exceptional director will be honored with the screening of three of his best known films, each of them dealing with an important part of recent Greek history: our opening film Brides (Emigration in the 1920’s), Happy Day (The dictatorship) and Deep Soul (The civil war). Brides will also be our Opening Night movie, followed by our traditional cocktail at the Press Café, 3501 Park Avenue (250m from the Cinema du Parc).

We will also take the opportunity to honour one of Greece’s most loved actors who, sadly, passed away earlier this year: Thanasis Veggos, with one of his best known movies: What did you do in the War, Thanasis? Another tribute will be devoted to one of the most important 20th century Greek poets and Nobel laureate: George Seferis, who will be the subject of one of the selected documentaries.

Tuesday night will be dedicated to the Island of Kefalonia and will feature “Earthquake,” an extraordinary historical documentary about how people in the deepest despair are able to emerge. A wine tasting reception will follow.

The Festival will also be a great occasion to discover Greece’s contemporary cinema with the presentation of two recent films: Wasted Youth and Welcome to all Saints as well as through the cult-classic: Let the Women Wait!

In spite of the economic difficulties it is going through, Greece and its cinema are enjoying a renewed recognition in recent years giving us a humoristic and dramatic look at Greek society, nevertheless remaining sensitive and always intriguing. You are therefore invited to come and celebrate Greek cinema with us.

The Closing night of the festival will again take place at the historic Rialto Theater with the presentation of the Greek-Israeli co-production My Sweet Canary, tracing the life and career of the ultimate Greek rembetiko singer Roza Eskenazy (1895-1980). The screening will be the film’s North American premiere. There will be food, wine and music performed live by Cirque du Soleil singer and composer Nitza Melas.

CEGA Awards will take place at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel Ballroom on October 15th.

The CEGA Awards were created to Celebrate Excellence in Greek Achievement. They have been
conceived within the inspiration of honouring top achievement by Canadians of Greek decent. The
awards honour preeminent individuals, who have excelled in their respective fields, strive for
excellence and serve as role models within and beyond our Hellenic community.

The CEGA Awards bestow appreciation for the achievement of Greek Canadians by recognizing
excellence in one of five categories: the promotion of Hellenism; Education; Philanthropy; Civic
Responsibility and Family & Individual Excellence. These categories represent the five pillars of
the AHEPA mission statement.

The inaugural 2011 CEGA Awards are being held on October 15th 2011 at the prestigious
Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto, Canada. This black tie (optional) event will
bring together prominent individuals in a dinner celebration and create an opportunity for leisure,
social and cultural experience outside the normal everyday experience. We will celebrate human
achievement by producing a unique, memorable event with celebrity guest speakers. This group of
recipients was selected by the AHEPA Toronto, 2011 CEGA Awards committee which is comprised
of seven members.

The CEGA Award for the Promotion of Hellenism will be presented to the Honourable Dimitris
Azemopoulos, Consul General of Greece in Toronto since February 26, 2009. Mr. Azemopoulos’
career has focused on serving Hellenism and the Hellenic Republic. With multiple degrees and
fluency in eight languages, he has represented Hellenism in several positions and countries,
including the diplomatic Cabinets of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the
Republic, as Consular in the Greek Embassy in Warsaw, in the Council of the EU, as Head of the
Cabinet of the Director General Responsible for the International Organizations and Security, as
Director of the Cabinet of the Secretary General for the European Affairs and First Consular at the
Embassy of Greece in Norway. His hard work, innovative ideas and dedication have earned him
numerous awards and recognitions. These include The Eagle of the Polish Republic, The Cross of
the Commander of the Italian Republic and The National Ethnic Press & Media Council of Canada
Award for his leadership to the courses of social justice, human rights and democracy among all
Canadians.

The CEGA Award for Education will be presented to Nancy Athan‐Mylonas, theatre
director/choreographer. Ms. Athan‐Mylonas is a classically trained dancer & actor who is
enamoured with the exploration of her Hellenic roots through the cultural arts.  Her
journey initially lead her to open The School of Movement and The Greek Folklore Centre in
Sydney, Australia in 1966, where she taught Greek traditional & modern dances, dance theatre,
ballet and mime. This journey continued with the founding of Theatre Nefeli for the Greek
Community of Toronto in 1991, which has since seen the nurturing of 7 generations of young talent in these cultural arts.

Ms. Athan‐Mylonas’ productions are designed to convey to their audiences the importance of carrying on the Hellenic spirit, pride & heritage, and they do so
in the most entertaining fashion that appeals to all generations.

The CEGA Award for Philanthropy will be presented to John Dagonas, Director of the Hellenic
Hope Centre for Persons with Special Needs. Mr. Dagonas’ contributions transcend the standard
notion of philanthropy by the shear volume of organizations, committees and projects in which he
participates. His leadership as Chairman of the Board of the Hellenic Hope Centre for Persons with
Special Needs has resulted in the construction of a larger and more modern facility for the
organization. He has served as President of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, of Athens Villa –
Non‐Profit Housing Corporation of Ontario and of The Federation of Aegean Islands, Director of
Hellenic Canadian Congress, Hellenic Home for the Aged, The National Bank of Greece, West Park
Hospital and Metamorphosis School. In 2002, he was named Archon of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate.  More recently, Mr. Dagonas was elected SAE Coordinator in Canada
Region.

The CEGA Award for Civic Responsibility will be presented to Nick Aroutzidis, Past President of
AHEPA Canada for three consecutive terms. In this capacity Mr. Aroutzidis worked tirelessly to
raise the visibility and image of the Canadian AHEPA Family by encouraging members to seek
greater interaction and cooperation with local organizations, as well as with municipal and
provincial governments in their respective communities. He built a network of both formal and
informal forums with the Canadian government thus providing a viable opportunity for voicing
the opinions and concerns of Canadians of Hellenic descent.  To that end, Mr. Aroutzidis
spearheaded The Parliament Hill Hellenic Friendship Day that took place May 13th 2010. This was
a momentous event because it was the first time that the Hellenic organizations ‐ AHEPA, The
Canadian Hellenic Congress, PSEKA and SAE Canada spoke with one voice.

The CEGA Award for Family and Individual Excellence will be presented to Ted Manziaris,
President of Turtle Island Recycling. With a degree in Environmental Studies, the entrepreneurial
spirit and a desire to make a difference, Mr. Manziaris founded Turtle Island Recycling in the early
1990s, before green business became popular. Today this successful business employs 600 people
and contributes to an environmentally friendly community. Mr. Manziaris also founded the
Toronto Greek Film Retrospective, a series of free screenings that celebrate Greek cinema.  He
generously donates his time and skills to such worthwhile causes as ProAction – Cops and Kids,
and the Hellenic Hope Centre for Persons with Special Needs.
www.cegaawards.com

The proceeds from this event will help build the AHEPA Toronto Scholarship Fund.

Stephan Caras, who was born in Corinth, Greece has designed some of the most sophisticated and distinctive creations for men and women around the world.

After attending the Fashion Designer’s Academy of Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and the St Martin’s Theatre School in Australia as a teenager, he has gone on to establish the prestigious couture fashion house, ‘Stephan Caras Design Inc.’ in the heart of downtown Toronto in Canada.

Today, he is not only considered an internationally renowned designer, but also a sensitive man who understands, respects and can define a woman’s femininity and sensuality. This is what has enabled him to successfully and masterfully create intriguing collections that promote elegance, class and self assurance.

Stephan Caras Design Inc.

Here in an exclusive interview, Stephan Caras talks about his philosophy, his inspiration, his family and life in general.

 Stephan, how did you first become interested in fashion design?

The fact that my older sister was a designer has something to do with it. At a very early age I spent most of my time in her studio playing and experimenting with various scraps of fabric that I could find in a box where she kept all of the left over fabrics.

What was the first article of clothing you ever designed and do you still have it?

A pair of shorts for myself with matching sandals made from scrap fabrics that I found on the floor of my sister’s studio. I regret not having kept them.

Where do you get your design inspiration?

Femininity and beauty in general gives me a lot of inspiration. Also my previous work inspires me a lot.

You have said that your inspiration comes from the femininity that women exude. Do all women exude femininty?

In my opinion, yes. Women naturally possess femininity within. What inhibits some women from exuding their natural femininity is the lack of self assurance.  A woman will naturally exude her femininity if she wears something that looks good on her in style and in colour rather than what is promoted as something in ‘style.’ Besides black, no other colour is suitable for everybody, nor any trendy shape or look. Women need to wear what expresses their character the best, and what is compatible with their personality and colour complexity.  In my view, fashion is an expression of self.

What do you enjoy most about designing clothes?

When I can transform an idea of a specific shape into a physical form that was conceived out of nowhere. This process is the ultimate pleasure for any artist.

What is the most challenging part?

Just when you think that you have completed everything, you realize that what you have just created can be re-invented. Once you direct your imagination into this path, a new horizon of design unveils itself.

How does designing jewellery differ from designing clothes?

The concept is the same, creativity transforms itself into shapes. The only thing that differs is your medium.

How long does it take to construct a piece from beginning to end?

This can never be determined! Some items take only a few hours and some can take days. It depends on the style complexity, and on the materials that are being used. Some fabrics do not agree with a specific shape or form. Like most things in life, a compatible chemistry is necessary.

Stephan Caras Design Inc. is located in an extraordinary landmark building which the interior has been designed by yourself. How do you feel when you step inside this splendid working environment?

We designed the interior of this magnificent building to suit our personalities and to serve our needs. We wanted to have an environment that is pleasant
creative, and unique. We achieved this by combining classy modernity to this neoclassic landmark. I feel a sense of pride when I walk into this splendid space.

Tell me a little about ‘Corporate Career Wear.’ How do you manage to combine comfort and durability to achieve a contemporary look?

I put a lot of emphasis on comfort.  My belief is that a woman can not exude femininity if she feels uncomfortable. Sometimes women will go to certain degrees of discomfort to wear something more contemporary. This is unnecessary if the engineering and the construction of the garment is planned properly. Durability applies more to timeless styling or corporate wear. Durability depends on the quality of materials and the construction of the garment. There is no reason why a garment should not have longevity and be comfortable at the same time. ( In 2000, Stephan Caras was chosen amongst other designers by one of Canada’s most valuable brands, ‘Tim Hortons’ to design and develop its career wear and update its image. Today, all Tim Hortons employees and owner operators are dressed in the career wear designed by Stephan Caras.)

What is the most difficult aspect of running your own label?

It is extremely difficult to run your own business and be creative at the same time. Over the years I have learned how to separate my entrepreneurial from my artistic roles. It is a very complex process and it requires long hours and dedication. I have a wonderful team headed by my wife Sharida and my son Kyriako that support all aspects of the business. Kyriako is also my design assistant. The most difficult aspect for any independent designer is the business financing.

Do you support the community and try to use local models for your collections?

I like to support the local models. In any professional and artistic community, local cooperation creates better strength for the community. Canada has excellent models and I am happy to use them.

Do you have any preferences between women’s fashion or men’s?

I definitely prefer women’s fashion.  You get very creative with various shapes and have many different fabrics to work with. I am also inspired by femininity, this alone gives me the incentive to be creative. I enjoy designing men’s clothes too, but you are limited to what you can do in shapes and restricted to only a few fabrics. That can be a challenge at times, but the interesting thing is that you work more with details.

Who is your most influential designer?

I don’t allow myself to be influenced by other designers, everyone expresses fashion in their own way. I like to express that with my own vision of femininity. I admire the works of Valentino for its femininity, Ungaro for for its fluid construction, and Yves Saint Laurent for its classic modernity.

How have women changed over the years? Are they more self assured compared with women from the golden age such as Sophia Loren or Jayne Mansfield?

Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot, Gina Lollobrigida, and Raquel Welch. This was the golden movie age! They all portrayed the self assured woman of this era. In my opinion, it was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that made the difference. She did not follow trends, she had her own style that influenced the public and the fashion world. As a result, yes! Women of today are more self assured.

 She has always been elegant and feminine. She inspires me to a certain degree, but I don’t focus on her alone. Every women has her own femininity in her own way.  My designs are for all women.

How involved is Sharida in the business? Do you listen to her views and follow her advice?

Sharida is very involved in many ways in the business. We listen to each others views but we do not necessarily agree all the time. At the end of the day, we both have one common interest, and that is what will benefit the Stephan Caras brand. We respect each others opinions and we find a way to connect them. She is my sounding board and bears me with grace. I can be difficult at times.

Kyriakos, your son is already following in his father’s footsteps. What are his plans for the future?

Kyriakos’ future depends on his desire and the ability to materialize his dreams. He is uniquely educated academically as well as in all aspects of these business. He has been technically groomed ever since he was a child, and he has an amazing flair for style. A style that is his own and he has the ability to transform and materialize his concepts. In due time, he will decide when he is ready and it is the right time for him to venture out and pursue his dreams.

On a more personal note, how would you describe yourself as a person……do you have any weaknesses?

Internally, I see myself as gentle, romantic, and compassionate. My weakness is that I have too many strengths.

 I know that you appreciate art. Which architect or artist do you particularly admire?

My favourite architects are Frank Darling and John A. Pearson.  They were iconic Canadian architects in the early 20th century famous for their Beaux-Arts and Classical revival styles.  They were commissioned by the Canadian Bank of Commerce at the time to design their banks, including the building that we currently own and operate as our World Headquarters.  Their inspiration was influenced by a Greek revival at the time, and saw the construction of many buildings with a Neo-Classical aesthetic.  This, in many ways, has tied a personal connection to my roots in Greece.

How often do you travel to Greece and where do you like to go?

I visit Greece 2-4 times a year. I love being with my family and I enjoy cruising the islands. The mainland has a lot to offer and there is so much to see. The enchantment of Greek history makes it a unique place.

Are you afraid of what the future holds in the present global economic crisis?

I am concerned but not afraid.  I never fear a materialistic crisis. I have learned to be a realist and a survivor. Nothing is ever permanent, we must accept all situations, and be prepared to face diversity within uncertain times. There are millions upon millions of people who go through an economic crisis all the time. I feel that I am blessed, and it will be an insult to God and to the people who are truly having difficulties during this time if I fear the fact that I may have to do with less.

Do you encourage youth of today to take risks and help them to realize their dreams?

Absolutely! Life without dreams is a journey without destination. We need to pursue our dreams with all its risks. The biggest risk in life is not taking risks. “It does not matter if we win or lose, what matters is that we follow our quest” (Don Quixote).

What piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to start a career in fashion?

One must be prepared to work extremely hard, have absolute faith in his/her design ability, and must have a lot of technical knowledge. He/she must be properly financed and to always work by this philosophy… “There is always someone more talented out there”.

Stephan Caras, will be shooting his exquisite Spring/Summer Collection 2012 at the Club Hotel Casino, in Loutraki and unveiling it during the Athens Xclusive Designer’s week in October. For more information and to receive a newsletter: www.stephancaras.com.

You’ve definitely heard them before. On the verge of breaking loose and taking over the Canadian pop-rock music scene, one of Toronto’s newest bands, “Neverest” is rapidly ascending to stardom.

Since releasing their first single “About Us” in October 2010 and their first EP with the same title on March 29, 2011, Neverest has reached the Number 1 position on the MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown and number 30 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Their music video for “Everything” received a nomination for the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards, an event where they were seen strolling the red carpet beside names as big as Bieber.

So why are we talking about Neverest on GreekGateway.com? You’ve probably guessed it – the band’s lead singer and front man, Spyros Chalkiotis, comes from a Greek family and is a rabidly proud Greek-Canadian.

Before I could usher in a word on the phone, Spyros jumped at the opportunity to speak Greek. “Can you speak Greek, can we talk in Greek?” he asked eagerly, like a puppy just released from his cage. “I like to take advantage of every opportunity to practice Greek,” he admits ambitiously.

And in a moment, the character and nature of Spyros is revealed – positive, energetic, enthusiastic and determined. It has been these qualities that have elevated Spyros and his band from students of music with aspirations for glory to national celebrities.

Spyros’ life as a star started with a courageous decision to shape his own destiny, and turn his lifelong dream into a reality.

“I was studying music at York actually as a drummer and basist, never a singer,” says Chalkiotis. “It was insane how the transformation happened. I was applying to Teachers College and I knew if I sent in my application, being a teacher would be my reality. I couldn’t give up on my dream, so instead of sending in my applications, I decided that I was going to be homeless or I was going to be famous.” Read more here.

Source: GreekGateway.com / Cory Sterling

Turtle Island Recycling President Ted Manziaris

Ted Manziaris’ undeniable entrepreneurial spirit showed from the first steps of his career when he tried all kinds of professions with success from being a hot-dog vendor to a real estate agent. However, it wasn’t until Turtle Island Recycling, when his spirit really thrived.

Today, Ted Manziaris and Louis Anagnostakos (his partner) run one of the coolest companies in Toronto, as they are helping the community and environment and at the same time making a profit.

They started in the 90′s before “green business” was chic, using Manziaris’ family station wagon and a 10-foot by 10-foot room to collect garbage throughout Toronto. Back then, recycling wasn’t the big business it is today and the two young Greek-Canadian founders of Turtle Island Recycling were struggling.

Their luck changed in one night when Manziaris’ phone rang. It was a call from Maple Leafs Arena that wanted Manziaris to go and clean the stadium after a concert and do it in one night. Manziaris went and worked non-stopped overnight to clean the stadium. This resulted in a contract that kept the company open and made it successful.

Today, Turtle Island Recycling employs six hundred people and offers all kinds of recycling services for all types of waste. Ted and his partner are still working hard and plan to grow the company internationally.  Who knows, we may even see Turtle Island in Greece as Manziaris notes in his interview with Greek Reporter.

When Ted is not at work he likes to offer back to the community. The last project his company funded was the Greek Retrospective, a three day festival with free admission that brought Greek cinema to Toronto.

Ted Manziaris

We met Ted Manziaris and talked to him about his business, the Greek community of Toronto, and the future of Turtle island recycling.

Where are you from?
I was born in Toronto.

What part of Greece does your family come from?
Kastoria.

What did you study?
Environmental Studies at the University of Western Ontario

What was your work background before Turtle Island?
I was a student before Turtle Island.

How did you get involved with recycling at first?
Wanted to make an environmental difference in people’s lives

What was your family’s reaction to your venture?
My family thought I was crazy. They told me to find a real job.  After all I went to university and should not be a garbage man.

What was the hardest part of creating your own company?

The hardest part of creating our company was with no money.

How many employees do you have?
600 employees.

How did Turtle Island become this big successful company? What was the turning point?
We had tunnel vision and focused on what needed to be done that’s why Turtle Island became successful. The turning point was when we started to believe in ourselves and our environmental causes.

Tell us a few things about the Greek community of Toronto?
The Greek community of Toronto consists of hard working, successful people.

What Greek organizations/projects you are involved/support?

We are involved in as much Greek causes as we can. Hellenic Hope, Hellenic Heritage.

Greece does not have many recycling companies or know-how. Would you be interested to start an operation there?

Yes.

What are your future plans for Turtle Island?

Turtle Island’s future plans are to grow the company internationally.

What are your favorite hobbies?

My favorite hobbies consist of playing sports and charity work.

A video about Turtle Island recycling can be found below:

A series of free screenings to celebrate Greek cinema via an eclectic mix of films from the past 50 years will mark the event. The TGRF’s aim is to showcase Greek films produced by Greek filmmakers. Its goal is to promote Hellenic culture, history and passion on screen. The films that will be shown include ones from the golden years of Greek cinema, from the 1950’s to 1960’s, as well as films from the early 80’s and 90’s. This retrospective will be open to the general public and admission is free.

Films that will be shown in the festival include: Stella (1955), Girl in Black (1956), A Matter of Dignity (1958), Ena Gelasto Apogevma (1979), Tighten Your Belt Thanassi (1980), Learn how to Read and Write My Son (1981), Stone Years (1985), The Striker With the #9 Jersey (1989), Crystal Years (1992), From the Snow (1993).

For more information visit TGRF’s website at: http://torontogreekfilms.com/

Greek Foto Week brings together talented photographers of Greek descent from throughout North America for a one-week celebration of talent, light, imagery and color that only the lens of a camera can produce.

Greek Foto Week is part of the CONTACT Photography Festival. The exhibition and activities are organized by the Greek American Foundation, Toronto and are hosted in one of the city’s most unique event spaces, the Burroughes Building, a landmark that is leading the revival in one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods. Some of the photographers include: Matthew Stylianou, Tony Koukos, and Krist Papas.

The exhibit will run from Sunday May 1 to Saturday May 7, 2011. An opening reception (By invitation only) to launch the week-long event is being held at The Burroughes Gallery on Sunday May 1, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Venue Location: The Burroughes Gallery – 639 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

*For Guest list please email gfw@greekamerica.org

Cathy Anagnostopoulos is a 44 year-old mother of 3 young children; Gregory, Angela and Alexander, aged 10, 11 and 15. She lives in Toronto, Canada. Her recent diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) has brought complete devastation to their lives. The only cure for Cathy’s type of cancer is a successful Stem Cell Transplant. Her siblings have been tested but unfortunately, they are not a match. Her ONLY hope now to live is to find an unrelated donor. Cathy is of Greek descent which makes a match more likely within the Greek Community, however all ethnicities are encouraged to help.

The situation: Cathy Anagnostopoulos was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. A Pharmacist by trade, Cathy has a family with 3 young children – Alex, Angela and Gregory.

After she had experienced headaches on and off for a few straight weeks, Nick, her husband of almost 20 years, took her to the emergency room at North York General Hospital. Preliminary blood work showed abnormalities in her blood cells.

Cathy was immediately transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for further evaluation. It was there, on February 23, 2011, that she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and learned that she would be spending the next month or so undergoing intense chemotherapy treatment.

This obvious came as complete shock to her and her family, as she was in otherwise perfect health. Staying true to her selfless personality, Cathy was more concerned for her children than her own well being. She used her family as inspiration to get her through the 5 weeks of chemo and recovery she spent at Princess Margaret Hospital.

On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, doctors determined that her blood cell counts were sufficient for Cathy to be discharged. At home 4 days later, Cathy felt short of breath and got rushed by ambulance to the emergency room at Sunnybrook. Unfortunately, blood tests revealed that the cancer had already returned.

Having failed her first round of induction chemotherapy, Cathy is once again at Princess Margaret Hospital and is scheduled to begin another, more aggressive round of treatment.

Doctors have determined that Cathy will require a stem cell transplant to have any chance at a full recovery.

To find out more information or to join your national Registry please visit: www.onematch.ca (Canada), http://www.bethematch.com (USA), http://www.sunflowerfund.org.za (South Africa) or abmdr.org.au (Australia)
Please consider joining the Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Registry. If you are a match (with Cathy or another recipient), the actual transplant procedure, in most cases, is similar to donating blood.
For more information visit http://www.helpsavecathy.com and http://www.facebook.com/HelpSaveCathy

We don’t know how much time she has – so let’s not waste a second of it. This is an urgent matter of life or death and YOU may be the only match to save her life.

On October 23, 2000, Lazaridis founded the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics with $100 million of personal funds, along with $10 million contributions from fellow RIM executives Jim Balsillie and Doug Fregin.

On April 30, 2004, Lazaridis and his wife together donated $33.3 million to the University of Waterloo for its Institute for Quantum Computing.

On May 3, 2005, Lazaridis gave an additional $17.2 million to the University of Waterloo, primarily to aid the construction of a new building jointly shared by the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology.

On June 4, 2008, a further donation of $50 million to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics was announced.

(with info from Wikipedia.com)