Norman Kenneth Campbell, composer, director and producer, was born in Los Angeles, California on 4 February 1924. He was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia where he attended the University of British Columbia, earning a degree in mathematics and physics. After graduation, Campbell was hired by Canada's meteorological service, but left in 1948 to join CBC Radio Vancouver where he was a director of variety programs. Campbell also composed music, including the signature song for the "Juliette show." In 1952, Campbell joined CBC Television as a director and producer and is credited with the CBC's first broadcast, a program entitled "Let's see." While Campbell worked in many genres, his specialty was comedy, musicals and the performing arts. He was responsible for the broadcast of ballets, operas, and other stage productions, including performances from the Stratford Festival. In addition, Campbell worked on projects for American television, such as performance specials for entertainers like Diana Ross and Frank Sinatra and sitcoms like "All in the family" and "The Mary Tyler Moore show." Campbell is, perhaps, best known for composing the music for "Anne of Green Gables : the musical," which is still performed at the Charlottetown Festival in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Campbell's work was recognized nationally and internationally, winning a Gemini for "The pirates of Penzance" (1986), two international Emmys for "Cinderella" [ballet] (1965) and "Sleeping Beauty" [ballet] (1972), and the Prix René Barthélemy (Monte Carlo International Television Festival) for "Romeo and Juliette" [ballet] (1966). His contributions to arts in Canada were also recognized where he was named a member of the Royal Canadian Academy in 1975 and he received the Order of Canada in 1979. Norman Campbell died of a stroke on 12 April 2004 in Toronto, Ontario.
Nina Levitt is a Canadian artist who works primarily in photography, installation, and video. Levitt obtained a BA from Toronto Metropolitan University in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1997. Her work has been extensively shown throughout Canada, and has also been showcased in the US and the UK. Her practice examines the representation of women in popular culture and often involves the recovery and manipulation of existing images. Her work has been recognized with dozens of grants including a SSHRC Research Creation Grant, and has been widely published and reviewed, including feature articles in Parachute #100 and Canadian Art. Her exhibitions include Nuit Blanche (2006), Otherworldly in Melbourne and Manchester (2007), The Uncanny: Experiments in Cyborg Culture(Vancouver Art Gallery; Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon; Edmonton Art Gallery, 2002) and a commission for the 100th anniversary of Women’s College Hospital, Toronto (2011), Fan the Flames: Queer Positions in Photography at the Art Gallery of Ontario (2014) and in/future at the Cinesphere, Ontario Place in 2016.
Since 2004, she has been an Associate Professor at York University. Previously, she was the Program Coordinator of the Toronto Photographers Workshop (Gallery TPW) between 1984-1991, and taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the New Media program at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Trifon Haitas was born in 1966 in the village of Foufas, Kozani, Greece. He joined his parents in Canada together with his sister Eleni in 1972. The family lived in Leslieville before settling in Willowdale.
Haitas attended the School of Communication Arts at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology (now known as Seneca Polytechnic). During his first two semesters, he was hired part-time as an AV technician for Stronco Audio Visuals, a company that primarily provided and set up audiovisual equipment for hotels. After working a short time with them, he was offered a full-time position and left the program.
In the late 1990s, Haitas worked in the film industry as a Locations Manager, becoming acquainted with Nicholas Stiliadis and Nick Mirkopoulos. Mirkopoulos would introduce him to Peter Maniatakos of Odyssey TV Network, and he began working as a principle cameraman there. Haitas also worked as a cameraman on the television program Εδώ Που Τα Λέμε (Edo Pou Ta Leme) with George Trialonis on Rogers/OMNI. Haitas also did camera work for the Shoah Foundation, which inspired him to interview veterans of the Axis Occupation of Greece, and to collect oral history testimonies from the Greek Cypriot community.
In the early 2000s, Haitas began working as a freelance videographer and founded his own company, Audio Visual Communications Inc. (AVC). Through AVC, Haitas was contracted by the Greek Community of Toronto to produce a weekly television show called Κοινοτική Ψυχή (Koinotiki Psyche), which aired on Odyssey TV. Haitas was also commissioned by ΕΡΤ (ERT) to film footage of the Olympic Flame Ceremony for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Haitas was a founder of the Canadian Multicultural Network, where he produced episodes of Hispanic Life, which aired on OMNI Television, and a web show called Hellenic Life, which he uploaded to YouTube and Dailymotion.
Haitas also worked in print media from around 2007 to 2011, writing a column for Ελληνικός Τύπος (the Greek Press) titled “Saints and Icons”, where he would write about the major feast days of the month and the history of the saints celebrated on those days.
Haitas was a member of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA), and is a member of the National Ethnic Press & Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC). On January 26, 2007, he was awarded the NEPMCC’s medal of distinction, and earned honourary membership on the board of directors for his work in ethnic and diaspora media.
Following the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Haitas changed careers and became involved with the automotive industry. Haitas also ran in the 2014 City of Richmond Hill municipal elections for Ward 1 Councillor when he was residing in Oak Ridges, Richmond Hill.
Haitas has always had a passion for the history of the Greek diaspora in Toronto and was an early supporter of the Greek Canadian History Project, an initiative that would go on to become the HHF Greek Canadian Archives at York University.
Haitas has always considered himself fortunate to call Canada his home. He is blessed with two children, Stavros and Elefterea, who he named after his parents in the traditional Greek custom.
Anna Maria de Souza (formerly Marston, nee Guidi) ([194-?]-2007) was a prominent Toronto philanthropist and volunteer known for founding the Brazilian Carnival Ball, an annual fundraising gala that raised money for charities and causes in Toronto and Brazil.
Born in São Sebastião do Paraíso, Brazil, de Souza moved to Toronto in 1965 with her husband, John Marston. She founded and held the first Brazilian Carnival Ball the following year in 1966, with the inaugural event held in the basement of the St. Agnes [Santa Ines] Church in Toronto.
Over the course of it’s 46-year history (1966-2012), the Brazilian Carnival Ball cumulatively raised over $57 million. Beneficiaries were selected each year by Anna Maria de Souza and have included universities, hospitals, arts organizations, and other causes. Examples have included York University, the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The Ball was held in several venues throughout Toronto over the course of its history, including The Four Seasons Hotel and later the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from the late 1980s onwards. The Ball continued for a short number of years after Anna Maria died in 2007, with the final event held in 2012.
In addition to her work with the Brazilian Carnival Ball, de Souza also worked as the curator of the Henry Birks Collection of antique Canadian silver in the late 1970s and volunteered her time with several charitable foundations and boards, including the Women’s Committee of the Canadian Opera Company. Following her divorce from John Marston, she would later remarry in 1982 to Ivan de Souza, a prominent Toronto investment banker. Both Anna Maria de Souza and Ivan de Souza were recognized for their dedication and charitable work in May 2008 when the Government of Ontario announced a $15 million grant to establish the de Souza Institute, an organization that provides support and training for healthcare professionals.
Anna Maria de Souza’s meaningful philanthropic work has been recognized with numerous awards, certificates, and plaques of appreciation throughout her life. These include the Award of Merit by the City of Toronto (1987), the Order of Rio Branco (1995), and the Golden Jubilee Medal (2002).
Gerald A. Archambeau is a Canadian citizen (b.1933) who emigrated from Jamaica to Montreal in 1947. He was the first black adolescent to join the Canadian Naval Cadets in Montreal in 1948, and the first black telegraph messenger to work for the Angelo American Telegraph Company. Archambeau worked as a passenger car attendant for the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway in the 1950s. From 1967 to his retirement in 1993, Archambeau worked as a station attendant for Air Canada at the Malton (now Pearson International) airport. In 2004 Archambeau published his autobiography: "A Struggle To Walk With Dignity: The story of a Jamaican-born Canadian." In 2020 Archambeau published a collection of short stories and reminiscences titled "A Story Not Forgotten: Hidden Mixed Family Lives."
Archambeau's grandfather was a police inspector, naturalist, lecturer and explorer in Jamaica, Herbert T. Thomas.
His first wife was Gertrude Thomas. They had five sons and one daughter. The couple lost four of their sons during WWI. Archambeau's grandmother, Leonora Thomas, was Herbert T. Thomas' second wife. She was a seamstress and owned a local bakery. The couple had four daughters.
Archambeau's mother Phyllis A. Thomas, was a nurse. Phyllis had three sisters: Dorothy M. Thomas (also known as Dorothy Coot) was a legal secretary and the first female underwriter at New York Life Insurance Company; Beatrice V. Thomas was a cost accountant for a rum company based in Jamaica; Kathleen M. Thomas was also a legal secretary.
Additional biographical information can be found online through a Historica Canada recording of Archambeau speaking about his childhood in Jamaica. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZDurN3G4Gk&feature=youtu.be.
Andrew Tomcik is a professor, graphics designer and visual communications consultant. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and received a Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Art (1960) and a B. F. A. and an M. F. A. from the Yale University School of Art and Architecture in New Haven, Connecticut (1964,1965). Prior to teaching at York University, Tomcik had a professional practice in corporate design and taught at Georgia State University (1967-74), directing its Division of Applied Design and Crafts (1973-1974). At York University, Tomcik served as a Professor of Fine Arts (1974-present) and was Chair of the Department of Visual Arts (1981-84, 1990-91). He has written numerous articles on design and has presented art and designs for publications such as Azure, Scan, Graphis Posters and Graphic Design Journal. His work has been exhibited and published in North America, Europe and China. As a consultant, Tomcik has created designs, artwork and posters for clients such as Companion magazine and I.B.M. and many departments at York University. Honours include the OCUFA Teaching Award in 1986 and four publication design awards from the Canadian Church Press (1988). He is a member of and has held prominent positions in the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Tomcik was Master of Winters College, York University. Tomcik was married to his wife Donna for 55 years and the couple raised two children. Tomcik passed away in 2023.
Michalis Mouratidis was born in the village of Panagista, Pella, Greece in 1943. In 1946, during the Greek Civil War, he was relocated with his family to Veria.
Mouratidis was active in sports during his youth and was a member of the National Youth Team and Panhellenic champion in the 3000- and 5000-meter steeplechase. He married Eleftheria (Roula) Argyropoulou and together they had three children, Kosmas, Angelos and Dimitri.
Mouratidis immigrated to Canada in 1966 and settled in Toronto. He trained as a dental technician and worked for Royal Dental Lab as a denturist.
An active member of the Greek Canadian community, Mouratidis was an executive member of many organizations and associations, including the Cultural-Athletic Association "Omiros”, the Pontian Brotherhood of Toronto "Panagia Soumela”, the Greek Community of Toronto, the Panpontian Federation of the USA – Canada, and the Cultural Association of the Prefecture of Imathia "Vergina".
From 1976-1978 Mouratidis served as the president of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto. From 1978-1980, Mouratidis was the president of the Greek Community of Toronto’s Cultural Centre, during which time he established a replica museum with cast copies of ancient Greek statues.
From 1988-1990 he was a member of a Five-member National Council responsible for addressing national and community problems.
In 1989, Mouratidis was honoured for his contributions with a Man of the Year Award, presented by then-president of the Greek Community of Toronto, Anastasios Karantonis.
From 1990-1992, Mouratidis was on the Board of Directors for the Greek Community of Toronto.
In 1990, Mouratidis also played an active role in fundraising for the Chair of Modern Greek Studies at York University.
Mouratidis served as the first president of the Pan-Pontian Federation of USA and Canada, established in 1980. In this role, he oversaw the proclamation of 1982 as the year of “Hellenism in Pontus and Asia Minor” as well as the establishment of the Day of Remembrance of the Pontian Genocide, observed annually on May 19.
In 1991, Michalis and Roula Mouratidis pioneered the establishment of the Cultural Association of the Prefecture of Imathia "Vergina".
Together with his wife Roula, Mouratidis has worked to highlight and commemorate the history of the Pontian Genocide in Canada through exhibits, lectures, and visits to the Canadian Parliament to advocate for recognition.
Mouratidis has a long-held passion for history, and has been collecting books, photographs, albums, newspapers, and other materials from the Greek community in Toronto for many years. He is the author of a photographic memory book titled “Μνήμες”, published in 1989, as well as a book on the history of Greeks in Toronto titled “Όσα Δεν Έσβησε Ο Χρόνος: Ελληνική Κοινότητα Τορόντο”, published in 2016.
Mouratidis continues to reside in Toronto and plays an active role in the community.
Born in Poland, Czerwinski, an aeronautical engineer, was a designer who worked with a fellow Polish refugee, Hilary Stykolt designing furniture in Canada for the Canadian Wooden Aircraft Company.
Born in Poland, Stykolt was an industrial designer who worked with fellow Polish refugee, Waclaw Czerwinski designing furniture in Canada for the Canadian Wooden Aircraft Company.
Sidney Bersudsky was an industrial designer. He was born in Odessa, Russia and immigrated to Saint John, New Brunswick at the age of five. Graduating from Saint John Vocational School, Bersudsky began his career publishing editorial cartoons in the Telegraph Journal and The Evening Times Globe, he later developed an interest in industrial design, working in several manufacturing plants and studying drafting and drawing. In 1938 he founded Bersudsky and Associates in Sydney, Nova Scotia. By 1948 he had relocated the company to Toronto, designing new products and redesigning existing products for corporate clients. He developed a specialization in the use of plastics, developing a reputation as one of the top designers in the country. Sidney and Associates held twenty patents in both Canada and the United States. In 1963 he was a founding member of the Associate of Canadian Industrial Designers, serving as the inaugural president of the organization. He was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. He was a recipient of the Centennial Medal in 1967.
Glenn Murray Moffatt, industrial designer and teacher, was born in Toronto on 23 May 1944 to Fred and Roma Moffatt and grew up in Thornhill. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1967, Moffatt began a successful career designing consumer and industrial products. He ran his own business, Moffatt Associates, while occasionally collaborating with his father. His most successful project was an electric hair setter designed within a year of graduation, which sold between 2 and 3 million units for Samson-Dominion, its Canadian manufacturer. Moffatt worked on a wide variety of products that ranged from the GT Snow Racer and Noma Snowthrowers to amplifiers and public address systems, industrial paint spraying equipment, and a paint store colourant dispenser carousel. He continued his father’s work on electric kettles, developing a plastic kettle for Black & Decker Canada Incorporated in 1984 and updating the designs of Superior Electrics of Pembroke, Ontario, Canada’s last manufacturer of steel kettles which also introduced a plastic model designed by Moffatt. He designed packaging graphics for Black & Decker from 1984 to 1987. Moffatt was a member of the Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario and served as a Professor of Industrial Design and Coordinator of Special Projects at Humber College from 1995 to his retirement in 2022. Moffatt died on 9 July 2023.
"The Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives (HHF GCA) grew out of the Greek Canadian History Project (GCHP)—a joint initiative launched by Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas and Christopher Grafos in 2012. The GHCP’s mission was to preserve and facilitate access to historical materials illuminating aspects of Greek immigrants’ varied experiences in Canada.
Over the next decade, Gekas, Grafos, Kali Petropoulos (the GCHP’s Public Relations Coordinator), and dozens of community volunteers organized memorable events, exhibitions, and historical walks. The project’s success inspired further investment. On September 22, 2021, York University announced that it had received a $1.4-million gift from the Hellenic Heritage Foundation to aid in preserving, cataloguing, digitizing, and teaching Greek Canadian history. The GCHP acquired a new name, and the HHF GCA was born." https://www.yorku.ca/research/project/hhfgca/history/
William J. Wood was a Canadian painter and etcher. Born May 26, 1877 in Ottawa; he studied at the Eric Pape School of Art in Boston, Massachusetts in 1900, and the Central Ontario School of Art and Industrial Design (OCAD) between 1904-1905. Wood married Jessie Reaman in 1906, they had at least three children. Wood eventually settled in Midland, Ontario where he lived until his death; where he worked at the Midland Shipyards from 1913 until the 1930s. Between 1915-1919, Wood served in the Canadian Army during World War I. Wood was a close friend of several of the Group of Seven members, Arthur Lismer and A.Y. Jackson. He was a member of the Canadian Group of Painters, the Canadian Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, and the Canadian Society of Graphic Art. Wood died January 4, 1954.