The Hellenic Community of Vancouver was founded in 1927 and a few years later St. George’s, the first Greek Orthodox church, was erected on Vine and W. 7th. That church building, now part of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, was sold in the 1970s when the fast-growing Hellenic Community built the present St. George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral and Hellenic Community Centre on 4500 Arbutus Street.
Τhe Vancouver Hellenes have contributed to the social life and culture of the city from the Vancouver Polar Bear swim — started in 1920 by a Greek immigrant — to the vaudeville theatres built by Alexander Pantages, to city landmarks such as the statue of Nike downtown; and from the beloved annual Greek Days organized by the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation of Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University.
The mission of the Hellenic Community of Vancouver is to preserve and promote Hellenic culture, spirituality and presence in the immediate community and abroad; to provide a community gathering place for generations to come; to give back to the local community and create positive change; to become a cultural ambassador to everything related to Hellenism.
