Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal launches 120th anniversary celebrations

The Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal (HCGM), officially launched celebrations marking its 120th anniversary during a press conference this morning, highlighting more than a century of service to the Greek community in Quebec.

The milestone was announced by the President of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, Mr. Basile Angelopoulos, alongside Mrs. Justine Frangouli-Argyris, Chair of the 120th Anniversary Committee.

“It’s a remarkable achievement, it’s a hell of a milestone, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for the community to celebrate our past, our roots, our evolution, and more importantly build pride in what we’ve managed to do in 120 years,” said Basile Angelopoulos, President of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal.

In operation since 1906, HCGM has been proudly serving and representing generations of Greek families across Montreal, Laval, and the South Shore, assisting in preserving Hellenic heritage by promoting the Greek language, Christian Orthodox faith, history, and culture, all while fostering strong civic engagement.

“Who could have ever dreamt back in the turn of the century that 120 years later we would still be having discussions on these lands where the community first started in 1906,” said Angelopoulos.

Remaining a pillar of community life, the HCGM continues to contribute economically, socially and culturally across Montreal and Quebec.

Today, the HCGM offers the population of Greek origin a wide range of services in education, religious life, cultural programming, social services, sports, volunteer initiatives, and member support. They also operate a large network of private schools in Quebec, placing an emphasis on unity, cultural heritage, and community building they say.

“We have to celebrate the resilience because over the years, like every community, we had our fallouts and we had our problems, and yet we pulled us together still alive with all these properties, our churches, trilingual schools, with our youth which is very fervent to become part of our community,” said Justine Frangouli-Argyris, Chair of the 120th Anniversary Committee.

Events marking the anniversary are expected to take place throughout the year, including the LEM Annual Dance, a luncheon “Our Roots, Our Journey,” honoring founding families, Greek National Day events, the National Day Gala, and the annual Greek Independence Day parade.