Greek Heritage Project Museum
4648 Elk Lake Drive V8Z 5M1 Victoria, BC, Canada

Welcoming Jack Levelt, second year UVic student majoring in Political Science and History to the museum for the summer. He will be concentrating on collecting and connecting the data around Greek immigrants to Vancouver Island. Please send us or bring us your family and community stories and photos to include in the end product. Here is an example of the kind of stories we are looking for: ... Dad and mom worked very hard for the early beginnings of the church when it was in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Oak Bay Ave. ....All church stuff was housed in our basement. Dad used to set up the church...pick Priest up from???? usually Vancouver. then take him home to feed him and he would nap...then he would drive him to airport or over nite boat to Vancouver....maybe other way around? until next time. Ted and I were very young...in the 50"S but we had to stay and guard the church while he left to pick him up. The restaurant was juggled in between? who knows? He was magic? All that stuff had to be cleared and packed in his car at the end and taken home. Mom used to wash all the table cloths and christening tub skirts each time there was a baptism and service.. After that the church services got moved to Christ church where Gus Trikeriotis helped Dad then Dad got sick.so had to stop. contact at or 250 419-3151

AS we start to open up the Greek Heritage Project Museum will be open every Wednesday from 10-2 for visitors. We will limit guests to 4 at a time if not already living in the same home. The summer project to collect and display the stories and photos and documents of immigrants to Vancouver Island is going ahead though not sure about dates for summer student yet. Forward your family story to [email protected] or call 250 419-5131 for more details. Stay safe

Spending this enforced distancing by reviewing and beginning to collate and sort all the bits of information the Greek Heritage Project Museum has about Greek immigrants to Vancouver Island. You could be part of the project by spending some of this down time by collecting your stories and those of your ancestors. Scan documents and photos if you can. If not make a pile and we can arrange a safe swap.... Names, dates of birth, death, immigration, naturalization and places are how the mosaic comes together- the more details the better. I can help you research on Ancestry or BC Archives. Email the results to And stay safe W

Christmas is coming ready or not. The museum will be closed from December 19th to January 8th. We had another school group visit from St. Andrews in November. New book "Beyond the Third Door" by Maria Heckinger. Set in 1950's Lefkatha and Patras it tells the sad tale of a young woman raped, pregnant, thrown out of her father's home and island, giving the baby to the orphanage she thought temporarily. The child was adopted at 3 years of age by Americans facilitated as were ...many many others by AHEPA. She found her mother by a series of fateful encounters and rebuilt her Greek heritage. It is based on the true story of Maria's beginnings and portrays in detail but with empathy and respect the horrendous results of war- both the German occupation and the civil war that followed. Available for loan. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Remembering those who sacrificed through the years for our safety. Had a visit from a Grade 8 class in October who were exploring Xenophobia (fear of or hatred of strangers). We looked into Philoxenia (friendship or hospitality to strangers) in greek culture and history. And explored how both words are Greek! may also explain why so many Greek restaurants are successful. Natural hosts. Christmas Bake Sale coming up this weekend November 16 and 17 from 10-4. Free admission, lots of parking, crafters' tables and the museum will be open as well.