The following article was published in the September 2023 issue of Torontohye newspaper.

Georgetown, Ontario—On Saturday, June 24, Armenian Canadians from Southern Ontario and members of the local Halton Hills community gathered at Cedarvale Park in Georgetown to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Georgetown Boys. The event, organized by the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education in partnership with Heritage Halton Hills and the Halton Hills Town Council, drew descendants of the Boys and various dignitaries from all levels of government.

A century ago, on July 1st, 1923, Georgetown welcomed a group of 50 Armenian orphans who had survived the Armenian Genocide. Over time, their numbers grew to 150, and they became known as the Georgetown Armenian Boys. Many descendants of the Georgetown Boys attended the anniversary celebration, honoring their ancestors’ remarkable journey.

Under a tent set up on the very field where the Boys lived and worked, more than 300 attendees gathered to pay tribute to this historic humanitarian act. Dignitaries present at the event included Her Excellency Ms. Anahit Harutunyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Canada; Bryan May, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, and co-chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group; Michael Chong, Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills and Conservative Party of Canada Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs; Aris Babikian, Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough- Agincourt; and Acting Mayor of Halton Hills, Bob Inglis, among others. Religious and community leaders from the Armenian communities of Toronto and Mississauga, including Prelate Archbishop Papken Tcharian, and Revered Fathers Datev Mikayelian and Myron Sarkissian were present at the commemorative event.

These dignitaries acknowledged the Georgetown Boys’ significance as Canada’s Noble Experiment—a response to the Armenian Genocide that demonstrated compassion and provided a fresh start for the orphaned children. The Ottoman Empire’s genocidal campaign, which began in 1915, resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians and left half a million homeless.

“Here in Canada, news of the genocide was commonplace. Armenians wrote to each other, looking for relatives, hoping to rebuild their families. Non-Armenians opened the Globe, the Toronto Star, and other newspapers and read about the suffering of a far-away people,” read a part of the press release published by the Sara Corning Centre. Canadians were deeply moved by the news and responded with substantial donations, eventually raising $17 million in today’s currency.

Inspired by their empathy, a group of individuals initiated a project to bring child survivors of the genocide to Canada. With the approval of Prime Minister Mackenzie King and the Department of Immigration, a small quota was granted to this group. The Armenian Relief Association of Canada and the United Church of Canada provided care and supervision for the children raised at the Georgetown Armenian Boys’ Farm Home, now known as Cedarvale Park, throughout the 1920s.

By the 1930s, the Boys had dispersed to farms across southern Ontario, contributing to the cultural fabric of their adopted homeland.

The event also provided an opportunity for attendees to hear the reflections of three descendants of the Georgetown Boys. Tom Toros Jackson, son of Missak Toumajian, who settled in Hamilton after leaving Georgetown, is now a longstanding Councillor of Ward 6 in his native city. Robert Adourian, son of Pavlos Paul Adourian and nephew of Onnig John Adourian, is an attorney at Devry Smith Frank LLP. Dr. Lorne Shirinian, a poet, writer, and filmmaker is a descendant of Mampre Shirinian, Mariam Mazmanian-Shirinian, and Ardashes Mazmanian. These personal accounts added depth to the legacy of the Georgetown Boys.

Gabriella Batikian, the master of ceremonies and educational program coordinator at the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education, highlighted the Boys’ impact on Georgetown’s history and the broader Canadian narrative. The Boys had worked, played, and left their mark on the field where the event took place, just as the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation had before them. For many attendees, Georgetown holds a special place in their family or communal history, while for historians, it signifies an important chapter in Canadian immigration policy and philanthropy.

The centennial anniversary event was made possible through the collaboration of various community organizations, spearheaded by the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education.

Established in 2012, the Corning Centre aims to disseminate research on human rights and genocide to students. In addition to the anniversary celebration, the Centre has been conducting ongoing research and developing initiatives related to the Georgetown Boys. This fall, it plans to publish a volume of the Georgetown Boys’ newsletters, called Ararat, comprising 45 issues totaling over 700 pages filled with drawings, stories, and opinion pieces by the Boys and others. Looking ahead, the Centre aims to commemorate the centennial of the arrival of the first Georgetown Girls in 2026, offering insights into a different facet of Canadian history.

The anniversary celebration of the Georgetown Boys’ arrival served as a poignant reminder of Canada’s humanitarian spirit and the enduring legacy of those who sought refuge and made valuable contributions to their new home. The event brought together the Armenian Canadian community, local residents, and government representatives in a collective tribute to resilience, compassion, and the power of unity.

The following editorial was published in the September 2023 issue of Torontohye newspaper.

“Looking Towards 2026: A Call to Celebrate the (Georgetown) Girls”

As we reflect on the centennial anniversary of the arrival of the Georgetown Boys in Canada, it’s essential to shed light on a lesser-known yet equally significant chapter — the story of the Georgetown Girls. History has often focused on the Boys’ journey. Still, it’s time to recognize the strength and resilience of the girls and women who survived the Armenian Genocide and started a new life in Canada.

The arrival of the Georgetown Boys served as a beacon of hope, showcasing Canada’s compassion and humanity. However, as we commemorate their journey, we must not forget that there were girls and women who also embarked on survival, hope, and transformation. Known as the Georgetown Girls, these 40 individuals had a journey parallel to the Boys.

While their tales have largely remained untold, often overshadowed by the Boys’ accounts, there are important sources and works that shed light on the Georgetown Girls’ journey and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of their experiences. Notable among these sources is “Refugee Women as Domestics: A Documentary Account” by Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill, published in the journal Canadian Woman Studies (Vol. 10, No. 1).

Additionally, Mansoor Tanwee’s “Georgetown Girls: A Mystery in History,” published in Halton Hills Today earlier this year, and George Aghjayan’s “The Georgetown Girls: Reconstructing a Family History,” featured in The Armenian Weekly April 2013 Magazine, offer a personal and heartfelt account.

The Georgetown Girls, ranging from five to 38 years old, arrived in Canada between 1926 and 1930, just a few years after the boys. Tracing their stories has been difficult due to the lack of historical documentation, but their presence and contributions to the Georgetown community were undeniable. The Girls carried the scars of their past but also the hope for a brighter future. Some were sisters or mothers of the boys who had arrived before them, and some married the boys after arriving, highlighting the connections that bound this community together. Yet, despite their significant role, the Girls’ stories have often been relegated. It’s time to rectify this oversight and ensure that their journeys are celebrated.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Georgetown Boys’ arrival, let’s look forward to another milestone—the centennial of the Georgetown Girls’ arrival in 2026. This upcoming anniversary presents an opportunity to correct the historical imbalance, unearth hidden stories, and pay tribute to the resilience and strength of these women.

We call upon historians, researchers, community organizations, and community members to join forces in uncovering the stories of the Georgetown Girls. By amplifying their voices and experiences, we can provide a more comprehensive narrative of the Armenian Genocide’s aftermath and its impact on the lives of survivors. Just as the Boys’ stories have touched our hearts, the Girls’ stories deserve to be heard, acknowledged, and remembered.

The following editorial was published in the September 2023 issue of Torontohye newspaper.

“Reflecting on 100 Years: The Enduring Legacy of the Georgetown Boys’ Arrival”

Rupen Janbazian, Editor

As we mark the centennial anniversary of the Georgetown Boys’ arrival in Canada, we are reminded of the profound impact of Canada’s Noble Experiment—a beacon of compassion that illuminated the darkest corners of history. In a world marred by conflict and intolerance, the story of these Armenian orphans is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of empathy.

Canada’s first international humanitarian act was sparked by the Armenian Genocide—an atrocity that saw the lives of 1.5 million Armenians extinguished and countless families torn apart. Amid this horror, a group of Canadians, touched by the plight of these victims, rallied to create a lifeline. The result was the arrival of a group of orphans in Georgetown, Ontario.

The journey of the Georgetown Boys mirrors a broader narrative of hope and renewal. These boys, torn from their homeland and orphaned by tragedy, found solace in the welcoming arms of a new land. Through perseverance, they learned new skills and forged their destinies as proud Canadians and proud Armenians, embodying the spirit of resilience.

This centennial anniversary serves as a reminder that amidst the darkest times, humanity can shine its brightest. The legacy of the Georgetown Boys is imprinted not only in the fields of Georgetown but also in the hearts of their descendants and the broader Armenian-Canadian community. Their story is a beacon that guides us to embrace diversity, extend our hands to those in need, and stand up against injustice.

Today, the Armenian people in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) face a dire threat that echoes the shadows of history-a threat of genocide more than a century after the Armenian Genocide. The blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijani security forces impedes access to vital resources such as food, medical supplies, and other essentials.

The journey of the Georgetown Boys, etched in the annals of history, parallels the struggle faced by the Armenians in Artsakh today. Both stories speak to the human capacity for resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. Today, even as we reflect on history’s brightest moments of compassion, the shadows of genocide continue to darken the lives of innocent people. As we commemorate the centennial of the arrival of the Georgetown Boys, we must also acknowledge our responsibility to respond to the cries of those in peril today.

With this special commemorative issue, we commemorate this milestone and reflect on the journey that brought these boys to a new home, a new life. Their journey symbolizes the hope for a better future, the compassion that transcends borders, and the bonds that unite us all as human beings. It’s a story of healing and redemption, a story that continues to inspire us to be better and to do better.

The arrival of the Georgetown Boys serves as an eternal reminder that within our collective humanity lies the potential for remarkable transformation. While we celebrate their journey, let us also renew our pledge to cultivate a world of understanding, empathy, and compassion— a realm where every child finds shelter, family, and promise. The legacy of the Georgetown Boys perseveres, kindling our awareness that even amidst adversity, the innate generosity and benevolence of humanity can illuminate the darkest corners of our shared history. However, the lessons of the past also teach us that we must act now, before it’s too late, to prevent the dark pages of history from tragically repeating themselves.

The following article by Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill was published in the September 2023 issue of Torontohye newspaper. It is an extract from her forthcoming book entitled The Georgetown Children: Genocide, Orphans, and Canadian Humanitarians.

Many of the 38 girls and young women who were sponsored to Canada by the Armenian Relief Association of Canada (ARAC) and the United Church of Canada (UCC) came from two orphanages: Miss Martha Frearson’s orphanage in Mt. Shemlon and Miss Maria Jacobsen’s orphanage in Sidon/Jibel, affectionately known as The Bird’s Nest Orphanage, both in present-day Lebanon. Frearson, a British woman, and Jacobsen, a Dane, had had a long association with Armenians. Frearson had run an orphanage for girls in Aintab. When conditions became dangerous, she evacuated her charges, under the protection of the French and British, to Mt. Shemlon. Jacobsen had been a missionary/nurse at the American Annie Tracy Riggs Memorial Hospital in Kharpert/Mezreh (currently Eliazig). After the Americans left in 1917, she ran their hospital and orphanage until the end of the war, when she returned to Denmark, exhausted. In 1922, she and her friend Karen Marie Petersen, the former director of the Emmaus Danish orphanage in Mezreh returned to the Middle East and set up an orphanage, mostly for girls.

Both Frearson and Jacobsen ran strict operations. Girls were taught godliness, cleanliness, orderliness, and hard work. Long before World War I and the Genocide, the movement to educate Armenian girls had taken root in the Ottoman Empire. In the post-war period, the orphanages, numbering in the hundreds, had revitalized this movement. Emphasis was placed on educating the children to speak, read, and write their mother tongue, for they had come from many different backgrounds. Some had been gathered off the streets and had little or no schooling. Others had been rescued from Turkish, Kurdish, or Arab homes or from Turkish orphanages where they had been forced to speak those languages and punished for speaking Armenian.

Education did not rule out marriage and family formation, which remained the traditional role for Armenian girls. Homemaking was all the more crucial after the Genocide to rebuild the Armenian nation. Towards this goal, girls in the orphanages were taught cooking, laundering, gardening, and childcare. On the other hand, demographic realities necessitated training girls to be self-supporting, so girls were taught the needle arts, including dressmaking, embroidery, lace-making, and rug weaving. A small number were directed into teaching, nursing, or midwifery. The entire approach to educating and training girls shows their increased value to the ethnocultural survival of the Armenian people.

Sponsorship and immigration

Both the ARAC and the UCC applied to the Canadian government to sponsor Armenian girls and arrange for them to work in domestic service. Sponsorship was usually arranged jointly between the ARAC/UCC and a relative, a friend, or a Canadian organization that paid for travel costs. As the chief negotiator with the government, Rev. Ira Pierce, general secretary of the ARAC and later affiliated with the UCC, notes an increase in “urgent appeals from high-class Armenian girls” wishing to come to Canada for domestic employment.

At the same time, because there was a great need for and a shortage of domestic servants in Canada, the Armenian girls were given consideration by Immigration Department officials since, as a rule, Armenians, classified racially as Asians, were undesirable and unwelcome in Canada. Armenians were even more undesirable as refugees, for it was feared they would be a drain on the public purse.

Typically, the Canadian government set out guidelines for the girls:

In view of the success of the previous movement, … the Minister [of Immigration and Colonization] has agreed to the admission of fifteen additional Armenian girls, conditional on the following:

1. That these girls shall be able … to produce valid passports and, of course pass medical inspection.

2. That there shall not be included in the group any girl who has first or second-degree relatives in the United States and no relatives in Canada.

3. That we will not admit the relative of any Armenian boy or girl who was admitted to Canada conditional on taking farm work or domestic service and has not observed the condition of his or her own entry. On the other hand, every consideration will be given to the inclusion of relatives of boys or girls who came in for farm work or domestic service and have remained in one or other of these occupations.

4. That the girls or young women to be admitted will be placed in domestic employment in Canada by your Board and given the usual aftercare, and also the placement reported to the Department.

5. That none of the above-named are leaving behind other members of their families whose admission to Canada will be applied for later and that no person shall be included who has any intention of proceeding after to join relatives or friends in the United States.

Government authorities were clearly worried that newcomers might have relatives abroad and might apply in the future to bring them to Canada. Authorities were also on the lookout for immigrants using Canada as a backdoor to the United States.

The girls

When, in 1926, fifteen-year-old Kohar Bedrosian learned Canada had accepted her, her joy was boundless. She knew nothing about Canada or what a domestic was or did, but she was excited to venture forth. Kohar confides: “When I put my foot on Canadian land, when I saw that pure white snow, I fell in love. I loved it then, and I still love it!” (from an oral interview of Kohar Bedrosian Kasparian by Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill, Toronto, 1988).

Like most of the girls, Kohar did not spend time at the Georgetown farm/home. Ordinarily, the younger girls attended school while the older ones were placed in domestic service in southern Ontario. Rev. Pierce had no problem finding work for them in refined and respectable homes, usually in Toronto and often on a two-year contract basis. The Armenian girls were never a drain on the public purse. They were never short of work and were in constant demand because of their diligence, honesty, modesty, and pleasant behaviour.

Kohar describes her first job as a mother’s helper for a family with a seven-year-old boy and a thirteen-year-old girl. She had her own well-furnished room, ate “whatever they ate,” and never went hungry.

I got up at seven, dressed in my black and white uniform, and did the chores. She did the laundry and cooking, I cleaned, waxed and dusted, set the table and did the dishes. After lunch, I had a bath and put on my white and yellow uniform. I hated wearing the cap, which made me feel like a slave. So she said it was okay not to wear it. I had a couple of hours break in the afternoons; I read or crocheted. Then I helped her prepare dinner. At first I was a little nervous with the vacuum cleaner, but after I learned the buttons, it was fine. But I never did the wash. I was afraid of the wringer. By 7:30, the work was done and I spent my evenings reading or doing crochet. Basically, I did whatever I was told. … I just watched and copied them to learn Canadian ways. Whatever they did, I did. I saved my $3.00 a week salary. They were very kind people and I stayed with them for fifteen months.

Pierce placed her in another home:

I was lucky; my second family was even more cultured than the first. I am still friends with them. During the three years that I worked for them I was very happy. She was motherly, never treated me like a maid, but like a daughter. Paid me $40 a month—of course I was more experienced by this time, and I could cook rather well. They taught me about Canada and Canadian customs, took me to concerts and plays.

Not every girl was as fortunate as Kohar, but most fulfilled their contracts. Through contact with their Canadian employers, the girls improved their English language skills, learned about Canada and Canadian ways, and managed to adjust relatively smoothly to Canadian society. A simple event is symbolic. Following the example of some of her friends and of Canadian girls, Kohar took the risqué step one day of wearing lipstick. Her mistress took her aside and explained that she did not need lipstick to enhance her looks. Besides, cautioned her mistress, “nice” girls did not wear lipstick.

While the girls were adjusting to Canada, they were providing an essential service to Canadian families. Mrs. Dingman of Toronto wrote to Pierce that her maid was “a splendid girl in every way.” She was pleased to report that the young Armenian girl’s “happy disposition and dependable qualities of character make her a desirable companion” for her children. “Not only does she conduct herself like a lady,” wrote Mrs. Dingman, “but she cooks good meals and takes an intelligent interest in the family’s welfare.” Such praise for the Armenian domestic servants was common.

The future

The relationship between the girls and the Georgetown boys remained intimate. Some were sisters of the boys, and some married Georgetown boys, thus strengthening and deepening the bonds of Armenian-Canadian community life.

Eventually, all the girls married, some to Armenian- Canadians, others to Armenian-Americans, and started new families. Reproduction as rebuilding was embedded in the spirit and sensibilities of survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

Orphan girls like those in Canada and elsewhere around the globe became the mothers of the survivor Armenian nation.

The child of Armenian Genocide survivors, renowned Canadian scholar Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill has dedicated much of her professional life to researching and chronicling Armenian immigration and culture of the Diaspora. She is the author of countless monographs, articles and books, including the 2012 Sisters of Mercy and Survival: Armenian Nurses, 1900-1930, which was granted the Richard and Tina Carolan Literary Award. Her forthcoming book is entitled The Georgetown Children: Genocide, Orphans, and Canadian Humanitarians.

The following interview with Daniel Ohanian, director of research, was published in the March 2023 issue of Torontohye newspaper.

A century ago, a group of Armenian boys arrived in Canada in what many historians have suggested constituted the nation’s first large-scale humanitarian effort—”Canada’s Noble Experiment,” which resulted from the efforts and actions of concerned citizens and nongovernmental organizations.

As the Armenian community of Canada gears up to celebrate the centennial of the arrival of the first group of Armenian survivor children to Canada, we sat down with the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education’s Director of Research, Daniel Ohanian, to learn more.

Torontohye: Why are we marking the centenary of the Georgetown Boys and Girls’ story this year?

Daniel Ohanian: The short version of the Georgetown story is that, between 1923 and 1930, the Armenian Relief Association and the United Church received federal government permission to bring over 150 boys, girls, and women displaced by the Armenian Genocide— most of them orphans—to Canada. 2023 marks a hundred years since the first group of boys arrived. But the story has a longer background, and it was a serious challenge for the association to pull it off. Canadians started learning about Armenians in the late 1800s in a very gradual way. Between 1860 and 1915, around 50 Canadians went to the Ottoman Empire to work with the Armenians as missionaries, setting up schools and medical clinics and spreading Protestant-Evangelical Christianity. During anti-Armenian massacres in the 1890s and 1909, these missionaries sent news about what was happening to churches and newspapers in Canada. That’s how Canadians started to learn about what sorts of people Armenians were and where they lived. A stereotype was created that was very useful for several fundraising campaigns run in those days: Armenians were a persecuted, suffering, pitiable Christian people in the East who needed help. This stereotype was used again during the genocide and after it, to great effect.

Between 1915 and 1930, non-Armenian Canadians donated $1 million (roughly $17 million in today’s money) to help Armenians abroad.

Georgetown is part of this story about missionaries and fundraising, but it’s also different from it. One of the essential differences is that the suffering-Armenian stereotype was both a blessing and a curse for the Georgetown project.

Torontohye: How so?

Ohanian: Armenians were being killed and displaced not just in 1915 but for about 15 years after that too. The genocide took place in phases, and wars and economic crises prevented roughly half a million survivors from putting down roots right away. One of these wars (the Turkish War of Independence led by Mustafa Kemal, later named Atatürk) threatened orphanages all over what is today Turkey. The question of what to do about the orphans there led a group of men in Toronto to try something new. In 1922, in response to panicked telegrams from Constantinople, the Armenian Relief Association negotiated an agreement with the federal government to let in groups of orphans as a humanitarian undertaking. The proposal was to do something that would fit both the government’s interests (increase the number of farmers in the country) and the interests of compassionate citizens and refugees’ (save lives).

One of the challenges the association faced was convincing officials that this was a good idea. This is where the suffering-Armenian stereotype was a curse. What was then called the Department of Immigration and Colonization had a track record of being culturally intolerant. It had already put up legal barriers to keep people from Asia-including Armenians, Indians, Chinese, and others)— as well as the impoverished and the stateless, from moving to Canada. In their internal discussions, immigration officials described Armenians as inherently or culturally inferior to Britishers and too carefree about cheating and lying. They also pointed out— and rightly so —that there weren’t many Armenian farmers in the country. It was clear to them that these run-down, non-British non-farmers shouldn’t be allowed in.

It was a spirit of tenacity and compromise that carried the day. As far as we can tell, the relief association was allowed to set up its farm-orphanage in Georgetown because Prime Minister Mackenzie King, who’d previously rejected the idea, changed his mind after hearing from close personal friends, political allies, and, in varying ways, tens of thousands of citizens. At the same time, the association had to settle for far less than it had initially wanted. It received an immigration quota of 100-only two percent of the 5,000 for which it had agitated.

The Georgetown Armenian Boys’ Farm Home was set up as a 200-acre training orphanage modelled after what were called industrial schools. It received its first group of student-orphans, aged roughly 10-12, on July 1, 1923-what was then called Dominion Day, now known as Canada Day. The next seven years were full of growth, challenges, and adaptation. New quotas were received for more boys and girls and women too. Donors, reporters, and neighbours came to see the work being done at the farm home firsthand. Interviews were given, concerts were organized, and money was collected. The boys were sent out to work on farms, and the girls and women were to work as maids. After a few years, the project was taken over by the United Church of Canada before being wrapped up on the eve of the Great Depression in 1930. To my knowledge, the last Georgetown Boy, Yervant George Makinisian, died in 2004, and the last Georgetown Girls, Aznive Lorna Campbell-Merson and Armenouhi Armine Kavookjian-Turmanian, died in 2011.

Torontohye: What has been planned to mark this centennial?

Ohanian: The organizing committee is planning at least two events: The main event will be held in June at Cedarvale Community Centre in Georgetown in partnership with the Town of Halton Hills. We’ll publicize details in the spring.

The second event is a book launch. Something the Corning Centre is working on this year is to republish Ararat Monthly / Արարատ ամսաթերթ, the official newsletter of the Georgetown Boys. Ararat was the brainchild of the Boys’ Armenian teacher and older-brother figure, Aris Alexanian. Newsletters like this were used by Armenian and non-Armenian orphanages to share the news with past and prospective donors and to give children something creative to work on. Aris published about 45 issues over four years, 15 in English and the rest in Armenian. It was an impressive undertaking. In the early years, the Boys would write articles and stories and draw pictures; their contributions would be typed up, and the newsletter would be sent to readers in Ontario, the U.S., France, and Soviet Armenia.

Torontohye: How does one go about collecting issues of newsletter that was published almost a hundred years ago? Have they been compiled before?

Ohanian: We’ve been working to collect originals and copies of Ararat since 2012, but they’re tough to find. We have almost a complete set now; we’ve found them scattered among families, libraries, and archives in Toronto, Paris, and Yerevan. We’re still missing a few issues, though. If any readers have copies, I ask them to write to dohanian@corningcentre.org to donate the originals or share photos—whichever they prefer.

We’re also happy to say that we are partnering with Torontohye to publish an issue dedicated to the Georgetown Boys and Girls later this year.

Torontohye: In 2010, thanks to the efforts of the Armenian National Committee of Toronto (ANCT), Cedarvale Park was designated an Associative Cultural Landscape. A year later, a provincial plaque was installed to commemorate the Armenian Boys’ Farm Home. There have recently been some whispers in the community about the fate of the building that currently houses the Cedarvale Community Centre.

Ohanian: Actually, the future of the community centre, is, in fact, unclear.

Until a few years ago, most believed the building was the original farm home. In 2020 or 2021, the town was conducting an architectural assessment and discovered that it was not the original farmhouse. They contacted us, and the Corning Centre investigated. Based on almost 100 archival photos and maps, we were able to see that the architects were right.

The future of the building is unclear, and it’s likely that the building will lose its protected status and be demolished by the town since it’s in poor shape. The town will be well within its right to do that. But given the symbolic importance of the site in general, as well as the habit Armenians in Ontario have made of visiting the site, we’re talking with the town about ways to continue marking the Georgetown story there.