Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Blue and white linens covered the round tables in the hall of Saint George Cathedral in Montreal on May 9, where tulips and sprays of baby’s breath stood in small vases beside printed programs and name tags marking the speakers and mentors. By mid-morning the room had filled with students, young professionals and community leaders, coffee and croissant in hand, leaning across the tables to introduce themselves while a sponsor slideshow played on the screen at the front. A current of anticipation ran through the hall, and it set the stage for a day given over to questions that have long occupied the Greek-Canadian diaspora: how a younger generation finds its footing in careers and leadership, and how the Hellenic identity carried across the Atlantic is kept alive and passed forward.
The occasion was the launch of Next-Gen Skills Talks, a new initiative organized by the youth department of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal. Held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the gathering brought together more than 70 Hellenic students, young professionals, mentors and community leaders for a full day conference of career exploration, mentorship, skills-building, networking and leadership development. It brought together 20 active youth organizations from Montreal, Ottawa and the United States, among them university and college associations, church youth groups, dance troupes and regional Greek association youth groups, including a table of Saturday school students attending alongside their teacher, and it produced 14 new community memberships before the day was out.
The event was conceived, organized and emceed by Antonia Macris, youth secretary on the community’s board of directors, who developed it over several years of consultation with student groups seeking greater access to mentorship and professional development. “We encourage everyone today to introduce yourselves, to participate, to ask questions, and make new connections with people who maybe you’ve never met before, or people who you have but never had the opportunity to get to know,” she told the room as the program opened.
“We hope participants leave with new connections, new inspiration and greater confidence in their future path,” Macris said. “We want young people to see how they can grow, lead and contribute within our community while discovering the shared goals that connect so many of our youth organizations. Sometimes one conversation, one mentor or one opportunity can change the direction of what comes next.”
Opening remarks came from Macris alongside Basile Angelopoulos, president of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, and Nikolaos Karalekas, consul general of Greece in Montreal, who each spoke to the value of youth engagement and the responsibility of one generation toward the next. Angelopoulos drew on the blue and white table settings to make his point, casting the day as an exercise in giving to those who would follow. “Give and take is the best way that we could go forward and build a stronger community,” he said, describing the gathering as a chance to give to the next generation “so that our next generation can become even better than the first.” He returned to the idea of Hellenism as a shared inheritance held in trust. “It defines us, but we are its custodians,” he said. “Every generation is the custodian of that trait, and we are the custodians long enough to pass it on to the next generation.”
That sense of stewardship ran through the Youth Groups Showcase that followed, as Macris moved among the tables and invited representatives from each organization to introduce themselves and describe their work. A representative of MET Youth Montreal explained that the group, whose name comes from the Greek word for metamorphosis, operates as a faith-based Orthodox network for young people. Others spoke or supported from the Hellenic student associations of McGill University, McGill Law, Concordia University, the University of Ottawa, Ottawa Law, John Abbott College and Marianopolis College, as well as the National Hellenic Students Association; parish organizations included MET Youth Montreal, MET Youth Saint-Dionysios and the St-Nicholas Youth Association of Laval; dance troupes such as La Troupe Folklorique Grecque Syrtaki, Romiosyni and Laografiko Ergastiri Montreal; and the youth wings of the Arcadian, Kefalonian, Messinian and Pontian associations of Montreal, alongside organizations including the Socrates Educational Foundation, the Montreal Greek Film Festival and AHEPA’s Maids of Athena and Sons of Pericles Montreal Chapters. The showcase widened the room’s awareness of how many avenues exist for young Hellenes to stay involved.
A leadership spotlight by Denise Vourtzoumis, president and co-founder of Pink in the City, opened the speaking program with reflections on resilience and confidence drawn from her own career. Two panel discussions followed. The first, on careers in public service and community impact, brought together Effie Giannou, deputy mayor of Montreal; The Honourable Eleni Bakopanos, a former member of Parliament; and Joseph Polossifakis, an Olympic fencer who works in government relations at Suncor. Bakopanos traced her entry into public life to youthful conviction. “It was very idealistic, and I chose the way to do it was through political action,” she said. Polossifakis told the students that sport had shaped his approach to everything that came after it. “From day one, you have to take a lot of accountability for yourself. You win or you lose,” he said. “I’m accountable for my results, for my actions, what I need to do to get better.”
The second panel, on creative Hellenic identities across borders, turned to entrepreneurship, personal branding and the digital pathways now open to young people, with executive coach Nina Balaouras, international DJ and producer Andrew Pololos, and Adoni Vassilyadi of Ottawa, vice-president of MET Youth Canada and a Greek content creator who spoke about representing Hellenism beyond Montreal and across the wider diaspora.
Over the Mentor Lunch Power Hour, attendees moved into small groups with professionals drawn from aviation, medicine, philanthropy, technology, education, entrepreneurship and the arts, gathering around a donated buffet of Greek pastries and savoury dishes. Several mentors offered the day’s most personal moments. Adrian Maris, a commercial airline captain, drew laughter as he described a circuitous route to the cockpit. “I wanted to be a doctor, then an engineer, then a farmer, and now I’m here as an airline pilot because I’m afraid of flying,” he said, adding that he teaches others to fly in his spare time. “Quite honestly, I don’t work a day in my life because I enjoy this.”
Other mentors included Athena Sita of Innovitech, Alexander Koutelias of the Orchestre Métropolitain, Dr. Costa Papadatos of Vanier College and the Socrates Educational Foundation and physician John Kremastiotis, whose conversations with participants ranged from leadership and workplace experiences to education and career development.
For the youth department, the gathering reinforced a role it has cultivated as a hub linking Hellenic youth organizations across generations and cities, expanding opportunities for collaboration beyond Montreal and extending those ties into the broader North American diaspora. The event was offered free to existing youth members and carried a $25 fee for others that could be applied toward a community membership, set at $25 for those aged 18 to 25 and $50 for those older, with admission free for anyone under 18. It was made possible entirely through community sponsorship, with all food, beverages and materials donated by local businesses. Community sponsors included Ambrosia, Alphabet Café and Ambros Coffee, Bernie Beigne, Harry Photography, Petros Taverna, Zoubris, Kilo Desserts, Salamina, Groupe Alimentaire Miron, Skoulakis, Marc Angelo, Christina’s Cuisine and Press My Buttons. Organizers say the initiative is expected to continue in future editions, reflecting a growing interest in mentorship, leadership development and intergenerational engagement among Hellenic youth, and building on participation and feedback from youth organizations, mentors and attendees across the community.
The formal program concluded at 3 p.m., with many participants remaining to network until approximately 4 p.m.
