WHEN JUAN DA FUCA or Yannis Phokas, a Greek mariner from Cephalonia, surveyed the British Columbia coast in 1592 in the service of the Spanish monarch, this was the first recorded instance of a Greek presence in North America. It was not until the nineteenth century, however, that Greeks began to migrate here in greater numbers to develop Canada's railway lines. By 1931, almost 10,000 Greeks had settled in Canada, mostly in Montreal and Toronto. Between 1945 and 1971, of the 107,000 Greeks who entered Canada, nearly 80 percent were sponsored by relatives or co-villagers. The vast majority were unskilled workers who came to work in factories, restaurants, and maintenance. Almost 15 percent were young women who came as domestic workers. Greek immigration peaked in 1967 but dropped off dramatically to be only slightly raised by the refugee movement of Greek Cypriots in 1974 which saw tradesmen and professionals flee the Turkish invasion. By 1996 the census reported 203,000 Greeks in Canada. Over half were in Ontario.

Greeks have tended to settle in large cities. The large settlements in Montreal (54,415) and Toronto (39,600) have resulted in concentrations of small businesses such as restaurants, coffeehouses, pastry shops, greengrocers, travel agencies, social clubs, and professional offices. Toronto's Danforth Avenue and Montreal's Jean Talon Street and Park Avenue are the loci for Greek Canadians and the general public in search of Greek culture and institutions.

The Greek Orthodox Church has been central to the maintenance of culture and Greek-language programs among second and third generation Greek Canadians. Social service and community activities have often been organized around the clergy but have links to early mutual benefit societies such as Anagenisis in Montreal and the Saskatoon Greek Society. By 1980 nearly 40 parishes existed in Canada. Some civic leaders in Greek communities have sought, since the late 1960s, to limit the power of the clergy especially in such non-religious matters as social services and schooling. In part this secular activity was influenced by the presence of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, a lecturer at York University in Toronto after he had been dismissed by King Constantine and his right-wing allies in 1965. The Greek Orthodox clergy in Canada tended to support the dictatorship because of its strong support of Christianity.

In turn, this alienated a significant portion of secular Greek Canadians. Secular organizations such as the Greek-Canadian Community of London, Ontario, set up women's athletic and youth programs in the 1980s. Greek-language schools are now integrated into Ontario's international languages programs and receive financial assistance from the province as well as from the Greek Ministry of Education. The largest nonsectarian Greek organization in Canada is the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) which started a Canadian chapter as early as 1928, in Toronto, and today has a about 22 chapters across the country. Other important social agencies are the Greek Canadian Labour Association, in Montreal, that helps Greek immigrants to understand their rights as workers, and the Centre for Social Services for Greek Canadians in Toronto that offers family services. In 1981 the Hellenic Canadian Congress was founded as an umbrella organization for all Greek-Canadian communities.

Newspapers such as Montreal's Elleniko Vema and Toronto's Ellenikos Tachidromos cover the news and politics of both Canada and Greece. In Quebec, Greek heritage candidates from the NDP, Liberals, and Conservatives have attempted to win seats in the Quebec legislature. At the federal level Eleni Bakopanos, a Liberal Member, Quebec, has served in the last two Chrétien governments. Though the campaign of Montreal shopkeeper and broadcaster John Kambites was unsuccessful, several Greek Canadians from Ontario, such as Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis and Conservative MP Gus Mitges, have successfully served in Ottawa.