Macedonian Canadians

Ethnicity and origins

In the first half of the 20th century, most of the Macedonians were largely classified as Bulgarians or Macedono-Bulgarians.^[5][6][7] Until World War II, most people who today identify themselves as Macedonian Canadians claimed a Bulgarian ethnic identity and were recorded as part of the Bulgarian ethnic group.^[2][5][8] The term Macedonian was used as a geographic/regional term rather than an ethnic one.^[8] At that time the political organization by the Slavic immigrants from the region of Macedonia, the Macedonian Patriotic Organization, also promoted the idea of Macedonian Slavs being Bulgarians.^[9] In 1911 they established the first Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Church Sts. Cyril and Methody in Toronto.^[10] The church was consecrated on May 24, 1911 by the Bulgarian hieromonk Theophylact Malincheff, who issued The First Bulgarian-English Pocket Dictionary in 1913.^[11] Their Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Churches established by immigrants from Macedonia and Bulgaria, primarily served as community centers for social gatherings and often acted as hubs for the Macedonian Patriotic Organization. The churches represented their shared Bulgarian cultural and religious identity.^[12] A Macedono-Bulgarian school, funded in Toronto as early as 1914 was also the first Bulgarian school in the Americas.^[13] The first immigrant waves which identified themselves as ethnic Macedonians arrived in the late 1950s and early 1960s from Yugoslavia. The statistics in Canada included for the first time the entries Macedonian language and Ethnic Macedonian in its census questionnaires much later and this led Macedonians to declare themselves as Yugoslavs till the 1980s.^[14]

History of immigration

Many Macedonians emigrated to Canada as "pečalbari" (migrant workers) in the early 20th century.^[10] Thousands of Macedonians emigrated to Canada after the failure of the Ilinden Uprising.^[10]

The first Macedonian organizations were the Zhelevo Benevolence Brotherhood and the Oschima Benefit Society St. Nicholas, both established in 1907 in Toronto by emigrants from Zhelevo (Antartiko) and Oschnima (Trigonon) in Aegean Macedonia.^[15] Other Macedonian organizations were soon established by emigrants from Zagorichani (Vassiliada), Oshtima (Trigonon), Smardesh (Krystallopigi), Gabresh (Gavros), Banitsa (Vevi), Buf (Akritas) and Tarsie (Trivuno), all villages in Aegean Macedonia.^[15][10]

An internal 1910 census counted 1090 Macedonians in Toronto, who were principally from Florina (Lerin) and Kastoria (Kostur) then in Ottoman Empire.^[10] By 1940 there were claims that over 1200 Macedonian families were in Canada. Post-World War II and Greek Civil War migration cause the numbers of Macedonians in Canada to swell.^{[citation needed]}

Many early Macedonian immigrants found industrial work in Toronto, either as factory hands or labourers in abattoirs, or in iron and steel foundries. Many ended up running and owning restaurants, butchers and groceries. Macedonian entrepreneurs and their descendants eventually employed their numerical strength within the food service industry as a catapult into a variety of larger and more sophisticated ventures.^[16]

Today, most Macedonian Canadians have moved out of cities and into the suburbs, and are employed in the professional, clerical, and service sector of the economy.

The 2001 census recorded 31,265 Macedonians,^[16] while the 2006 census recorded 37,705 people of Macedonian ancestry. However, community spokespersons claim they number over 100,000. The Institute for Macedonians Abroad claims that there are 120,000 Macedonians in Canada.^[17] The Macedonian government estimates that there are 150,000 Macedonians in Canada.

Aegean Macedonians

Many thousands of Aegean Macedonians emigrated to Canada in the 1890s.^{[citation needed]} They settled primarily in Ontario, especially Toronto. Many early Aegean Macedonian immigrants found industrial work in Toronto. Later migrants found work as factory in abattoirs and foundries. Chatham and Windsor attracted many Macedonian immigrants who worked along the railroads. Many later settled in Detroit, Michigan.

Many Aegean Macedonians are parishioners of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.^{[citation needed]}

They set up many organizations, such as the Lerin Region Macedonian Cultural Association of Canada. In 1979 The Association of Refugee Children from Aegean Macedonia (ARCAM) was set up in order to unite the former child refugees from all over the world. It was reported that chapters had been set up in Toronto, Melbourne, Perth, the Republic of North Macedonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland.^[18]

Academia

• Andrew Rossos – historian
• Boris P. Stoicheff – physicist

Art

• Gligor Stefanov – Sculptor and Iconographer
• Georgi Danevski – Painter, Iconographer and Muralist

Business

• John Bitove – chairman and CEO of Obelysk, Mobilicity, Scott's Real Estate Investment Trust, and SiriusXM Canada
• John Bitove, Sr. – businessman and philanthropist
• Susan Niczowski – CEO and founder of Summer Fresh Salads Inc.^[21]
• Chris Pavlovski – CEO and founder of Rumble^[22]
• Steve Stavro – businessman and philanthropist; founder of Knob Hill Farms, owner of Toronto Maple Leafs, director of Liquor Control Board of Ontario

Music

• Dan Talevski – singer-songwriter

Politics

• Paul Christie – Toronto City and Metropolitan Councillor, TTC Chair
• Lui Temelkovski – Liberal MP, Oak Ridges, Markham 2004–2008

Sports

• Andy Andreoff – NHL player
• Mike Angelidis – NHL player
• Jonah Gadjovich – NHL player
• Tommy Ivan – NHL coach, winner of four Stanley Cups
• Dan Jancevski – NHL defenseman
• Ed Jovanovski – NHL player
• Julian Micevski – Professional wrestler, better known as "Ethan Page"
• Steve Staios – NHL player
• Steven Stamkos – NHL player
• Alek Stojanov – NHL player
• Christopher Tanev – NHL player
• Brandon Tanev – NHL player
• Michael Zigomanis – NHL player

Television and entertainment

• Ziya Tong – television producer
• Natasha Negovanlis – actress, singer, writer
• Thea Andrews – journalist and TV personality
• Lex Gigeroff – television writer, actor and co-creator of the science fiction series Lexx.