Descendants of 150 Armenian orphan refugees mark centenary of Georgetown Boys

GEORGETOWN, Ontario—July 1 is a day bordering on the religious in Canada. On this day in 1867, the nation as we know it was born. But to a select few from the Armenian community, July 1 means something more than barbecues and fireworks. 

On June 24, several descendants of close to 150 refugees who escaped the Armenian Genocide converged in a little town 20 miles west of Toronto called Georgetown. Those refugees were, out of charity and nothing else, rescued by Canadians. They were brought to the town to learn to become farmers and good citizens. 

Those descendants gathered in a greenspace called Cedarvale Park, which at that time was a farm where their forebears lived and were educated. 

The somber occasion marked the centenary of the arrival of the orphans, who were dubbed the Georgetown Boys. However, it should be noted that 39 of them were women and girls. Roughly 300 or so people were present at the remembrance. 

One of them was Tom Jackson, who serves as City Councillor for Hamilton, about an hour west of Toronto. His father Missak Toumajian was also a Georgetown Boy. 

Jackson called the ceremony “a very emotional day.” 

“To think we’re standing on hallowed ground. A hundred years ago, over 100 boys and girls left behind a wartorn country and a genocide,” he continued. “Many of them were here on their own without any support system whatsoever.”

Toronto-based lawyer Bob Adourian was also present. He is the son of Pavloss Adourian and nephew of Onnig Adourian—both Georgetown Boys. “My dad and my uncle both served in the military. My uncle was a war hero. He was wounded at Dunkirk and he survived,” Adourian told the Armenian Weekly. 

A lot of the orphans, according to Adourian, “just didn’t want to talk about” the Genocide. Some, like Pavloss Adourian, simply couldn’t. “My father was seven when he came here. He had no memory of any childhood horrors,” Adourian said. 

Canadian newspapers during the period of the Genocide were filled with headlines about the plight of Armenians. A plan was hatched by a newly-formed organization called the Armenian Relief Association of Canada (ARAC) to rescue as many orphaned survivors of the Genocide as possible. By working with American and British counterparts, 109 boys were selected from an orphanage in Corfu, Greece.

A group of 50 was the first to arrive on July 1, 1923. Many others would soon follow. 

Their teacher, Aris Alexanian, was also a survivor of the Genocide. “He was a survivor at the peak period of the Genocide,” said John Farr, who married Alexanian’s granddaughter Alene. Both were present at the June 24 ceremony.

“He and all his school colleagues were taken out away from the school, tied together and taken to a plateau and shot,” Farr added. 

Alexanian did a lot for the boys. In an attempt to teach them English, he had them compile a newsletter called Ararat Monthly. The absence of the boys means that we will never hear their voices again…except through this newsletter. Issues of Ararat Monthly are preserved in various archives and online. Historians are compiling the letters into a book, which will come out in the fall.

Alexanian himself achieved a sort of cultural status in Canada. He went on to found the Alexanian carpet and flooring retailer, whose company jingle is well-known to Canadians. 

It should be noted, however, that the boys tend to overshadow the Georgetown Girls. There is little accessible information about the girls, making it difficult to tell their story. 

We are aware of mother and daughter Nevart and Pailoon Dermijian. We know about Mariam Mazmanian, who married Georgetown Boy Mampre Shirinian. Their son Lorne Shirinian spoke at the 100th anniversary commemoration. We also know about Koharig Bedrossian, who married Georgetown Boy Krikor Kasparian. Their granddaughter Jessica Kasparian was also present at the ceremony. 

Historians are working to give voice to these women and girls, whose lives were no less important than those of the boys. 

One of the repeated themes at the commemoration was the role this piece of history played in the development of Canadian humanitarianism. This was one of the earliest, if not the first, times Canadians came together to save lives abroad. This “noble experiment,” as the rescue of the Armenian orphans has been called, solidified Canada’s role abroad as a helping hand. Whether it was helping the Vietnamese boat people or Syrians, Canada took the lead. 

The Armenian Ambassador to Canada Anahit Harutyunyan called the events of July 1, 1923 and onward a “noble act of compassion.” 

She added: “By offering a safe haven, education and opportunities, Canada became a beacon of hope for these young souls, allowing them to heal, thrive and rebuild their lives.”

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Mansoor Tanweer

Mansoor Tanweer is a Canadian journalist from Mississauga, Ontario. He got his start covering the city of Brampton's housing, transportation and healthcare issues, among other topics. He now works for HaltonHillsToday doing much of the same. Recently, he wrote a series about Cedarvale Park, a former farm where more than a hundred Armenian orphans were brought and trained after the Armenian Genocide.

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• Descendants of 150 Armenian orphan refugees mark centenary of Georgetown Boys - July 13, 2023