The Kanellakos Family

Mr. Dimitrios “Jimmy” Kanellakos is the patriarch of one of Halifax’s best-known Greek families. His memories go back to World War II and the subsequent Civil War in Greece, as well as to Halifax and its Greek community since the 1960s. Recalling the year 1940, when the Italians were attempting to overrun Greece, he said: “I remember being in the front line between Albania and Greece, because this was the direction from which the Italians were coming. We took cover in an Albanian school, because the rain was pouring down. I took off all my clothing and put it in a large stewpot filled with water, so I would not get lice. However, after that night I was so cold that I caught pneumonia. After World War II the political situation in Greece got even worse. When the Civil War started, I remember that the left-wing fighters were going after the xites, members of an extreme right-wing faction called ‘the X operation’. It was terrible to see brother fighting against brother. In our village the xites used to kill our mules and steal our provisions. On Good Friday the left-wing faction killed ten people from our village including the village mayor. I was afraid for my life and for the life of my loved ones, so I would not sleep at night in our house in case the fighters might attack us. My wife used to throw provisions from the window, and I would go to our orchard outside the village and spend the night there.”

After living through those terrible war years, Mr. Kanellakos and his wife finally left for Canada in the 1960s,when new disorders caused the emergence of the Greek military dictatorship. His adult children were already establishing themselves in Halifax. He continued: “My wife and I came to Canada on the ship ‘Fredericka’. There was a really bad storm at sea and we were very frightened. It was our first sea trip, and we did not know what to expect. On April 9, 1964 we came through Pier 21 in Halifax to find our four grown-up children waiting to welcome us. A few days later I saw snow for the first time and it was April! I thought that was a very strange thing. Generally my early impressions of Halifax and our life here are very positive. We had come from a village on the side of Mount Taygetus in Greece and now we had this nice, first house near the sea.

By the time we arrived in Halifax our children were renting a restaurant on Agricola Street which sold fish and chips. I used to do the cooking with my partner because I knew no English, and I couldn’t talk to the customers. My two older sons, John and Bill, took care of the rest of the business. We all worked very hard to transform it into a success. My wife stayed home with our two youngest children. After some years my sons found a better opportunity for a restaurant, so we gave the business on Agricola Street to my sister's two sons.

In my early years in Halifax the thing that bothered me the most was the fact that although I gradually came to understand what people were saying in English, I did not know enough of the language to answer them properly. At the time the government would pay $150 for immigrants to learn English, so I asked a friend to come with me to night school where we could learn together. Unfortunately my friend said ‘no’, and I didn’t want to go by myself. I regret now that I will never be as comfortable in English as I am in Greek.

We never forgot out Greek roots and traditions. We have always gone to the Greek Church in Halifax and to all the other gatherings of the Greek people here. I remember how crowded these gatherings were, and how much fun we had as a community. As our various family businesses prospered, and all our children got married with families of their own, we decided to travel back to Greece again. Once we went back to Greece, a part of us wanted to stay there, but our children, and now the grandchildren brought us back. They have always been determined to make good lives for themselves in Canada. Since I do not want to live without them, this is where I stay. Although in the beginning it was hard and we got homesick, we now agree that our children made the right choice. Sometimes children are wiser than their parents! Even though I have my pension, I still like coming into my children’s restaurant, because that way I get the chance to meet our friends all the time.”

Unlike most Greeks who came to the restaurant business in North America with little or no previous experience, the Kanellakos family already had a background in restaurant management from Greece. ‘Jimmy’ Kanellakos’ four sons have operated a variety of Halifax businesses for more than thirty-five years. Involved in the ownership of other restaurants and stores in former years, the four Kanellakos brothers, Peter, John, George, and Bill now concentrate their energies on Cousin’s Restaurant on Lady Hammond Road. It is a large-scale operation which employs twenty-five people, five of whom are family members. Mr. Peter Kanellakos told the interviewer that their restaurant work “means a seven day week, with approximately sixty hours of work each week for the family members. The only days off are for important holidays like Christmas. Every two or three years we take a two-month vacation.” He went on to say that it was “very hard work to establish ourselves, but now we are well-known for quality, service, and good prices.” Cousin’s Restaurant offers both Greek and “Canadian” food to a loyal clientele, many of whom have patronized the restaurant for years. The long workweeks are difficult, and with them come high stress levels for the owners who are so actively involved in every part of the business. Given his commitment to the business, it is a wonder that Peter Kanellakos has any time for life beyond the restaurant and his immediate family. Nevertheless, he is a regular supporter of St. George’s Church and a four-time member of the Church Council. He and his brothers always assist the Church at the time of the Greek Festival, and also help the students with their annual Wine Festival.

Some of the third generation members of the Kanellakos family have gone into other professions such as medicine and teaching. Terry Kanellakos, on the other hand, who was born in Nova Scotia and has a university degree with a major in Economics, chose to take on the management of Cousin’s Market with his cousin, John Kanellakos, because, he said, “I wanted to be my own boss.” Like his Uncle Peter, he accepts the long 50-60 hour workweek, which is necessary for survival and success in a competitive business environment. One of the two owner cousins is always at the store. Cousin’s Market also has two non-family employees. Terry shows great zest for his work and finds no negative side to it. He particularly enjoys meeting a wide range of people, and being part of the decision-making process, which moves the store in the direction that he and his partner want it to go. Terry remains close to his family, participates in the activities of the Greek community, and is enthusiastic about any opportunity to travel to Greece.

Given so many years of involvement in a variety of Halifax businesses, and in the life of the Greek community, it is not hard to understand why the Kanellakos name is so well known and respected in the city.