The Honourable Tony Loffreda, Independent Senator from Québec, introduced Bill S-259, An Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month in Canada

We would like to express our thanks for the support of the Greeks of Canada. Thank you Senator Loffreda
The Honourable Tony Loffreda, Independent Senator from Québec, introduced Bill S-259, An Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month. The introduction of the bill coincided with Greek Independence Day which is celebrated every year on March 25th. The bill was seconded by Senator Leo Housakos, a leader and advocate from Canada’s Hellenic community.
Senator Loffreda introduced his bill with the support of several parliamentary colleagues, including Annie Koutrakis, MP for Vimy, who introduced a similar bill in March 2021 but died on the Order Paper with the dissolution of Parliament in August 2021. Emmanuella Lambropoulos, MP for Saint-Laurent has agreed to sponsor the bill in the House of Commons, and it will be seconded by Dave Epp, MP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington.
Prior to introducing his version of the bill, Senator Loffreda consulted widely with Hellenic organizations and individuals across the country to seek their feedback on the bill. He received widespread support for his legislative initiative and important feedback from the community on the wording of the preamble in the bill which he believes has been properly reflected in the new version of the bill now before Parliament.
“Canadians of Greek descent have been an integral part of Canada’s social fabric for more than a century. At the turn of the 20th century, Canada counted approximately 200 Greek immigrants,” said Loffreda. “Today, the Greek community is stronger than ever with over 260,000 Canadians claiming Greek heritage.”
In the coming weeks, Senator Loffreda, as sponsor of the bill, intends on opening second reading debate by delivering remarks celebrating the Hellenic community and the importance of recognizing March as Hellenic Heritage month. Once second reading debate concludes, he hopes the bill will be referred to a Senate standing committee for further review and adoption.
The Senator will provide Canadians with updates on the legislative progress of Bill S-259 on his social media outlets. We encourage you to follow his work online on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the Senate of Canada website.

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We would like to express our thanks for the support of the Greeks of Canada. Thank you Senator Loffreda
The Honourable Tony Loffreda, Independent Senator from Québec, introduced Bill S-259, An Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month. The introduction of the bill coincided with Greek Independence Day which is celebrated every year on March 25th. The bill was seconded by Senator Leo Housakos, a leader and advocate from Canada’s Hellenic community.
Senator Loffreda introduced his bill with the support of several parliamentary colleagues, including Annie Koutrakis, MP for Vimy, who introduced a similar bill in March 2021 but died on the Order Paper with the dissolution of Parliament in August 2021. Emmanuella Lambropoulos, MP for Saint-Laurent has agreed to sponsor the bill in the House of Commons, and it will be seconded by Dave Epp, MP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington.
Prior to introducing his version of the bill, Senator Loffreda consulted widely with Hellenic organizations and individuals across the country to seek their feedback on the bill. He received widespread support for his legislative initiative and important feedback from the community on the wording of the preamble in the bill which he believes has been properly reflected in the new version of the bill now before Parliament.
“Canadians of Greek descent have been an integral part of Canada’s social fabric for more than a century. At the turn of the 20th century, Canada counted approximately 200 Greek immigrants,” said Loffreda. “Today, the Greek community is stronger than ever with over 260,000 Canadians claiming Greek heritage.”
In the coming weeks, Senator Loffreda, as sponsor of the bill, intends on opening second reading debate by delivering remarks celebrating the Hellenic community and the importance of recognizing March as Hellenic Heritage month. Once second reading debate concludes, he hopes the bill will be referred to a Senate standing committee for further review and adoption.
The Senator will provide Canadians with updates on the legislative progress of Bill S-259 on his social media outlets. We encourage you to follow his work online on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the Senate of Canada website.

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