OTTAWA, ON. – Canadian President of AHEPA Ken Matziorinis today formally presented Canadian Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and High Commissioner to Cyprus H.E. Robert W. Peck with the Aristotle Award at a brief ceremony held at the Canadian Museum of History. This award is presented by the Supreme Lodge of AHEPA to an Outstanding Hellene or Philhellene who has distinguished himself in his respective profession or field of endeavour.
The award was originally announced at AHEPA’s 41st Biennial Congressional Banquet on April 29, 2015 in Washington, D.C. by Supreme President Phillip T. Frangos, which Ambassador Peck was unable to attend.
“It gives me great pleasure to place in your hands the esteemed Aristotle Award on behalf of the Supreme Lodge and the entire Canadian AHEPA Family” said Canadian President Ken Matziorinis.
Ambassador Peck has worked tirelessly to expand Greek-Canadian trade and investment and has been instrumental in attracting billions of dollars of direct investment to Greece and making Canada the leading foreign direct investor. He has been instrumental in expanding educational and cultural ties between the two nations, among many other achievements. Noteworthy is the bilateral Youth Mobility Agreement (YMA) signed during the visit of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Athens in 2011, which allows young people in both countries to broaden their professional work experience abroad.
“Ambassador Peck has been an exemplary ‘ambassador of Hellenism’ and has strengthened the strong ties between Hellas and Canada” said Canadian President Matziorinis. “He has made all Canadians of Hellenic descent proud with his achievements and his love for Greece”.
Among those present in the award handing ceremony were the Ambassador of Greece to Canada, His Excellency George Marcantonatos, His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios of the Greek Orthodox Church in Canada, the Honourable Madame Justice Andromache Karakatsanis of the Supreme Court of Canada, Nikos Hatzitheodosiou, President of the Ottawa Chapter of AHEPA, Bessie Giovanopoulos V.P. of the Ottawa DOP Chapter, Past Canadian President of the DOP Alice Sophianopoulos and Margaret Dritsas of the Ottawa Daughters of Penelope. Also in attendance were the the Former Ambassador of Greece to Canada Eleftherios Anghelopoulos, Costas Menegakis, M.P. for Richmond Hill, Fr. Alexandros Michalopoulos , Nikos Lafkas, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Ottawa and Emmanuel Kammarianakis, Canadian Consul General in Dubai .
It is worth noting that in 1998, Ambassador Peck was awarded the insignia of Grand Commander of the Order of the Phoenix by the President of the Hellenic Republic for excellence in the public sphere.
Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 1928 in Toronto, Ontario, to protect individuals from the evils of bigotry and discrimination, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American and Canadian citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 400 chapters across the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus and Europe with affiliates in Australia and New Zealand. The mission of AHEPA is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism.
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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Ken Matziorinis, 514-884-6962
