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History
of the Armenian Church Stamp
(April-June, 2001)
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Armenia became the
first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as
its state religion in 301 AD. The Armenian Church,
established in the first century by disciples of
Jesus Christ, has served its people for almost two
millenniums.
The first known Armenian immigrant to Canada came
to Port Hope, Ontario, in 1887, followed by
others, most of them farmers, merchants and
students fleeing turkish religious persecution.
A second wave, this time mainly women and
children, arrived in the first few decades of the
1900s as refugees from state sanctioned massacres.
This group included the Georgetown Boys, about 100
orphans whom the Armenian Relief Association of
Canada brought to live on a farm near Georgetown,
Ontario. The Armenian community has grown
gradually ever since, and built its first church
in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1930 (St. Gregory
the Illuminator Armenian Chuch).
Canadian Armenians now number over 50, 000 people
spread throughout the major cities of Canada. An
important thread in our cultural tapestry
professions and entrepreneurial trades.
Article published in Canada's Stamp Details
(Vol.X No 2; April-June, 2001) |
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