Armenian National Committee Toronto
45 Hallcrown Place
Toronto Ontario
M2J 4Y4
Contact: Marianne Davitjan
Tel: 416 491 2900
The Safarian Family, the Armenian National Committee of Toronto and the ARF
YOC will be organizing a public celebration on Sunday July 20th, 2008, in
honour of the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Canada of Israel Safarian.
The celebration will focus on the ARF, the early Armenians in Canada,
Thoughts, Words, and Images, 100 years later.
The celebration will be preceded by a memorial service in honour of Israel
Safarian at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Toronto.
"He did everything he could to help out his fellow Armenians, especially
those of us who were newcomers. ‘Medz Enger’, we used to call him."
George Hagopian
Born in the town of Keghi of Western Armenia around 1880, Mr. Israel
Safarian arrived in Hamilton in 1908 by way of Batumi/Liverpool/New York
City as a young man full of ambition, with $5 in his pocket. He had left his
hometown and family behind to escape discrimination against Armenians and in
search of work to support his family members, most of whom would later
perish in the Armenian genocide of 1915. After the loss of almost all of his
extended family, Mr. Safarian would form a new home in Canada and until his
death in 1969, as a committed member of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, in the course of years would become one of the pillars of the
Armenian communities of St. Catharines and Toronto.
"Isreal Sarafian was a passionate man full of humor and vivacity."
Vasken Terzian
Having recently moved to Toronto, and wanting to know more about one of the
founders of this community, I set out to get to know Mr. Safarian better.
What type of a person was he? In what capacity was he involved in the
Armenian community? What is it that people remember about him? And through
interviews with a family member and friends, I came to know that Mr.
Safarian was a vivacious, humorous, compassionate individual who loved
everything that had to do with Armenia and Armenians. A determined character
who, with a few others, mortgaged his house as a down-payment for a nascent
community center. A husband and father who loved his family, passed on his
interest in education and music to his children and ensured that his passion
for everything Armenian would always be alive in the homes of his offspring.
Toronto Armenian
"My father’s life revolved around the Armenian community and everything to
do with Armenians"
Prof. Edward Safarian
Memorial Service
Date: Sunday July 20th, 2008
Time: 1:30 pm
Location: St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 45 Hallcrown Place (401 and
Victoria Park)
Public Celebration
Date: Sunday July 20th, 2008
Time: 2:30 pm
Location: Armenian Community Centre, Main Hall, 45 Hallcrown Place (401 and
Victoria Park)
For further information, please contact [email protected]