TORONTO, CANADA – In 1996, the Toronto Metropolis was detached from the Archdiocese of America and became the Metropolis of Toronto and All Canada. Its Council’s recent report, obtained by The National Herald, indicates that the Metropolis’ real estate is worth more than $140 million Canadian.

The entire spiritual and material advancement happened over the last 45 years, under the Archpastorship of current Metropolitan Soterios. He recently verified the Council report to TNH, but did not make additional comments.

According to the report, there were only 22 Greek Orthodox Communities in Canada 45 years ago; now there are 77.

Metropolis headquarters was purchased on a plot of 1.25 acres. It is a four-story building in the center of the city, in a prime location, with a total area of 3,500 square meters. The Toronto Patriarchal Orthodox Theological Academy is housed on the first two floors.

The Church of St. John the Theologian is located on the ground floor, with a capacity of 180 seats, along with a banquet hall for 100 persons, a large kitchen, a dining room for students and a library in which there are 12,000 volumes of books. On the second floor, there are 24 bedrooms, 4 classrooms, 2 leisure rooms, a gym and a computer room.

On the third floor there five apartments, a storage room and a large space for a museum, which will be soon developed.

The offices of Greek Orthodox Metropolis as well as a apartment, which serves as the residence of the metropolitan, are located on the fourth floor. There is parking for 60 cars on two floors.
Other real estate includes:

1. Kingston, Ontario: 300 acres of land with a pond in the middle, ten acres wide, with five species of fish and clean drinking water which in the future can become a bottling plant.

2. Peterborough, Ontario: Forty acres of land on the banks of a lake, which is essentially three different properties, with 12 summer residences, 17 caravans, and other lodgings. All these are being rented.

3. Belleville, Ontario: Fifteen acres of land on the banks of a lake with 17 buildings used for the summer and winter camps of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto. The buildings have air conditioning and heating.

4. Oshawa, Ontario: Six acres of land with a church, large school, and cultural center.

5. Markham, Ontario: A large municipality extending from the city of Toronto, 14 acres of land with a Byzantine-style church, newly built, having 850 seating capacity, along with a residence, cultural center and other buildings.

6. Toronto: Two-and-one-half acres of land where the church of St. Nicholas is located, newly built in Byzantine style, with a seating capacity of 650 persons, along with a cultural center, kindergartens and schools.

7. Toronto: Three acres of land with the Church of the Metamorphosis of Christ, a reception hall and a kindergarten.

8. Toronto: One-half acre of land with the Church of the Holy Trinity, with a capacity of 300 persons.

9. Toronto: Three acres of land where the day school is located, with a capacity for 500 students.

10. Toronto: Apartment building with 47 apartments. It will be paid off in the year 2021 and then all revenues will be paid to the Metropolis.

11. Mississauga: City adjacent to the city of Toronto, where the international airport is located. Plot of 3.5 acres, with the Church of the Prophet Elijah, in Byzantine style, with a seating capacity of 1,000 persons, along with a small guest house, 10 classrooms, and a warehouse of 2,500 square meters, which is rented. On the roof of the warehouse, photovoltaic cells net a profit of $120,000 per year.

12. Barrie, Ontario: There are 6.25 acres with a small church, a small reception hall, and a large cemetery.

13. King City, Ontario: Fifty km north of Toronto City Hall, 50 acres of land housing the Monastery of Saint Patrocosmas. There is a church, a building in which the nuns are housed, a small guest house and another large building, which in a few years it will be of incalculable value.

14. Chatham, Quebec: There are 250 acres of land with a church, a building housing the nuns’ cells, auxiliary spaces, a showroom and a licensed cheese factory.

15. Archon Kleanthis Missios left his assets to our Greek Orthodox Metropolis through his will, which has not yet been probated by the authorities, but worth many millions dollars.

The report notes that all these properties are registered in the name of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis, and as the constituting documents of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis provide for, no changes in ownership can be made except with the written consent of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The spiritual progress of the Metropolis consists of the following:
• Annual Youth Assemblies, Monthly newspaper “Orthodox Way”, Social Services, Homes for the homeless, Weekly television program “Orthodox Voice” (broadcast across all of Canada), School of Byzantine Music (Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Regina), Convents of St. Kosmas of Aitolos in Ontario and the Virgin Mary of Consolation in Quebec (more than 40 nuns), Greek Orthodox Education (Greek Orthodox Day Schools, Child Care Centres), Homes for the Aged, Patriarchal Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy, Summer Camps “Metamorphosis” (resort and camps), Metropolis Cultural Centre, Internet and Social Media Ministries (Website, You Tube, Twitter, Facebook).