The Georgetown Boys, or Canada's Noble Experiment was the first humanitarian act on an international scale by the country. This effort was spearheaded by the Armenian Relief Association of Canada. At this time Canada started to take in orphaned children from Armenia. The first 50 came in 1923. The following year another 40 boys came. The boys came to Canada from Turkey to escape the Armenian Genocide. By 1928 a total of 109 came to Georgetown, Ontario and eventually came to be called "The Georgetown Boys".
Contents
The Armenian boys lived, worked and were educated on a farm near Georgetown. The boys were largely trained for farming. The assistant superintendent at the school during this time was Aris Alexanian. Mr. Alexanian helped the boys start a newsletter called "Ararat". The newsletter was written and published by the boys and used as a tool to improve their English skills. By 1927 a total of 91 of the original boys were placed on farms throughout Ontario. In 1929 the farm home of the boys was renamed the Cedarvale School for Girls. The original farm is now part of Cedarvale Park in Georgetown. An Ontario Provincial Plaque was erected in Cedarvale Park on June 26, 2010 designating it a municipal historic site honouring the Armenian boys who lived there.
Books
A comprehensive book on the life of the Armenian orphans in Georgetown was written by Jack Apramian in 1976. "The Georgetown Boys" is written in the first person since Apramian himself was a Georgetown Boy who arrived with the first group in 1923. The book is a story of survival and cultural preservation. The Armenian children somehow retained their Armenian heritage while facing pressure to assimilate. Jack Apramian's original self-published book was revised and republished by the Zorian Institute 2009. The new publication is edited by Lorne Shirinian.
Aram's Choice, a children's book written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and illustrated by Muriel Wood, was published in 2006 by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Canada. This was the first work of commercial fiction on the subject of the Georgetown Boys. This illustrated chapter book follows the journey of the first group of boys from their exile in Corfu all the way to the Georgetown Boys' Farm. In 2009, the sequel, Call Me Aram, also written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and illustrated by Muriel Wood was published. This book was about the Boys' first few months in Canada and their quest to retain their own Armenian names. Both of these books received high critical acclaim. Aram's Choice was shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association Children's Book of the Year Award, as well as the Ontario Library Association's Silver Birch Express Award and their Golden Oak Award. Call Me Aram was also shortlisted for the Silver Birch Express and Golden Oak.
Theatre
A play based on Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's Aram books, called "The Georgetown Boys" premiered at the John Elliot Theatre in Georgetown in 2008. Superintendent Aris Alexanian is one of the characters in the play. The play was written, directed and produced by Sam Hancock. There is also a musical entitled "The Georgetown Boys: A Musical" which performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts In April 2009.