Georgetown Boys

This is the story of Kevork Kevorkian, also known as George Georgian. Kevorkian was one of the Georgetown Boys—Armenian orphans brought to Canada in the 1920s following the Armenian Genocide. Born in Egbez, Turkey, in 1912, Kevork was orphaned at the age of two, having witnessed the devastation of his family and homeland during the massacre. 

After years of displacement, he was placed in an orphanage in Corfu, Greece, before being sent to Canada in 1923 as part of the Georgetown Boys program. Known as "Eleven" during his journey to Canada, he was the eleventh child out of fifty orphans brought by the Canadian Armenian Relief Association, an initiative that sought to help genocide survivors despite the Canadian government’s initial reluctance.

Kevork spent four years at the Georgetown Boys farm, where he and others were forbidden to speak Armenian, an experience documented in Marsha Skrypuch's book, Aram’s Choice. After his time on the farm, he built a new life, working for 35 years at Dunnville Dairy and serving in the Canadian Army Reserve. Known in Brantford as a hardworking milkman, Kevork worked tirelessly for 39 years, embodying resilience and determination despite the hardships he endured.

He is the father of Brantford resident Carl Georgian, who has dedicated many years to researching, uncovering, and sharing the stories of the Georgetown Boys.