Toula Drimonis
Toula Drimonis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 2, 1966 |
| Alma mater | Concordia University |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist and author |
| Notable work | We, the Others: Allophones, Immigrants, and Belonging in Canada" 2022. "Seeking Asylum: Building a Shareable World" 2024. |
Toula Drimonis (2 November 1966), is a journalist, columnist, and author known for writing on immigration, Quebec politics, and women’s issues.
Early life
Drimonis was born and raised in Montreal to Greek immigrant parents[1]. She is trilingual, fluent in: English, French, and Greek. She writes primarily in English but works across English and French language media in Quebec.[2][3]
Career
In 2014, Drimonis, who identifies as a feminist, wrote in the Huffington Post about why she does not support the group FEMEN, arguing that their topless protests are ineffective, divisive, and dismissive of other women’s experiences.[4]
In 2015, Drimonis was profiled in Le Devoir as part of a feature on anglophones and allophones in Quebec after the death of former premier Jacques Parizeau.[5] She defended Parizeau against harsh criticism online and emphasized his role in building modern Quebec.[5] The article described her as a bridge between francophone Quebec and English-speaking communities, noting her efforts to explain Quebec politics and identity to wider audiences.[5] Drimonis, who spent part of her childhood in Greece, stated that she considers herself primarily Québécoise and has expressed support for progressive provincial parties such as Québec solidaire, while maintaining that she votes as a Quebecer rather than strictly as a federalist or sovereigntist.[5]
In 2017, during the rise of the MeToo movement, Drimonis shared her own experiences of sexual harassment and assault in an interview with CBC News.[6] She described the harassment she regularly receives as a columnist and recalled incidents dating back to her childhood, saying her story was “not extraordinary” because so many women have had similar experiences.[6] She expressed hope that speaking out would help break the culture of silence around these issues.[6]
In 2018, Drimonis was invited to appear on television on "CityLife" on MAtv to share her opinion and perspective on Bill 101, 40 years after its passing.[7]
Drimonis is the author of We, the Others: Allophones, Immigrants, and Belonging in Canada which was described in The Halifax Examiner as "part memoir, part history, part manifesto".[8] The book is about the political discourse in Canada around immigration.[8] She said the project was inspired in part by the death of her father, Panayote Drimonis, as a tribute to the sacrifices made by immigrants of his generation.[9][10] The book also responds to political discourse in Quebec, particularly comments on immigration by Premier François Legault, which Drimonis argued contributed to stigmatization of immigrant communities.[9]
Drimonis is a weekly opinion columnist at The Montreal Gazette since 2023.
Published works
- We, the Others: Allophones, Immigrants, and Belonging in Canada, 30 September 2022, Linda Leith Publishing, ISBN 978-1773901213.
- Nous, les autres (French translation of We, the Others), 29 January 2024, Somme toute, ISBN 978-2897944360.
- Seeking Asylum: Building a Shareable World, 16 March 2024, Linda Leith Publishing, ISBN 978-1773901527.
See also
References
- ^ "Dunlevy: In first book, Toula Drimonis looks at belonging in Quebec". montrealgazette. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ Noakes, Taylor C. (2022-12-05). "We spoke to Toula Drimonis about why her book "We, the Others" is striking a chord in Quebec". Cult MTL. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ Cohen, Mike (5 Nov 2022). "Local Authors: Toula Drimonis' We The Others paints a very disturbing picture". The Suburban Newspaper. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ Drimonis, Toula (2014-08-06). "I'm a Feminist But I Will Never Identify With 'Sextremism'". HuffPost. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ a b c d Fortier, Marco (2015-06-06). "ANGLOPHONES ET HEUREUX AU QUÉBEC, Une génération plus tard". BAnQ (in French). Le Devoir. p. 1, 3. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ a b c Bernstien, Jaela (2017-10-20). "Flood of #MeToo sexual assault stories shatters 'culture of silence,' creates bonds". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ Jen Drouin (2018-02-09). Panel on Bill 101 - CityLife - MAtv - 6 February 2018. Retrieved 2025-08-17 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Moscovitch, Philip (2022-10-04). "We, the Others: How the political discourse around immigration gets so much wrong". Halifax Examiner. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ a b McQuade, Pénélope (2022-09-09). "Nous, les autres, de Toula Drimonis : pour un « nous » vraiment inclusif | OHdio | Radio-Canada". Radio-Canada (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ Elkouri, Rima (2024-01-28). "Immigrants ordinaires, discours réactionnaires". La Presse (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-16.