On July 1 , 1923 , the first 50 orphans of the Armenian Genocide arrived in Georgetown to be educated and trained for farming at the Cedarvale Farm , now known as Cedarvale Park , operated by the Armenian Canadian Relief Fund . The children were known as the Georgetown Boys . By 1928 , most had homes on farms . Aris Alexanian was a teacher and assistant superintendent at the school . He went on to open an oriental rug store in Hamilton , Ontario , which has grown throughout Ontario and is now known as Alexanian Carpet and Flooring . In 1929 the farm became the Cedarvale School for Girls ; most of the residents found positions as domestic staff . In total , 109 boys and 40 girls were taken in by the Canadian government , considered by many to be Canada 's first humanitarian initiative . Many became Canadian citizens
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Georgetown, Ontario