Greek immigrant, Phrixos Basil Papachristidis, took a chance by venturing to Canada in 1933 with the clothes on his back and a suitcase packed with vintage stamps. He went from empty pockets to a leading Canadian wholesale stamp trader in three years. Next, he took another chance in the maritime industry with the money he saved. In 1946, he incorporated the Papachristidis Company Ltd, purchasing older vessels to build his fleet. In the early 1960s, Papachristidis ordered six new Great Lakes Freighters, extending his reach into the Great Lakes trade for about a decade. Returning to his Greek roots, he chose the letter “pi” from the Greek alphabet for his company logo. It can be seen here on this six-foot rectangular flag with the traditional Greek blue and white.