John Bitove was a Canadian businessman of Macedonian origin. He was born in Toronto in 1928 to Nikola and Vana, who came from the Macedonian village Gabresh located in today’s province of Western Macedonia in Greece. Growing up in a family that carried the scars of persecution and suffering had impressed in John Bitove a sense of patriotism for Macedonia and deep love for the Macedonian people. This love became the force that compelled John to dedicate his life to his beliefs and ideals of helping Macedonia and Macedonians across the globe. It was his strong will that enabled him to grow into a successful businessman.
John Bitove will remain as one of the few Macedonian heroes of the modern day. He believed in freedom, justice and the ability for all Macedonians to enjoy basic human rights in the states across the Balkans. He donated funds to many organizations helping Macedonians who in need. A number of Christian churches have been built thanks to his support- most recently the Saint Mother of God in Cambridge and St. Elijah in Mississauga, both in Canada. John Bitove was also a strong believer in education, which compelled him to initiate the learning of the Macedonian language at the University of Toronto. Mr. Bitove has provided scholarships to exceptional students of Macedonian origin in North America.