The history of Rotary, in Canada, was crucial to the spread of Rotary around the world. Rotary, in its centennial year of 2005, paid little attention to the brave work of James Wheeler Davidson & James Layton Ralston, The Calgary & Halifax Rotarians who carried Rotary "Around the World" or the early clubs from that huge country. This section of the history project was undertaken in 2001 to add to the knowledge of what Canada did for Rotary. Much of this work was contributed by the late PDG James Angus.  

Edited and posted by Jack Selway, RGHF Founder 13 August 2001. revised 3 July 2010

Rotary International Presidents from Canada (biographies here)

Rev. E. Leslie Pidgeon 1917

Dr. Crawford McCullough 1921

John R. Nelson 1933

Arthur Lagueux 1950

Wilfrid J. Wilkinson 2007

Rotary International Conventions held in Canada

Histories of the Canadian Conventions (more)

Convention home pages below:

Toronto 1924

Harris' Message to the first convention in Canada.

Toronto 1942

Toronto 1964

Montreal 1975

Toronto 1983

Calgary 1996

Montreal 2010 (Booklet Prepared for R.I. Convention, Montreal, 2010)

 

Read all of the convention histories

The seven Canadian "First 100" Clubs

Zone 22

5550 *Winnipeg

7070 Toronto

5040 Vancouver

7820 Halifax

7090 Hamilton

7040 Montreal

5020 Victoria

35

55

61

81

82

85

90

Organized 3 Nov 1910

1 March 1913

1 April 1913

1 August 1913

1 August 1913

1 October 1913

1 January 1914

* Not chartered until 13 Apr 1912  *Made Rotary International

Donald MacRae – Canada’s International Service Visionary

 “The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.”  -The Fourth Object of Rotary initially composed by Donald MacRae.

James Wheeler Davidson, James Layton Ralston, and Donald MacRae

The Calgary & Halifax Rotarians who carried Rotary "Around the World"

Read about Col. James Layton Ralston, (left) also Rotary's commissioner

Donald MacRae, a driving force being "service" in Rotary. Also listed under www.earlyleaders.org

Also see the Zone 22 Peace Award

This link was of fundamental importance as, when in 1915, at the San Francisco Convention, districts were introduced, Vancouver and Victoria were placed along with their Canadian colleagues in a West/ Prairie Canadian District (District 18) encompassing British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Vancouver and Victoria did not wish to leave the fellowship they had established with their American neighbors and successfully were re-united with the Pacific North West Rotary Clubs. Thus, the first International District was formed.

Today, the district system from Ontario to British Columbia naturally forms Canada-USA districts running North to South rather than simply adopting a nationalist approach.  Examples include District 6330 and 6400 covering both Michigan USA and Ontario, Canada. District 5020 covers both the Province of British Columbia and Washington State. District 7090 encompasses both New York State and Ontario. Canadian and American Rotarians are naturally the best of friends.

Perhaps the roots to such friendship derive from  1924 when Bruce Richardson, Chairman of the Winnipeg Club's Program Committee joined forces with Minnesota Rotary Clubs to hold a meeting devoted to "International Friendship and Goodwill". Eleven U.S. and seven Canadian Clubs met. These became an annual event with President Emeritus Paul Harris attending in 1929.

In 1922, at the LA Convention, Canadian Clubs asked for the creation of a Canadian Advisory Committee. The committee was not a replica of the British territorial unit but a less formal gathering. Section 6 helped define its purpose: - "Any matter of policy exclusively national to Canadian Clubs or Canadian Rotary shall be first referred to the Committee herein, for consideration and their recommendation, that the Board of Rotary International may be guided in their actions by the said recommendations."


Source -
Rotary in Canada : 75 Years of Service Above Self

Calum Thomson

Winnipeg and the International Goodwill Weekend

That Story Here