About the Canadian Club

A Brief History

The Canadian Club of the Yamaska Valley grew out of a meeting held in 1980 in response to concern about the threat of separatism posed by the Quebec Referendumm.

Nora Nicholls, the Regional Vice-President for Quebec, Jean Grout and Pierrette Lessard, and fourteen others, met to discuss what might be done in our area.  They then called a public meeting to present their ideas to a large group gathered at the Knowlton Golf Club.  They suggested forming a Canadian Club.

The response was positive.; The original group, aided by others, formed a broad-based committee, drew up a constitution, a program and a membership list.  The name we have was approved at a subsequent meeting and membership grew.  Mary Maxwell of the Montreal Women's Canadian Club attended several meetings to explain the organization.

Our purpose is that of the first Canadian Club which was organized in 1893 in Hamilton* and endorsed by all clubs across Canada:

• to foster an interest in and a greater knowledge of Canadian affairs;
• to be non-sectarian, non-partisan and non-profit.

To this our club added:  "We recognize the enrichment we feel because we have the opportunity to partake in two cultures."

Although the club was originally formed as a Women's Canadian Club, it has long since admitted both men and women.

* Canadian Clubs in the early years...
Toronto Globe excerpt March, 1893: "The revival of the nation sentiment is again becoming popular, as evinced by the successful dinner given by the new Canadian Club of Hamilton. The time has now come when many of these Clubs ought to be organized all over the Dominion, making the national sentiment paramount in the hearts of the young men, and killing in the bud any attempt to foster on our soil the old-Country feuds of racial, religious or other origins".

Our Club and the Community

We have helped a Massey-Vanier student to attend a conference at the Terry Fox Centre in Ottawa, donated to the Massey-Vanier band, to the BMP Foundation and offered each year a free Christmas concert to the community.

Our club continues to be a positive force, bringing outstanding speakers to our meetings where members from different parts of our area can meet and share a common interest.

Canadian Club News