The origins of the Ontario Club lie in the 1908 Canadian federal election. In that election, the Liberal Party of Canada won 133 seats, while the opposition parties won 88. However, all seats in Toronto went to members of the Conservative Party of Canada. In response to this situation, a group of Liberal supporters decided to form a gentlemen's club to provide a social home for party members in Toronto, and to enhance the party's status in the city. The founders of the club were Michael John Haney (1856–1927), James Houston Spence (1867–1939), George Tower Ferguson (1856–1932), Gabriel Thomas Somers (1867–1926), and Dr Thomas Franklin McMahon (1852–1925). In late 1908, the five founders created a list of 300 individuals they would approach to become members, and by January 1909 there were 312 applications to join the club. Original members of the club paid a $25 initiation fee, $10 of which was paid upon application, and the balance paid when the club incorporated. The club met for the first time on 20 January 1909 to choose a name and elect a provisional board. Directors elected to the first board were Haney, Somers, Ferguson, and McMahon from the founders group, as well as James Herbert Denton, Peter Charles Larkin, Maj Charles Alexander Moss, Thomas Saunders Hobbs, and James Frederick Martin Stewart. During the first meeting, a debate arose about the issue of temperance. William Raney, who led the group in favour of temperance, argued that the club should not create a possible policy conflict with the party. Haney, who was chairman of the meeting, was also in favour of a dry club. He said, "I'm not a temperance crank, but I believe the club will be better off without liquor." Attendees voted 50-9 in favour of asking for liquor privileges in their application to incorporate.[1] The club was granted a charter on 8 February 1909, and held its first board meeting on 26 March of that year. At that meeting, members elected an official board. Further directors added to the provisional board were Lloyd Harris, Leighton McCarthy, J. W. Curry, Dr John Herbert McConnell, John Bain, and Joseph Fisher Eby. Edward Clarkson was elected auditor.[2] His firm, Clarkson Gordon & Co, would remain the club's auditors for decades. By November, the club had 433 resident and 130 non-resident members.[3]
In the late summer of 1909, the club moved into the former Bay Street clubhouse of the National Club, which that year had moved into its new clubhouse a block to the north. This building stood on the current site of the Toronto Stock Exchange Building. On 5 January 1910, the club hosted its first banquet, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier was its guest of honour. At the banquet, Laurier delivered a speech that began, "yet once again it is my privilege to be among the Grits of Toronto, because there is a double merit attached to being a Grit in Toronto. There are places in which it is as natural to be a Grit as to breathe the air of heaven. Of such I know many. But of such Toronto is not one. It must be recognised that the atmosphere of Toronto has never been conducive to Gritism."[4] The Ontario Club remained at its first location until 31 December 1910. After the lease expired, in January 1911 the club moved into the Lumsden Building on Yonge Street.[5]
The clubhouse at 16 Wellington opened in 1912. The building was demolished in July 1969.
In 1910, Larkin, the chairman of the club's New Quarters Committee, began negotiating with the Standard Bank of Canada to acquire its head office building at 16 Wellington Street. The building had been erected in 1884 and was designed by David Brash Dick.[6] In 1911 the club arranged a deal with the bank to acquire the building for $120,000. To complete the purchase, the club paid $20,000 in cash and received a $100,000 mortgage from Manulife. Once the sale was finalised, work began to raise money for the conversion of the building into a clubhouse. Costs for the renovations were estimated at $80,000, therefore, the club issued $75,000 in 20-year five per cent gold bonds maturing in 1931. Work was completed in the summer of 1912, at which time the club moved into its new quarters.[7] The first banquet at the new clubhouse took place in November 1913, and again Sir Wilfrid Laurier attended as the guest of honour.[8]
The renovations on the bank were designed by Sproatt & Rolph. While the exterior walls of the building were kept, the structure was otherwise gutted and rebuilt with new columns and floor beams. The basement of the club held a barber shop and cloak room. The entrance hall, main dining room, and servery were on the main floor. The second floor held the library, magazine room, and two private dining rooms. The third floor had a billiards room and two card rooms. The fourth and fifth floors consisted of bedrooms for members, though the kitchen occupied half of the fifth floor.[9]
By November 1913, membership was around 800, with around 500 resident members. The club's initiation fee had been set in December 1912 at $300 (approximately $8,000 in 2023) and annual fees for resident members were $50 (approximately $1,300 in 2023). Seven members of the Ontario Club were killed in World War I. During the war, all clubs in Toronto stopped serving drinks after 8 pm.[10] In 1925, membership reached an all-time high of 925, with 654 resident members. By 1929, total membership dropped to 845. The club struggled financially during the Great Depression and in 1938 imposed two assessments of $50 each. During World War II, any military officer could receive a membership free of charge, however, these memberships were revoked when the war ended. By the summer of 1945, membership was 419, with 309 resident members. To increase membership, that year the club created a new "junior member" category for gentlemen aged 21 to 29, with an amortised initiation fee and annual dues of $33 ($570 in 2023). Also that year, the initiation fee for regular members was reduced to $200 ($3,450 in 2023).[11]
During the late 1940s, the fifth floor was insulated, and roofing, painting, plumbing, and electrical improvements were undertaken. In 1954, air conditioning was installed in the dining room, the billiard and card rooms were relocated, and the cocktail lounge was redecorated. At the same time, much of the electrical system and plumbing were replaced. Consequently, an assessment of $100 was imposed on resident members. In 1955, the entrance fee was increased to $400 ($4,500 in 2023) and annual dues increased to $140 ($1,500 in 2023). In 1959, three private dining rooms were added to the fifth floor, which reduced the total number of bedrooms to five. That year, total membership was 749, with 556 resident members.[12]
In 1968, the club decided to sell its building for $1.5 million to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to allow for the construction of the Commerce Court complex. The sale included an agreement for the club to lease the top floor of the south building in the group.[13] In May 1969, the club vacated its historic quarters and moved temporarily into the 19th and 20th floors of the Royal York Hotel.[14]
Later years and second clubhouse, 1972–2010
The club occupied the top floor of Commerce Court South from 1972 to 2007. The building stands on the site of the original clubhouse.
On Tuesday, 9 May 1972, Premier Bill Davis opened the new quarters in Commerce Court South. The new clubhouse featured Louis XVI, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Queen Anne armchairs, Sheraton buffets, Persian carpets, 18th-century pewter chandeliers, silk draperies, Botticino marble walls, and 11-foot high beamed ceilings.[15] At the opening, Davis and John Robarts were given honorary memberships.[16]
In 1978, the club created a new membership category called "diplomatic," and was the first club in Toronto to have such a class. In January of that year, it admitted 16 new members to that category, all from foreign countries. Among them was Rita de Arismendi, the consul general of Venezuela.[17] In 1985, the club voted to amend its bylaws to allow women to become full members.[18]
In 1989, the Engineers' Club, which had been founded in 1895, made the decision to redevelop its clubhouse at 105 Victoria Street. The new clubhouse would have retail at street level, club quarters on the first three floors, and 40 condominiums above. When the real estate market collapsed in January 1990, the club lost its building and was forced to find a new home. In November 1992, the Engineers' Club decided to merge into the Ontario Club. At the time, the Ontario's membership was around 755, while the Engineers' was 545, creating a total membership of around 1300. Although both clubs had in the 1980s ceased to be gentlemen's clubs, both still had less than 50 female members. The Star commented that, "the reason there isn't a higher proportion of female members is that luncheon clubs aren't recruiting many members of either sex these days. Times are tough, and habits have changed."[19]
At the end of March 2007, the club's lease in Commerce Court expired. At that time, it moved into new quarters on the 12th and 13th floors of the One King West Hotel & Residence.[20] However, at the end of February 2009, the club lost its lease and was left homeless.[21] In 2010, remaining members of the Ontario Club merged into the National Club.
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a 660,000-square-foot (61,000 m2) hotel with 429 guest rooms in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive and designed in a French Gothic Revival Châteauesque style to complement the adjacent Parliament buildings. The hotel is above the Colonel By Valley, home of the Ottawa Locks of the Rideau Canal, and overlooks the Ottawa River. The main dining room overlooks Major's Hill Park. The reception rooms consist of the Wedgewood-blue Adam Room, the Laurier Room defined with Roman columns, the Empire-style ballroom, and the Drawing Room decorated with cream and gold plaster ornament. The hotel was designated a national historic site in 1980.
Sir Richard John Cartwright was a Canadian businessman and politician.
The Princeton Charter Club is one of Princeton University's eleven active undergraduate eating clubs located on or near Prospect Avenue in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.
The Hong Kong Club is a gentlemen's club in Hong Kong, the first in the city. Opened on 26 May 1846, it is a private business and dining club in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. Its members were among the most influential people in the city, including such personalities as senior government officials, senior local businessmen, the heads of the major trading firms, and many legal and accounting professionals. It was often referred to simply as "The Club". The club's first premises were situated on Queen's Road at the junction with D'Aguilar Street.
Sir Byron Edmund Walker, CVO was a Canadian banker. He was the president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce from 1907 to 1924, and a generous patron of the arts, helping to found and nurture many of Canada's cultural and educational institutions, including the University of Toronto, National Gallery of Canada, the Champlain Society, Appleby College, Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum.
The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto is a private members' club in Toronto, Ontario, which brings together writers, architects, musicians, painters, graphic artists, actors and others working in or with a love of the arts and letters. It was founded in 1908 as a gentlemen's club, but women have been members since 1985.
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) is a private yacht club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1852, it is one of the world's older and larger yacht clubs. Its summer home is on a trio of islands in the Toronto Islands. Its winter home since 1984 has been a purpose-built clubhouse located at 141 St. George Street in Toronto, which includes facilities for sports and social activities. In 2014, the club had approximately 4700 members, about 450 yachts and a number of dinghies, principally International 14s.
The Rensselaer Society of Engineers (RSE) is a social fraternity founded in 1866 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Originally named The Pi Eta Scientific Society, the organization was incorporated in 1873 in the state of New York. Arriving on campus at about the same time as some of the first fraternities, it has remained one of the oldest "local" organizations in the U.S. RSE is the only independent fraternity at Rensselaer. They have chosen to remain independent to maintain the freedom to set their own policies and make their own managerial decisions. Contrary to what their name may imply, members major not only in engineering, but also in such disciplines as science, management, architecture, and the arts. Society members are active in not only campus and local activities, but are also in many national organizations.
The Anglo-Belgian Club was a private members' club located in Northumberland Avenue, London.
The Alta Club is a private club in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, named for a local mining district. It was founded in 1883, 13 years before Utah's accession as a state. The Alta Club serves as a forum for business development and social interaction, and offers facilities for dining, social events, business meetings, and health and wellness.
The Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI) is a private members' organization with a focus on military history, defence studies and international affairs. Located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it was founded as the Canadian Military Institute on January 14, 1890. General Sir William Dillon Otter set the founding principles: "to provide in an Institute for the defence forces of Canada a Library, museum and club for the purposes of the promotion of military art, science and literature, to gather and preserve the records of the defence forces, and develop its specialized field in Canadian history." The motto of the RCMI is Fidelis Per Manere.
The Metropolitan Club is a private social club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was founded as a gentlemen's club in March 1891 by a group of wealthy New Yorkers led by the financier John Pierpont Morgan. The clubhouse at Fifth Avenue and 60th Street was designed by McKim, Mead & White and is a New York City designated landmark. The club is controlled by a 25-member board of governors. Initially, only men could become members, though women were given membership privileges in the mid-20th century. Like other Gilded Age social clubs, the Metropolitan Club functioned largely as a meeting place for the wealthy, hosting events such as luncheons, dinners, debutante balls, and business meetings.
The Granite Club is a private social and athletic club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1875, it has a long history of sports competition. It is located at 2350 Bayview Avenue, north of midtown Toronto.
The Toronto Club is a private members' club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded on March 20, 1837, it is the oldest private club in Canada, and third oldest in North America.
Shongum is an unincorporated community located within Randolph Township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located near Shongum Lake. The community is located 3.0 miles (4.8 km) away from Mount Freedom, New Jersey.
The University Club of Albany, New York, was a social club founded in 1901 that closed in 2022. It was most recently housed in a Colonial Revival brick building at the corner of Washington Avenue and Dove Street.
The National Club is a private members' club founded in 1874 for business professionals located in the Financial District of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It provides private dining and meeting facilities, as well as accommodations to its members and guests.
The Penn Club of New York is an American 501(c)7 not-for-profit, private social club located on Clubhouse Row in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The club's 14-story building, which is a designated landmark, is located at 30 West 44th Street and initially was occupied by The Yale Club of New York City.
The Vancouver Club is a private social club in Vancouver, British Columbia. The club was founded in 1891 as a gentlemen's club but in 1993 became mixed-sex. Since its inception it has been the city's preeminent private club. For most of its history, the club's membership was restricted to the city's old money, in contrast with the Terminal City Club, which was more open in its membership policies. As with many traditional gentlemen's clubs, the Vancouver Club struggled to attract younger members after the 1960s. Besides becoming mixed-sex, in recent decades the club has abandoned most of its Victorian customs and has become a more informal, business oriented institution.
The Quadra Club was a gentlemen's club in Vancouver, British Columbia that existed from 1922 to 1940. Named after Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, the club was an important social institution in Vancouver during the 1920s and 1930s and counted many of the city's élite among its members. For its first several years, the club occupied the former clubhouse of the Vancouver Club. In 1930 it opened a new clubhouse on Hastings Street where it remained for the duration of its existence. During the Great Depression, the club struggled financially and eventually ceased operations in 1940.
References
↑ "New Liberal club formally launched," Toronto Daily Star, (21 January 1909), 2.
↑ "Will prohibit treating of fellow members of the new Liberal club," Toronto Daily Star, (26 March 1909), 2.
↑ Harry K. Vipond, "The Ontario Club: An Historical Sketch, 1909–1959," in The Ontario Club, Toronto: Golden Anniversary, 1909–1959, (Ontario Club, 1959), 9-10.
↑ "National life for the Dominion, close relations with the Empire," Toronto Daily Star, (6 January 1910), 2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
