At the very first speech ever given from the podium of the Empire Club of Canada, delivered by renowned clergyman and professor William Clark on the opening date for the Club of December 3, 1903, the speaker opined on how important this new institution would be to the history of the young country. His words were prophetic, as we now know since he was followed by thousands of the most influential and powerful people on the planet. This became evident almost immediately as the Club attracted newsmakers of the day every week, and they came to talk about their latest invention, the battle they had just won, how they were going to change the country they had just been elected to run, or perhaps new business ventures that had put their company into high-profit territory. Not surprisingly, the Club quickly reached its self-imposed capacity of 3000 members, and a waiting list was created for those hoping to join these illustrious luncheons held in very swanky Toronto premises such as Webbs Restaurant on Yonge Street or in the dining room of the Queen’s hotel, considered by many to be superior in comfort to any other establishment on the continent.
Several books have been written on the history of the Empire Club, and they all examine why this Club, set up as a reaction against a growing sentiment in some quarters that Canada should join the United States, has had so much success over the last 121 years. They did always attract the best speakers of the day, and they were devoted to recording all these speakers and making their speeches available to everyone, but most agree that it was the very illustrious nature of its membership that made it such an abiding tradition that people wanted to be a part of. You went to the Empire Club to be educated on the issues of the day, but you were in the company of the most influential movers and shakers of each era when you arrived in that room. That ensured success for decades, but many thought this old institution would not survive the digital age because of its roots in the age of Empire, a time when a few powerful and very privileged men ran the world. How could an institution born in such a world survive in the vastly different society we live in today? Didn’t people get their information from faster and more convenient sources?
What some had failed to notice when examining the Empire Club was how hard it was working in the background to be a true reflection of its time, to never live in the past while at the same time honouring that past through the very complete historical record that it kept of every speech delivered at its podium. What is important to Canadians changes dramatically with each era, and those changes were always implemented to ensure the continuing relevance of the Club. In recent years, the Empire Club has adopted the twin values of inclusion and diversity, keeping pace and at times running ahead of the society it operates within. In earlier times, English-speaking Canada was British-centric and very concerned with its day-to-day relationship with Great Britain, and thus the Empire Club reflected those values. Over the decades leading up to today, Canada has become far more diverse and complex and has begun to celebrate this national characteristic as a quality to be cherished.
William Robinson Clark’s speech to the Empire Club of Canada was entitled The Empire Club of Canada and It’s Ideal of Imperialism.
The Empire Club today takes on all of the complexity of being a diverse and inclusive nation, with a direct and very strong influence on the types of speeches we hear at the Club. If we had told one of our early speakers, Alexander Graham Bell, that we would one day look at the challenges of being a black woman in Canada, he would have probably been somewhat confused and very surprised. But keeping relevant and on point means that you celebrate the great speakers of the past but also make certain that you always give a voice to everyone in the country, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The Empire Club is stronger than ever in 2024 because it has not sought refuge in the past but rather honoured the importance of the past while celebrating the present, the now. It means we evolve with the country and stay important to Canadians of all ages and backgrounds.
Regularly, on this features page, you will find articles about some of the greatest speeches ever delivered at the Club, speeches that had a huge impact when delivered in the context of their time. We invite you to dive into these speeches that are always entertaining, informative, and highly educational allowing us to do a deep dive into what the preoccupations and pastimes were for Canadians who came before us. It is far more than educational…it is enriching, passion-inducing and a magic carpet ride into the history of our great nation.
Gordon McIvor is the President of the Empire Club Foundation and a Past President of the Empire Club of Canada. He has over 40 years of experience in public and government affairs, real property and governance, and has presided over several not-for-profits including the Alliance Francaise French Schools and the Communications and Public Relations Foundation of Canada.
