Fonds F 424 - Canadian Club of Regina fonds

The Canadian Club of Regina was established in Saskatchewan on February 21, 1908 with its first meeting being held at City Hall. Over one hundred members signed the charter during that meeting and elected Judge H.W. Newlands as the first president. The Club's establishment followed the guidelines of other Canadian Clubs across the country, the first of which was founded in Hamilton, Ontario in 1893. The main objectives of the Canadian Club were to inform members about Canada's history and issues around the country, to encourage economic development within the country, and to promote Canadian nationalism and patriotism. Membership was open to British subjects or naturalized citizens.

The Women's Canadian Club of Regina was established at a meeting held on December 29, 1920 at the Y.M.C.A. building in Regina. This came after a group of prominent local woman, interested in becoming involved in the Canadian Club, met and discussed the formation of the club with General Alex Ross, Vice-President for Saskatchewan of the Association of Canadian Clubs. Evelyn Roberts Brown was named Provisional President. The formal organization of the Women's Canadian Club of Regina took place at Regina Collegiate Institute on January 22, 1921 with the adoption of a constitution.

Membership in the Women's Club of Regina was strong, especially through the 1940s with close to 1000 members. Membership numbers dropped but remained high through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. With the formation of the Women's Canadian Club, the men's group became known as the Men's Canadian Club of Regina.

Through their histories, the Men's Canadian Club of Regina and the Women's Canadian Club of Regina have individually and collectively featured guest speakers at their meetings from various disciplines and perspectives. Journalists, politicians, scientists, diplomats, authors, activists and other professionals from Canada and around the world have made presentations to the Clubs. The focus of the presentations over the history of the clubs grew in spectrum to include local, national and global issues. The Clubs also broadened their membership requirements by inviting all citizens to join. A highlight for the Club was hosting the 41st Biennial National Conference of the Association of Canadian Clubs in 1975.

Through the 1980s, membership numbers dropped in both clubs, most notably in the Men's Club. This prompted an amalgamation of the two clubs, which officially took place on May 7, 1987 and membership in the joint Canadian Club of Regina stood between 200 and 300 members. The Club initiated a high school liason program, and sponsored students to participate in the national Encounters with Canada program. The Club celebrated Canada 125 in 1992 and the centennial anniversary of Canadian Clubs in 1993, and again hosted the Association of Canadian Clubs national conference in 1996.

The Canadian Club of Regina continues (2005) to promote the ideas of Canadian pride and unity. The Club presents speakers to its membership each month at various hotels throughout Regina. It also continues to be an affiliate member of the Association of Canadian Clubs.