The Empire Club at 120: a Celebration of an Iconic Institution

November 23, 2023

The Empire Club of Canada Presents

The Empire Club at 120: a Celebration of an Iconic Institution

Chairman: Sal Rabbani, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada

Moderator
Mike Van Soelen, Past President, 2019-2020 & Board Member, Empire Club of Canada

Distinguished Guest Speakers
Dr. Gordon McIvor, President, Empire Club Foundation, Past President, 2015-2016, Empire Club of Canada
Alex Thorne, Hotel Manager, Fairmount Royal York Hotel
H. Ian MacDonald, Past President, 1969-1970, Empire Club of Canada
Catherine R. Charlton, M.A., Past President, 1984-1985, Empire Club of Canada
Anthony A. van Straubenzee, Past President, 1988-1989, Empire Club of Canada
Kelly Jackson, Past President, 2021-2022 & Board Director, Empire Club of Canada

Head Table Guests
Sal Rabbani, Chair of the Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Gordon McIvor, President, Empire Club Foundation, Past President 2015-2016, Empire Club of Canada
Nona Macdonald Heaslip, Past President, 1986-1987, Empire Club of Canada
Ian Macdonald, Past President, 1969-1970, Empire Club of Canada
Catherine Charleton, Past President, 1984-1985, The Empire Club of Canada
Anthony A.Straubenzee, Past President, 1988-1989, Empire Club of Canada
Kelly Jackson, Past President 2021-2022 & Board Director, Empire Club of Canada, Vice-President, External Affairs and Professional Learning, Humber College
Mike Van Soelen, Past President, 2019-2020 & Board Director, Empire Club of Canada, Managing Principal, Navigator Ltd.
David Walmsley, Editor-in-Chief, The Globe and Mail
John Koopman, Past President, 2003-2004, Empire Club of Canada
Bill White, Chairman, IBK Capital Corp, Board Director, Empire Club of Canada
Alex Thorne, Hotel Manager, Fairmont Royal York

Introduction
It is a great honour for me to be here at the Empire Club of Canada today, which is arguably the most famous and historically relevant speaker’s podium to have ever existed in Canada. It has offered its podium to such international luminaries as Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, the Dalai Lama, Indira Gandhi, and closer to home, from Pierre Trudeau to Justin Trudeau; literally generations of our great nation's leaders, alongside with those of the world's top international diplomats, heads of state, and business and thought leaders.

It is a real honour and distinct privilege to be invited to speak to the Empire Club of Canada, which has been welcoming international diplomats, leaders in business, and in science, and in politics. When they stand at that podium, they speak not only to the entire country, but they can speak to the entire world.

Welcome Address by Sal Rabbani, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Hello, and thank you for being here with us, to celebrate this important milestone in our history, 120 years of the Empire Club of Canada.

Before going any further, I want to acknowledge that we are gathering today on the Traditional and Treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the homelands of the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples. We encourage everyone to learn more about the Traditional Territory on which you work and live. This is an essential first step to understanding the Indigenous Peoples' stewardship of this land, their profound cultural heritage, image, and their immense contributions.

I was 18 years old when I attended my First Empire Club of Canada speech. I put on my best suit, and listened to the Honourable Margaret McCain talk about early childhood development. I remember how that day unfolded. It was the first time I realized the importance of creating space for innovation and debate. Many years later, it's my absolute pleasure and honour to stand in front of you, as Chair of the Board of Directors, to celebrate 120 years since the Empire Club of Canada was first launched on November 25th, 1903. This is when our iconic organization began its mission to bring political, business, cultural, and social leaders to our podium, and help Canadians better understand the issues of their time, and the world around them.

We've had more than 3500 Canadian and international leaders on our stage, including Winston Churchill, Indira Gandhi, Audrey Hepburn, Roberta Bondar, US Presidents, Canadian Prime Ministers, business leaders. Not only have we offered a tribune for the country's most important conversations for 12 decades; we also remain committed to recording all speeches delivered on this stage, and make them available to the public at no cost, through the Empire Club Foundation.

Today is the first time in a generation when the Empire Club of Canada, and the Empire Club Foundation, come together to celebrate this important anniversary and organize this event. I'd like to acknowledge...

[Applause]

...I'd like to acknowledge the incredible contributions of Dr. Gordon McIvor, President of the Empire Club Foundation, Past President of the Board of the Empire Club, who worked tirelessly to curate, publish, and distribute the speeches and panel discussions hosted by the club for educational informational purposes—and at free of charge. Gordon, thank you. Gordon's also the architect behind today's celebration. So, big thanks on behalf of all of us at the club, for so generously putting the time and effort into bringing today's event to life.

[Applause]

Alongside Gordon, who's also our first speaker of the day, we have an exciting group of past presidents, who will share some of the most magical moments in our history. Once you will hear them, you'll understand why it's so important for us to capture these stories, and add them to our archives for the future generations.

The Empire Club of Canada is the business club of Toronto, and one of Canada's prime public tribunes. Close to 15,000 people attend our 30 to 40 virtual and in-person events each year. We strive to always bring different views and opinions on our stage, and provide a platform for healthy, constructive, and respectful debates. We're committed to diversity, equity, quality, and access, by making all our virtual events complementary, with the support of our extraordinary sponsors.

The world is changing rapidly. And I've said this before ,but it's worth repeating, artificial intelligence is about to transform how we work and live, our society is more polarized, we're facing the biggest existential threat of our lifetime, climate change. May today's celebration be an opportunity for all of us to turn to the future, and ask ourselves how we can continue to reinforce the club's role, and keep it relevant and meaningful for the future generations.

I remain steadfast in my personal commitment to engaging the youth, the next generation, through our events, by having them at the table, shaping the public discourse, and enriching our conversations. And so, specifically, I'd like to acknowledge our nation's future leaders in the room. I believe we've got students from TMU, University of Toronto, Humber College—that's right—George Brown College, and Harvard Collegiate. Thank you for being here today.

[Applause]

So, while we look back to our great achievements, I want to also look forward to how we can help shape a better future. And isn't dialogue the best way to ensure legacy of informed decision-making, social responsibility, and inclusive progress for the generations to come?

The Empire Club of Canada is a not-for-profit organization, and I would like to thank our sponsors, who generously support us. First, I'd like to thank Nona MacDonald-Heaslip, President of the Empire Club of Canada from 1986 to 1987, for her generous donation that made today's event possible. I'd also like to thank our Supporting Sponsor, Bespoke Audiovisual, for their support of this event, and as our A/V partners in delivering conversations that matter to Canadians, both virtually and in person. I'd be remiss if I didn't take pause, also, to thank our Season Sponsors—and we've got Season Sponsors, Amazon Web Services, AWS, Bruce Power, and Hydro One.

[Applause]

As you'll hear throughout today's event, the Empire Club was founded by people who cared about Canada, its present, its future. Our commitment to engage and advance the dialogue on what matters most to Canadians hasn't changed over the past 120 years. And so poetically and beautifully said by Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space, in her address at the Empire Club 26 years ago, "Here I am, full of great pride, with a Maple Leaf on my shoulder, and a maple leaf in my heart." I said this this morning when we had the honour of ringing the bell to open the market at the Toronto Stock Exchange to mark this important milestone in our history, and I'll say it again now: it is with great pride and privilege to stand here with a maple leaf in my heart, together with my board, colleagues, our incredible staff, Jehan, Kent, Sarah, and to stand here to celebrate this incredible moment in the club's history, as the go to forum chronicling Canada's public discourse.

You know, 18-year-old Sal Rabbani would have never believed he would be here on the same stage, with the incredible individuals we're gonna hear from today. Bold conversations on important issues are critical to moving a country forward. And we've been delivering on its mission for 120 years, and will continue to do so for the next 120.

It is now my pleasure to hand over the podium to Dr. Gordon McIvor, President of the Empire Club Foundation, Past President of the Board of the Empire Club of Canada. Gordon will take us down memory lane, with a fascinating story in the history of the club. It's incredible to see the origins of the club, and how those are so strongly linked to one of the most important moments in Canada's history. I'm sure you'll find this story both fascinating and informative. Gordon, welcome to the stage.

Dr. Gordon McIvor, President, Empire Club Foundation, Past President, 2015-2016, Empire Club of Canada
Thank you very much, Sal, for those kind words. And distinguished past presidents, past fellow board members, ladies and gentlemen, happy anniversary. Happy anniversary to, to us, to the Empire Club of Canada. And here's to another 120 years, as Sal said, of bringing the leaders of the day to our podium, so that Canadians can better understand the issues behind the headlines.

Now, no coincidence, incidentally, that we're gathering here today, the, meeting in the Imperial Room of the Royal York Hotel. When this extraordinary venue opened back on June the 11th, in 1929, the Empire Club went to its members and asked permission to increase luncheon prices by a whopping ten cents, so that all future club events could be held in what was to become the most famous building in the Dominion of Canada.

It was quite the year in this corner of the world. An express air service was set up for the first time between Toronto and Ottawa, the Royal Commission on Broadcasting recommended the establishment of a government-controlled radio network, leading to the creation of the CBC, Admiral Richard Byrd successfully completed his flight over the South Pole, and of course, you all know that special date in 1929, October the 29th, which of course was the day that the New York Stock Exchange crashed, which changed this history of the world for decades to come.

The new hotel took its name, by the way, from the old hotel—or sorry, from the old name for Toronto, York. And it was named in 1793 by Lieutenant Governor Colonel John Graves Simcoe, in honour of the Duke of York's military success in Flanders. Often referring, by the way, to this small outpost of civilization as "Our Royal Town of York," which is where the name of the hotel comes from.

While the economic meltdown of 1929 would lead to a situation where Canadian Pacific Hotels would not actually add any further properties to their portfolio for another 30 years—so, you can see the impact that the Depression had—they did, the Royal York did always continue to make improvements to their hotel, to their flagship hotel, the Royal York, and particularly to this room, the Imperial Room. And I don't know, particularly the students that are joining us today, you not you may not be aware of this historically, but this was the place for singers and famous artists to perform before we had stadia in Canada. So, back in the day, this is where you would come to see Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, you know, Diana Ross and the Supremes. I mean, all the great acts of the day appeared in this room on this stage that is, that is right behind me. So, it was a very famous room in Canada that we are gathered here in, today.

And of course, the Empire Club was one of the very first tenants in the hotel. We, we came to this hotel, literally the week it opened, in 1929. And as you will see, if you attend the open house in our offices following this luncheon— more details on that to follow—you will, you will see that we have actually never left. We've been here in the Royal York since its very beginning. And I'd be remiss if I didn't introduce you today to the representative of our landlord, Alex Thorne, who is the Hotel Manager of the Fairmount Royal York Hotel. Mr. Thorne, would you please stand and be recognized.

Alex Thorne, Hotel Manager, Fairmount Royal York Hotel
Thank you, Gordon. At this time, I'd like to propose a toast. A toast to the Empire Club of Canada. It is fascinating. I don't think there's anywhere else in Canada that has been a resident of a hotel for 94 years, so—and the history is just amazing. I am very proud to be here today, and I wish the next 120 years on the Empire Club in Canada. Cheers to all of you, and thank you. Cheers.

Dr. Gordon McIvor
Cheers. Cheers. Thank you so much, Alex, for those kind words. Now let's, let's go back further in time. Before the Royal York changed forever the hospitality industry in the young nation, there was actually another very, very famous hotel on this same spot—and another place, on the same spot in Toronto where the Empire Club would meet for decades. And this hotel was called the Queen's Hotel, which was the first hotel in Toronto with hot air furnaces, rooms with private baths, passenger elevators, and a business telephone. It had been built back in 1862, on the original location of Knox College, and a large Presbyterian Church of Canada Divinity School. Now, between our creation in 1903, and 1928, when the Queen's Hotel was actually demolished to make way for the Royal Hotel, we met here on the same spot on many occasions. And it was considered, to quote the most famous Toronto journalist of that era—his name was Nathaniel Benson, and he called the Queen's Hotel, "A gracious and restful place that offered velvet comfort, and was superior to anywhere else on the continent." So, obviously, quite the place. This site has been home to a lot of important history in our nation's past.

But now, let's go back even further. Why was this thing called the Empire Club of Canada created in 1903? Now to understand that, you really have to have a brief reminder of the state of the Dominion of Canada that year. And by the way, a disclaimer, here. Past President John Koopman, who is at the head table there, could probably tell the story better than I'm going to tell it—and he did that to celebrate our Centennial year, 20 years ago—but John, I'll do my best today.

It all goes back to Alaska. And I hope the students among us today are history buffs, because who would think that the creation of Alaska led to the creation of the Empire Club of Canada? Not an obvious connection, unless you know a little bit of the back story. But when Alaska was annexed in 1903, it was the catalyst in history that actually gave birth to the club that we're celebrating today. That year in October, the International Boundaries Tribunal awarded a large strip of the Pacific Coast of Canada to the United States. And not surprisingly, this infuriated the British subjects of the Dominion. And please remember, by the way, back in 1903, there were no Canadian citizens, right? We did not have citizenship in 1903. We were all British subjects. Important to remember, for context.

The tribunal was made-up of three Americans, two Canadians—or British residing in Canada if you prefer—and one British person. And when the British gentleman sided with the Americans, the Tribunal awarded the land to the United States, something that caused an incredible uproar back here in Canada. The Canadian Club, which had been formed six years earlier, back in 1897, poured fuel on the fire by inviting speakers to address the topic at its podium. And this in turn actually led to a national debate on whether Canada should perhaps just join the United States. Like, why not? We weren't getting protection from Britain. That's how the argument was going back then.

So, a debate raged on as to the future of Canada, British or American. And of course, I know that historians in the room are saying, well, there's actually a good third path forward, and that'd be Canadian, right? But the Canadian identity really started to form, as soldiers were coming back from the First World War, and people had a real sense that they were different from the British, right? That we were Canadian. We were different.

And so, this is where we were conceived, as a group of men, outraged at the idea of joining the United States, decided to hold a meeting to discuss the situation. One month after the fateful decision of the International Boundaries Tribunal to take land from Canada and give it to the United States, a group of men from the Canadian Club, led by Lieutenant Colonel James Mason, decided that the Canadian Club was no longer representing their interests, and they had become too sympathetic to the United States, and decided to set up a new organization that supported what was known at the time as Empire Union, which basically is, the Empire was, of course, the governance structure of the world at that time, bringing together many, many countries around the world, and promoting international economic growth and trade—some would obviously say to, always to the advantage of the UK. But, but that was the system of government, right, back in 1903.

The terms of reference of the new organization known as the Empire Club were put together on November the 18th, in what was the business restaurant of that era. It was known as Webb's Restaurant. And one week later, on November the 25th, an organizational meeting was held at Webb's to approve the newly drafted constitution and bylaws, appoint a board, and launch the new organization. One week later, still at the beloved Webb's Restaurant, an inaugural luncheon of the one-week-old organization was held, with over 100 of the new members.

To be a member of the Empire Club in 1903, you had to be a man—and I'm sorry, ladies, but you probably all know that it was only in the 1970's that women were allowed into speaking clubs. I mean, it's terrible to say that, and sort of everybody hangs their head in shame, but that is the history, not only of Canada, but of much of the world. So, you had to be a man, you had to be at least 18 years old, and you had to be a British subject. The annual membership fee was one dollar, and membership would be limited to 500 people. If there was any question, by the way, in people's minds, whether this new entity would be viable as an organization, it was quickly put to rest as the membership limit was quickly met and swelled—and in fact, we ended up having a huge waiting list, and it took people years to become members of the Empire Club of Canada.

Now, a word about where we were born, Webb's Restaurant. Webb's was known all over—and you're going to see a couple of slides, here. There's a picture of Yonge Street at the corner of Yonge and King, looking south. And you can see on the left the entrance to Webb's Restaurant. It was known all over the Dominion of Canada, by the way. Not only as an extraordinary restaurant, but also, Harry Webb, the owner, who it was named after, had a big catering business which produced Canada's finest wedding cakes, as well as he had the biggest bread delivery service in the Dominion of Canada, delivering bread to over 2000 homes in Toronto, in the young city of Toronto. So, Webb's was located at the corner of Yonge and Melinda Streets, and was demolished in 1917 to make way for one of the city's very first skyscrapers, the Dominion Bank Building, which today you will recognize as being transformed into One King Street West Hotel and Condominiums.

The Empire Club Foundation presently has an application into Toronto Heritage to mark our birthplace with a historic plaque, something that the present landlord has enthusiastically agreed to—and this goes to committee at the City of Toronto next month, so, cross your fingers that we'll we will have our historical plaque, marking the place of our birth.

So, to bring this story to a conclusion, I want to quote you something that our first ever speaker said at that Webb's Restaurant event, at the first luncheon of December the 3rd, 1903. It's so important, you know, to come back often to this quote, because it still speaks today to what Canada is all about, even 120 years later. This speaker, who was the Reverend William Clark—extremely well-regarded, very famous for his oratory skills—he was apparently a remarkable speaker. He stated early in the speech, and I quote, "I do not seek to belittle the Great Republic alongside of us, but that is all very well. You may be on good terms with your neighbours, without having them live in your house, or you having to live in theirs. I esteem and respect the United States without desiring to be one of them." And then the next line in his speech—which is so remarkable, because literally, it could have been written last month, not 120 years ago. He said, and he was talking about Americans, "We can well afford to share their alertness, their enthusiasm, their strong patriotic spirit. But I think we can do without some things, which their own best citizenship repudiates. I see no particular reason that we should court the peril of their form of democracy". So, there you've got it. From the very first words uttered at the Empire Club of Canada, we actually managed to capture two of the most important themes that have always marked the history of this country, our ties to Great Britain, and our ambivalent—some have actually called it a classic love-hate—relationship with our neighbour to the south.

Now, the close ties to Britain are still there, although certainly, nowhere near the extent, as you know, that they once were. And of course, with the United States, we have a kind of an interesting relationship. We love them, they're our best friends—but sometimes, we just think they're strange, right, and can't quite figure out what's going on.

As far as our name, the Empire Club, certainly, everyone in this room knows, you can't hide it, right? It's not something you can sweep under the rug. But the word empire is rife with colonial vestiges. But people are also sophisticated enough today to know that we were born, our club was born in an era of empire. That was the world back then. And we've survived and prospered for 120 years because we've embraced change, to remain a true reflection of the ideals and beliefs of Canadians of each generation. That's why we stand tall, while so many others have failed. That's why we're so old, right? One of our past presidents said, "We're not great because we're old, we're old because we're great." Right? And I always thought that sort of had a certain ring to it.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, and friends, let's never forget that we were created by people who cared very much about Canada, and the future of Canada. And if we're still standing after more than a century of tumultuous change, it's because each generation of men and women who have run this club care just as much about this place we live in, as did our forefathers. You know, you can replace the words "Alaska Dispute" with, you know, as Sal Rabbani was referring to, as things like AI, or, you know, climate change, or extremism in politics, and you have a partial list of some of our preoccupations in 2023. As real to us today, as the Alaska Boundary Dispute was real to Canadians—or British subjects of Canada—back in 1903. And that also, put differently, perhaps our creation story foretells why we're here 120 years later, still facing the future with resolve, confidence, and the conviction that we're adding something valuable to the national fabric. For that reason, the Empire Club of Canada is as relevant and as important to nurture today, as it was at our birth. And for these reasons, we may well imagine those who come after us celebrating distant future anniversaries with the same reverence and pride as we celebrate this anniversary today. Ladies and gentlemen, long live the Empire Club of Canada.

Sal Rabbani
I'd now like to—thank you, by the way, Gordon, thank you very much for your remarks.

[Applause]

I'd now like to call upon my dear friend Mike Van Soelen, Past President, Empire Club of Canada, to introduce the panel. Mike.

Mike Van Soelen, Past President, 2019-2020 & Board Director, Empire Club of Canada
Here we are. Thanks so much, for everyone who's come here. This is, this is quite an amazing event. Thanks so much for Gordon McIvor for putting it together, whose vision and enthusiasm knows no bounds. But today, we really have a chance, as I sat here with some of our past presidents, to learn more about the history of this club. I think you'll be fascinated by, fascinated by the stories they tell. So, let me bring them up one at a time. First, H. Ian MacDonald, next, Catherine Charlton, Tony van Strobin—I should know that, as a fellow Dutchman—and Kelly Jackson.

Now, we're going to start with a little bit of storytelling—and everyone's prepared a few remarks—and then I'm going to, I'm going to follow up with some questions of the group. And there may be time, if time permitting, I'll also see if there's any questions from the floor. But first, great honour to have Ian share a few words with us.

H. Ian MacDonald, Past President, 1969-1970, Empire Club of Canada
Well, Sal and dear friends of the Empire Club, unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, anymore, it's a great honour to return to this platform, particularly since Sal is my former public policy student in York University—a very good one, I might add. In my year as President of 1969 to 1970, we met, unfailingly and traditionally, every week, Thursday at noon, in this hotel. And in my year, that involved 34 consecutive meetings, from early in September, to late in April. The style was very different. There were no questions and answers. The president gave a very elaborate, and formal, and detailed introduction to the speaker, including where it fitted in the context of the role of the Empire Club. The speaker gave his address, a member of the club thanked the speaker, and that was it.

And my very first meeting, in September 1969, as soon as the speaker finished—the speaker was the Right Honourable J.H. Stewart, the Foreign Secretary in the Government of the United Kingdom. As soon as he finished, a gentleman in the back of the room leapt to his feet and said," I want to ask a question." And I said, "Well, it's not our policy or our practice to have questions." "Well, I want to ask one." So, I thought, what do I do? I said, "Well, it's my responsibility to enforce the rules of the club. But, I also believe pretty strongly in the right to free speech, so we'll do a compromise. You can ask one question, and that's it." So, he did. And happily, that solved the problem, and everyone nodded agreement, so, we got by it.

In that first, in that year, as president of this club, actually, my strongest recollection and my happiest moments were associated not particularly with the weekly meetings, but with a mission which our former member, the late Marvin Gelber, Member of Parliament, and I undertook. We decided we were going to embark on a mission to encourage our members to permit the admission of women as members of the club. It wasn't always an easy mission. It didn't happen automatically. But it happened, and the rest is history. And as you look around this room, you see why we wanted to pursue that objective. I might say, I thought we were quite a novel pair, because I was a father of five, and Marvin Gelber is a lifetime bachelor. So, we thought we'd covered all the bases.

To turn to a question that was put to me, to what extent do I believe that the Empire Club had a, has had a direct influence and impact on public policy, and public policy change. And I must say, as a former professor of public policy, I went back and reread the 34 speeches given during my year, and other related matters, and I can't honestly say I could see any direct connection between what was said in any given week by any given speaker and public policy in Canada. But what I do know, and what I did detect, is that those who came to these meetings—our members, and their guests—went away with a great, renewed, and embellished understanding of public policy issues in Canada. And they were people who tended to be in contact with the changemakers and the policymakers, the ministers of finance, the premiers, the prime minister, and indeed, the members of the private sector, as well. And their impact and their influence resulted—indirectly, I know—in a great deal of public policy change. I know because, in one time in my life, I was for 10 years the Deputy Finance Minister in the Government of Ontario, and I could see that trail. And I remember when Premier John Robarts spoke to the club in my year. He acknowledged the fact that the Empire Club had a great influence for the better on our society. So, happily, we're still here, and Sal and Gordon, we're still doing it.

[Applause]

Now, our past presidents will acknowledge that one of the residual benefits of being president of this club is that you get to sit side-by-side every week with a marvelous galaxy of visitors, and you learn from them countless things. And I just wanted to take the liberty, if I might, to single out three of the speakers from my year for whom I have a vivid memory of the, what, of our conversation, as if it were yesterday.

The first was Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. And he came to describe the recently formulated Duke of Edinburgh's Awards for Young People—and I'm sure the students here today know about that, and respect it, and have perhaps even been involved in it. And we were, at that time, at the height of Québec, the Québec Separatist movement, and the FLQ Crisis. The Duke of Edinburgh turned to me and said, "Do you think Canada will survive?" And that led to a long, and detailed, and interesting conversation. Because I was, at that time, looking, in charge of intergovernmental relations for the Government of Ontario. So, I found that his insight and his observation was acute and profound. And then, emboldened by that conversation, I decided I would put my own question to the Duke of Edinburgh. I said, "And may I ask, do you think the Monarchy will survive?" And he said, "I can tell you, we talk about that subject every day. We know that we have to change, and we're trying to do it." Well, that's 53 years ago. The Monarchy's still there. And hopefully, in the next 53 years from now, when we are reassembled in this room, it will still be going strong.

The second was Mrs. Rose Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy family, who was then in her 80's. And she came to talk about her Family Foundation to do with mental health. And as I reread her speech, it was remarkable—that was 53 years ago—her insight, her concern, her empathy, and her understanding of the problems of mental health. And then, she paid me what I've regarded, always, as perhaps the greatest compliment I ever received. She said," You know, I want to ask you your advice." She said, "We have an issue in the Foundation ,where I have to consider making a certain change..."—I won't go into the personal nature of that—"...but I'm not sure if it's the right thing or not." And she said, "You know, I've no young man in my life to ask for their advice anymore. My three sons, three of my sons are dead, my husband is dead, my other son, Senator Ted Kennedy, is so busy in the senate I rarely see him. Would you give me your advice?" And I did my best, and offered it. And she said, "I like that," she said, "That's what I'm going to do." As I say, what an extraordinary compliment.

And the third was Captain Jim Lovell. And again, the young people in this room may not remember the extraordinary story of Apollo 13, the spaceship, but you may have seen the movie. But Jim Lovell had an uncle in Toronto, and several family members here. And I had met him on a couple of occasions of his earlier visits here, and we had kept in touch. So, a mere four months after Apollo 13 mission to the moon, he came and spoke to the Empire Club. And again, as you remember, that episode is perhaps one of the most extraordinary danger events ever undertaken by anyone in the world. The spaceship had an explosion, it lost connection with, with NASA headquarters in Houston. They were on their own, spinning around in orbit, in outer space. And if you saw the movie, there's a picture of Jim Lovell, the captain, working away with a pencil on the back of an envelope. And he had to make a whole number of calculations by hand, and by his own skill—because there was no technical communication with Houston—and if he made one mistake, they might be destined to spend the rest of their time in outer space; they couldn't thread the needle back through the atmosphere and into the Earth, back to the Earth. He remarked to me, he said. "You know, I never cared much for calculus, but I'm sure glad I paid attention to it in school."

So, they made it, they got back. And I have a wonderful picture signed by Jim Lovell in my living room of the splashdown in the Pacific, and the spaceship in the [indiscernible] there, from which they took a helicopter to Los Angeles, and then a flight back to Houston. And the story is that he arrived at the Houston at two in the morning. And he went out to the parking lot to get in his car and drive home, where his family—his mother, his wife, his children—were waiting for that moment. And he said to me—it was a little cold and miserable that night in Houston, and he said," I got into the car. I put my key in the ignition. Damn, the battery's dead." Can you imagine having survived this extraordinary mission, and then, to find the battery was dead?

Well, as Gordon remarked, the question of the Empire Club name has often been problematic—and I know a number of people have said to me over the years, "Isn't it an anachronism? How can you live with the name of such vestiges of colonialism, and so, on." And I said, "Because we, as the members of the club, regard it as an Empire of ideas. It's what it's always been, it's what it is now, and what it ever shall be, ever shall be." So, I echo, regarding the sentiments, long live the Empire Club.

Mike Van Soelen
Hear, hear! Thank you. Thank you very much, Ian. Being asked, of course, to come up here and play the role of moderating this group and keeping things going is not going to be a problem. Ian, some of the decisions you made led directly to Catherine coming to have the opportunity to be our first woman President of the Empire Club. Catherine, love to hear from you.

Catherine R. Charlton, M.A., Past President, 1984-1985, Empire Club of Canada
Thank you very much. Thank you, Gordon, for having such a great vision, and celebrating this anniversary. It's a wonderful opportunity to see friends, and to appreciate all of the past presidents. It's quite an experience, 39 years later, to be back at the Royal York Hotel, in the Imperial Room, and participating in an Empire Club meeting. I loved my 10 years on the board of directors, and I thoroughly enjoyed being president in 1984, '85.

My first impression of the Empire Club of Canada was actually formed in 1973, when I discovered that the Right Honourable Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, was to speak to the club. I couldn't believe that a private club could attract this level of leadership to speak to its members. As a political science grad, my ambition was certainly to become a member of the club as soon as possible. I never forgot. And as I contemplated the presidency, I knew that I wanted to bring the club timely speakers, who would reflect vision and leadership. Eleven years later, it was with real sorrow that I learned of Mrs. Gandhi's death. She had been killed by four of her security guards. It was a shock to all, and on November 1st, 1984, the members paid silent tribute to her memory.

I have been asked, what was the biggest challenge or opportunity associated with being the first woman president of the Empire Club of Canada. In looking back, I would suggest that being appointed to the board of directors in 1975 was the, really the breakthrough for me, and the directors. I wanted to see women recognized for their achievements, so I couldn't help but notice that women were rarely invited to the head table. When they were invited—usually at the Christmas luncheon—they were introduced, for example, as Mrs. John Smith, the wife of Mr. John Smith, and his role in the Empire Club. Whereas I would suggest, Jean Smith, followed by her credentials or distinctions, her choice.

As a director, I often made suggestions as to female guests, and always prepared written notes as to their personal achievement or distinctions. I've always believed in the written word. I don't know how often it came to be. By 1984, I had had enough years of board experience to know where the director stood on women, and the board of the Empire Club. In the end, I knew that if the speaker's names attracted their attention, we would all be happy. As so many have said, there were 34 meetings during my year, from June 1984 to May 1985. We met each Thursday, as Ian said, at the Royal York Hotel, where the two largest rooms were the Canadian Room, for 1000 people, and the concert hall for 600. We filled those halls 10 times during my year. Overall attendance was 300 to 1000 guests, for subjects that included politics, the arts, business, finance, the environment, and a range of subjects examining the present, and looking to the future.

In 1984, '85, Canada provided an important backdrop for the events of the day. We had Ontario's Bicentennial, Toronto's Sesquicentennial—both, I might say, chaired and generally overseen by past presidents of this club, Brigadier General Reginald Lewis, and Colonel Bob Hilborn, who was also at that time Equerry in Canada for the Queen Mother. The Queen visited, Prince Philip visited, Pope John Paul II's visit to Canada was historic, and the hotly contested federal election between Prime Minister John Turner, and the leader of the opposition, Brian Mulroney.

By Christmas, we had passed the hump. The directors were very pleased with the lineup of speakers. We looked forward to the next five months. Some highlights were the Vatican Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, the new Secretary General for NATO, the Right Honourable Lord Carrington, three American CEOs of worldwide companies for their outlooks on finance, the economy, and the future. And yes, there were four outstanding women, Chairman of the Board of the Washington Post, Catherine Graham, founder of the National Ballet of Canada, Celia Franca, and two Ministers of the Crown representing Ontario, with the Honourable Bette Stephenson, and for the federal government, the Honourable Flora MacDonald.

Speakers were the hallmark of the club, and a high priority. But we also had to provide for the future. This included hiring a full-time administrator, establishing a full-time office, and modernizing the equipment. With the help of the directors, we moved from the 19th century to the 20th century in a matter of months. I'm very happy to remember our first full-time administrator Anne, who—when I can read it—who welcomed all with a bright smile, goodwill, and efficiency. Her ten years of service were exemplary.

Finally, yes, I do think that my year cleared the way for women to continue on as presidents of the Empire Club. At the end of the year, Nona MacDonald was immediately nominated as first vice-president, and subsequently, served as president in 1986, '87. That was the first indication that we were on track for women's leadership. Since then, we've regularly benefited from the presidencies of both women and men. Through our annual yearbooks, now on the Internet, the club speeches will continue to attest to its mission and history, as we celebrate this 120th anniversary. Thank you.

Mike Van Soelen
Thanks Catherine, so much. Tony, a chance for you to share some remarks.

Anthony A. van Straubenzee, Past President, 1988-1989, Empire Club of Canada
Well, it's great to be here, Mr. Chairman. Members of the board and my fellow past presidents, I would like to also thank Gordon McIvor for the fantastic job he's done, in organizing this 120th anniversary. I've had a number of wonderful emails from him, and he's, he's on the job almost 24-hours-a-day. I can't believe it. And I'd also like to pay homage to the woman on my immediate right, who certainly put women at the forefront of this club, and we're very grateful to you for that. And of course, our special sponsor for today, Nona MacDonald Heaslip. She's a legend in her own way. And I've had many calls from her about what I'm supposed to say today, or not say today. So, I'm grateful for your, your advice and counsel—and I'm going to ignore it totally.

Of all the things that I've done in my life, nothing has given me as much pleasure as being president of this club. Barney Danson, the Honourable Barney Danson, was to be the president that year. But the premier appointed him to undertake the building of the new opera house, and so we were out of a president. The three vice-presidents had other commitments, and couldn't take on the job. I was a new director, but for some reason, Nona Heaslip, Harry Seymour, and General Bruce Legge thought I should take it on. And it was pretty hard to say no to that group. So, I panicked. And I called on my partners in business—who were in Toronto with their wives¬ to help me. And one of them was Jean-Claude Blanc, from Switzerland. And I noticed that his wife wasn't with him. And I said, "Jean-Claude, where is Jacqueline?" And he said, "She's in New York, shopping with Audrey Hepburn." And I said, "Forget the Credit Suisse, forget the Union Bank of Switzerland, and get me Audrey Hepburn."

I begged him to put me in touch with her. And he said I would have to talk with her lover and agent, Robert Walters. So, I called Robert Walters, and he said, "Well, we can talk about that when we come to Canada in November." So, he said, "I'll meet you at The Four Seasons Hotel in November." And I said, "Great". Well, it turned out, it was The Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. But I wasn't going to lose this chance, so I flew to Vancouver to meet him. And we had a room at The Four Seasons. And I said to my wife, Mary, "Why don't we order up some coffee?" And she said, "I'm not gonna order up coffee for $30 or $40. I'll go down to the concourse and get it." Well, half an hour later, she still hadn't come back. And she finally arrived back with no coffee. I said, "Where the hell is my coffee?" And she had a big smile on her face. And she said, "I got on the elevator with Audrey Hepburn, and we spent 20 minutes talking about flower arranging, and I gave her the coffee." Wow.

So, I said, "Well, isn't that lovely?" So, I went down to the lobby to meet Robert Walters, and we discussed the plans for them coming to Toronto, and so on. And when we were finished, I said," Do you think I could meet Audrey?" "Well," he said, "she's in the hall rehearsing." I said "Okay." He said, "Come on in and, you know, I'll see if I can get her attention." So, we went into the hall and Audrey was with all these wonderful children. And Robert called out, "Audrey!" And she said, "Oh, hi Tony. I had a lovely chat with Mary. See you in Toronto." And I never got to meet her. So, my wife is still dining out on that story.

So, that was my, one of the highlights of my year, obviously. And it was a truly wonderful experience with her. She was a warm and lovely person, and she was here for three days, and gave a great speech. And one of the cute little things, I sat her beside Lincoln Alexander at a formal dinner, and she said, "Would you like me to say a few words?" I said, "Well, you can if you like." And so, she got up, and she said," Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank Tony for putting me beside your Lieutenant Governor. Don't you think he ought to be in pictures? And Lincoln Alexander smiled from one side to the other. And he phoned me the next day and he said, "Did you get a picture of me with Audrey Hepburn?" And so, it was. So, you can imagine the wonderful memory I had, there.

And I'll just tell you one other quick little story, and that was with President Reagan. I was lucky enough to be a close friend of Michael Wilson. And I had done some fundraising for Michael, and I said, "You owe me." And he said, "Well, the G7, I know, is coming." And I said, "Get me one of the leaders. I'm President of the Empire Club." He said, "What is the Empire Club?" And he knew what the Empire Club was, because his father was president of the Canadian Club, so, he was kidding me. And he said, "Oh, yeah, sure." Well, I didn't think he was gonna do anything. But one day the phone rang, and it was Michael on the other end of the phone. And he said, "I want you to take a couple of friends of mine to dinner." And I said "Oh, yeah, couple of his flunkies." And he—I said, "Who is it?" And he said, "Mulroney and Reagan." And you, needless to say, you can imagine my reaction to that.

So, we had Reagan. And it was a very special thing we had to plan. It was three months planning, because we had to deal with the White House, the Secret Service, the, all the Canadian arms of government, and so on. And the day that he arrived, they said, "Now, you go to your head table, and we'll have a Secret Service man come and tell you which door he will be at." And we were in the Canadian Room—and there are four doors in the Canadian Room. So, there I am at the head table, I was just trying to say a few words to keep things going, waiting for the Secret Service man. Well, the television lights came on and I couldn't see, so I didn't know where the Secret Service guy was. And I got a little panicked. And finally, this guy came up from the Secret Service. And if you'll forgive my language, he said, "Jesus Christ, the kitchen." So, the President had been waiting in the kitchen. So, I went over to the kitchen door, opened the kitchen door, and there was President Reagan standing in the door. And I looked up at him and I said, "Mr. President, I have never met the President of the United States in a kitchen before." And he hit me on the shoulder, and he said, "I've never met the President of the Empire Club in a kitchen before." And they had warned me not to let him go into the crowd. That was a no-no. So, I tried to get him to go to the head table—and he went right into the crowd, and he spent 15 minutes chatting and hugging women, and the whole thing. And there were women actually crying, that's how powerful he was. Anyway, we had quite a time.

So, you can see, I could go on for a while, but I'd better not. And just tell you what a great honour has been for me to be a president of this club. It's been a joy in my life. And I'm so thrilled that Gordon McIvor is doing what he's doing, and keeping us on the front page. Thank you, Gordon. And thank you, ladies, and gentlemen.

Mike Van Soelen
Thank, thanks so much, Tony. And, and all three of you just offer a wonderful perspective of the important role the Empire Club has played in the history and fabric of this country. And now, to my friend Kelly Jackson, who I think provides a more contemporary, more recent take on being the president. And if you could share a few words.

Kelly Jackson, Past President, 2021-2022 & Board Director, Empire Club of Canada
Sure. Thanks Mike. So, the year that I was president was '21, '22. And it was such an interesting year to be the chair of an events organization, because we were still in COVID. And so, the year started out where the only option would be to do virtual events. And yet, throughout that year is when things started to open up. And then, of course, as we all may remember, there would be spurts of—oh, now it's OMICRON, now it's this, now we've got to close down again. And so, a lot of starts and stops to the planning, and trying to figure out when will we actually be able to return to in person.

And so, for all the drawbacks that we know can come with virtual events, you know, there were many amazing things that came out of the year that Antoinette Tummillo was president the year previous, when it was all virtual, and that year that I started through mostly a virtual season. And I think, in part, that was, we could reach so many more people than we can ever put into this beautiful room. And we had people from across the country. We had people from outside of Canada tuning in to the different conversations we were having and participating. We were able to take their questions online, speak, give those to the speakers to respond to, and we were actually able to really diversify the kinds of speakers that we had because again, we didn't need to bring people to one particular location. We could actually have national dialogues in a much easier way.

The other thing that was really interesting for those of us who were involved with the events is that there were a lot of behind-the-scenes moments, even in a virtual context. And so, it was not, not in the year that I was president, but the year previously, there was a fabulous panel that Barbara Jesson took the lead on putting together, and it was focused on the impact of Black musical traditions on contemporary music. And it was done in concert—in concert, no pun intended—with Hughes Room Live, Hughes Room Live. And so, on this panel where people like Jully Black, Dan Hill, Ron Westray, who is an amazing trombonist based at York University. And after they had finished the panel, they had this lovely discussion, really interesting, while we were all still online. And so, you know, our colleagues at Bespoke had said, "Okay, it's all clear." Well, they didn't want to leave. And they actually started to perform for each other. So, here are there are few of us from the Empire Club sitting here watching Dan Hill do a solo, just start riffing acoustic, Jully Black, singing to each other, and then Ron Westray saying, "Hold on a sec"—goes into another room, comes back with this trombone and plays a solo. So, there were all sorts of these kind of moments that were still happening in this virtual environment. And really just such a neat way to see people connecting during the pandemic online.

The other thing I would say is, you know, the year before I became president, we went through an exercise as a club to really look at our values, look at our strategic plan. And one of the values that we committed to as an organization was to say that, ultimately, where the Empire Club wants to continue to evolve, is to have the kind of speakers that reflect the diversity of our country; diversity of thought, diversity of lived experiences, diversity of different backgrounds. And we wanted to cover more broad topics. And so, when I looked back, when I was thinking about coming today, and I looked back at the kinds of things that we've had conversations about in the last two years, you know, it's always fun to talk and hear the Audrey Hepburn stories, and see the video at the beginning of this event that shows all the really famous people that have spoken. But we've had Canadians come and be a part of this podium in the last two years, and speak about mental health challenges for youth, we've had Indigenous educators and leaders speak about the power of education in Reconciliation, we've had individuals talk about, you know, the future of the low-carbon economy, and how we need to have more people engaged in that. We've had people talk about, you know, the future of Black health, for health in the Black community. So many different things that we are trying to say, "Here are conversations that matter to Canadians. What is our role in providing that platform?"

And I think this is where, you know, when I look out—and Sal, definitely recognized—we have a lot of young leaders who are in the room today. And I think, for us when, you know, we think about the things that are going to be of interest to you, this is where, you know, we hope you'll continue to be engaged with us. Because the conversations that matter, they matter to people, whether you're 18, they matter whether you're 88. And I think, you know, another thing we've had lots of good conversations about, as well is, you know, just different barriers that exist, and even, you know, trying to tackle the issue of ageism. And that cuts both ways.

And so, you know, there has, I think, been a lot of great work that's happened, that's come out of, actually, what could have been seen as really restrictive, in terms of everybody wants to be in person and connect. I think we actually became bolder, we lived our values in a different way because of what virtual enabled us to do. And now that we're in this era of hybrid, where, you know, what we're doing today, so many of us are going to have this amazing experience today in person, but anybody who wants to tune in can also be a part of that conversation. You know, that really, for me, is the sweet spot of where I think the club can go in the future.

And you know, I hope there's some hologram of me here at the 130th anniversary, because I don't think it'll be that far before we're into that technology. So, I look forward to being a part of the club's journey as a champion for it over the next year. Thank you.

Mke Van Soelen
The, the Empire Club has certainly always been in the business of having conversations that matter. And you've each shown that today by your storytelling. And I have, you know, we also have a history of being respectful of people's time. So, you know, what I will, what I will do is offer, I think, you know, they'll, they'll be around, if people have questions. You know, this really is, this really is a chance to, to learn about the club, and learn about its impact in Canada. And their perspectives are incredible. You wouldn't think to ask Ian about Twitter and social media, but you know, he offered a few insightful topics points on that during our lunch. So, with that, I'll turn it back over to Sal Rabbani.

[Applause]

Note of Appreciation and Concluding Remarks by Sal Rabbani
Thank you. Thank you very much, Mike. And thank you, everyone, for being here with us to celebrate 120 years of the Empire Club of Canada. Big thanks to our esteemed speakers, what great stories we've heard. We're truly privileged to be part of the history of the iconic institution that is the Empire Club of Canada. Big thank you to Gordon, who is the architect behind the entire day of us celebrating 120 years. And thanks to Mike, for such a smooth and gracious job moderating today's event.

There's a couple of things that's left for me to do before we adjourn today's meeting. I want to sincerely thank you again, Nona, President at the Empire Club of Canada from 1986 to 1987, for your generous donation, which made today's event possible. Also, thank you again to our sponsors...

[Applause]

...also, thank you again to our sponsors, Bespoke, Bruce Power, Hydro One, and AWS. We couldn't do what we do without your support.

[Applause]

Second, I want to invite all of you to join us for our next event on November 30th, when we will welcome Federal Labour Minister, the Honourable Seamus O'Reagan Jr., to join us to discuss the state of labour relations and what it means for Canadian business.

I want to ask for our speakers to remain on the stage, and Gordon, please come back up, John, please come up, as well, so we can start the last part of our celebration, as we bring out a celebratory cake, as you can see. And I'd like our staff to join us, as well—Jehan, Kent, Sarah, please, come on over. None of this would be possible without you. There's no anniversary—there's no anniversary without cake, right? So, happy birthday to the Empire Club of Canada. 120 years and more.

[Applause]

Dr. Gordon McIvor
Do we blow up the candle?

Sal Rabbani
I don't think we should.

Kelly Jackson
You can cut the cake.

Dr. Gordon McIvor
How many, how many presents does it take to cut a cake?

[Cake is cut] [Applause]

Sal Rabbani
And now it's my pleasure to invite you all to join us for cake downstairs at our new offices. As Gordon said, we've been in this hotel for 94 years, but we recently had changed the location our offices to the avenues level, which is the lower level of the hotel, just on the east side by the valet parking entrance. Thank you all for being with us today on this historic day. See you soon. This meeting is now adjourned.