About | St. George's Toronto

FOUNDING

On April 23, 1834, at the British Coffee House on the corner of York and King Streets, a group of British expatriates gathered to celebrate the Feast of St. George. Inspired by the bravery and generosity of England’s patron saint, they founded the St. George’s Society Toronto and immediately became agents of change within the city. Although it was originally founded to assist immigrants of English and Welsh origin, the Society provided food, medical services, and financial support to individuals in need, regardless of their national origins.

A brief telling of the history of the St. George's Society Toronto

TODAY

Today, the members of the St. George’s Society Toronto are impassioned patrons of culture, education, health care, and charitable institutions across the city. Many of the city’s most influential leaders in politics, business, education, and the arts have been members, including Sir Henry Pellatt (of Casa Loma fame), Sir Robert Baden-Powell, George Gooderham, and former Prime Minister Robert Borden.

The St. George’s Society Toronto is a registered not-for-profit organization. Through its member donations and fundraising events, the Society is able to donate to over 20 crucial charitable organisations in Toronto annually, as well as the Society's $2.5+ million educational endowments which provide bursaries to undergraduate, graduate and international exchange students studying in various fields, including British history, physical education, nursing and philosophy.

OUR TEAM

The Committee of Management (COM) is the team responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Society, ensuring that everything from membership renewals to event planning is conducted efficiently and effectively.

The COM meets regularly to provide oversight of the St. George’s Society Toronto. One such way that it achieves this is via a Strategic Plan. The most recent Strategic Plan focused on the following guidelines:

Sustain the goals and mandate of the St. George’s Society Toronto via a strong and sustaining membership;
Create both annual and special events that will enable the St. George’s Society Toronto to continue its good works and provide entertainment for its members;
Empower the COM to fundraise for special causes and for the Charitable Trust;
Liaise with educational institutions and grow the St. George’s Society Toronto’s existing scholarship endowments;
Support the St. George’s Society Toronto’s Charitable Trust;
Ensure the effective management of the St. George’s Society Toronto via proper procedures, adherence to bylaws, and the nomination of new members and COM members;
Preserve the legacy and history of the St. George’s Society Toronto;
Ensure the continuance of the St. George’s Society Toronto by recruiting and growing a vibrant “Youth Membership” (under-40 cohort);
Plan ahead with short-term and long-term goals to support the viability of the St. George’s Society Toronto.

Your 2024-2025 COM is as follows:

Officers of COM

President - Christine Yu

First Vice President - Paul Antunes

Second Vice President - Jeffrey Lewis (Investments Chair)

Third Vice President - Adwet Sharma

Past President - Jennifer Green

Treasurer - Aaron Bains

Secretary - Basil Ennab

Members of COM

Robert Baines, Esther Hong, Blair Francey, Glenn Carter and Frances Sommerville.

Ex-Officio Officers

Idalia Obregon (Executive Director)

We will regularly feature one of our Committee of Management team members on our "COM Spotlight" page.

PAST PRESIDENTS

1835-1847

Hon. Col. Joseph Wells (1835), Capt. John Simcoe Macaulay (1836), Hon. W. H. Draper (1837-1838), R. P. Jameson (1839-1841, 1848), Wm. Wakefield (1842-1844), Geo. P. Ridout (1845-1847)

1866-1871

W. F. Boyd (1866), John Whitley (1867), John Crickmore (1868), James Young (1869), L. G. Wood (1870), J. Herbert Mason (1871, 1891-1892)

1877-1884

B. Walton (1878), Hon. F. Osler (1880), J. J. Allworth (1881), G. Virtue (1882), F. B. Cumberland (1883), R. W. Elliot (1884)

1894-1902

D. F. Symons (1894), Percival F. Ridout (1895-1896), George Stanway (1897), George H. Gooderham (1898), George Musson (1899-1900), John Taylor (1901-1902)

1913-1922

H. R. Frankland (1913-1914), James Nicholson (1915-1916), Marmaduke Rawlinson (1917-1918), Sir F. Stupart (1919-1920), John Midland (1932-1933), Henry Sproat (1921-1922)

1934-1941

James D. Trees (1934), Alfred H. Murray (1935-1936), Fred W. Matthews (1937), Valentine Boyd (1938), Cecil C. King (1939), Alfred F. Hunt (1940-1941)

1953-1962

A. D. A. Mason (1953), W. H. Bosley (1954, 1957), R. G. Meech (1955-1956), Wm. Davies (1958-1959), Robert Onions (1960-1964), Reg W. Taylor (1962)

1975-1986

A. Maurice Thompson (1975-1976), W. Norman Wright (1977-1978), John E. Hore (1979-1980), Brian J. Roffey (1981), John Archer (1982-1984), John G. Smele (1985-1986)

1996-2007

Brian J. Ranson (1996-1998), Gail A. J. Rayment (1998-2000), Kenneth B. Foxcroft (2000-2002, 2007-2009), John S. Bishop (2002-2004), Jeannie G. F. Butler (2004-2006), John Welch (2006-2007)

2020-

1860-1879

Samuel B. Harman (1860), Richard Dodgson (1861), Jas. Beachall (1862), W. B. Phipps (1863), Wm. Kingsford (1864), Robt. Spratt (1865, 1879)

1872-1877

James E. Day (1872), Frederick Wright (1873), Jas. Cooper (1874), Sir Edmund Osler (1875), F. H. Marsh (1876), B. Cumberland Trees (1877)

1885-1893

H. Symons (1885-1886), G. H.Beadmore (1887), James Spooner (1888), W. E. Willington (1889), D. Plews (1890), P. H. Drayton (1893)

1903-1912

John C. Copp (1903), W. H. Tippet (1904), George F. Harman (1905-1906), John M. Gander (1907-1908), R. P. Hudson (1909-1910), Davidson M. Harman (1911-1912)

1923-1931

Henry A. Mason (1923-1924), F. G. L. Barnes (1925-1926), Walter Page (1927), W. Marc David (1928), G. B. Woods (1929), Sir H. M. Pellatt (1930-1931)

1942-1952

Rowland M. Case (1942), V. D. Hartinson (1943-1944), F. W. E. Bartholomew (1945-1946), Stanley Harpham (1947-1948), M. G. Langlois (1949-1950), A. J. Doleman (1951-1952, 1968)

1963-1974

G. Alec Phare (1963-1964), D. Martin Symons (1965), John Irwin (1966, 1967), Eric W. Nicholls (1969-1970), Kenneth D. Wright (1971-1972), Joseph Batty (1973-1974)

1987-1996

Henry A. Gibbs (1987-1988), A. Robert N. Woadden (1989-1990), Edythe E. Gerrard (1990-1992), Fred S. Burnard (1992-1993), Barry M. Davenport (1993-1994), Cherry M. H. Carnon (1994-1996)

2009-2020

Yvonne Jerred (2009-2010), Diane Bailey (2010-2012), Michele McCarthy (2012-2014), Christopher Baines (2014-2016), William Motley Bailey (2016-2018), Robert Baines (2018-2020)

Aarondeep Bains (2020-2022), Jennifer Green (2022-2023), Christine Yu (2023-)

Download a pdf. of Past Presidents, here.