Celebrating a Quarter Century of
Service
The Irish have been present in Ontario since the late 18th
century and in the ensuing years have, in great part, moulded the Province that
we know today. Emigration did not occur
in a steady stream, but rather in waves.
One such upsurge occurred in the 1950s.
While the tendency over time had been for groups to assimilate and
become part of the fabric of their new home, the new arrivals, by virtue of
improved communications and greater opportunities in travel to return to their
birthplace, retained to a large degree the traditions of their past.
A number of them, under the banner of the Gaelic Athletic
Association which they had established in Toronto, began organizing not only
sporting events, but also social functions.
Without a permanent base of operations, these functions were held in a
succession of locations; from St. Peter’s and St. Mary’s Church Halls to the
Masaryk, from the second floor Victoria Auditorium of the Orange Hall at Queen
and Victoria to the “Bucket of Blood” at Bloor and Ossington; Toronto the Good
was made to resound to Irish pastimes.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the “social safety net” was not
what it is today. When a member of the
community was in need of assistance, it fell to other individuals in the
community to provide the necessary relief.
Pockets were opened and “benefits” were organized. Some such as Katie Gilroy, showed remarkable
generosity and care in helping where they could, but it was clear that the
establishment of a more formalized immigrant aid resource was necessary.
So it was that in 1967 the Toronto Irish Immigrant Aid
Society was incorporated. The first
President, Tony Lee, and his committee had the vision required to take a need,
a dream if you will, and to realize it.
To them is owed a great debt of gratitude. That first year, Executive meetings were held at the home of Tony
Lee and the first annual general meeting for members was held in St. Joan of
Arc Church Hall. Approximately 70
attended. Activities such as a St.
Patrick’s Dinner and Dance and a members' picnic, which would become annual
events, were undertaken. The main
source of revenue was a bingo held in the Locarno Ballroom (owned by eighth
president, Jim Bradley).
The society continued operating in this vein for the next
several years. The Rose of Tralee Ball,
Caravan International and the annual corn roast came to be hosted by the
Society during this time, all worthy additions to the other annual events which
had become basic to the social calendar of the Irish in Toronto. Benevolence and assistance in settling new
arrivals to the City continued to be the reason d’être for each Executive.
The twice-weekly bingo proved to be such an effective fund
raising tool that, by 1974, sufficient deposits existed to enable the Executive
to begin the process of purchasing a building to serve as a permanent base of
operations. In February 1975, then
President Gerry Kenny formally opened the house at 699 Lansdowne Avenue. An informal “open House” or group session
was introduced and a regular newsletter was published to keep the community
abreast of matters of interest.
As the Irish community gained stability, and became less
preoccupied with the basics of survival in a new country, greater emphasis was
put on those inherent deeper needs of revitalizing the Irish culture: language, drama, literature, music, dance
and sports. Benevolence was still a
central priority, but the expansion of welfare initiatives by various levels of
government made it a less onerous task.
To reflect the broadening of its mandate in the community, a name change
was proposed for the Society, and on May 2, 1977, Letters Patent were issued
for the Irish Canadian Aid and Cultural Society of Toronto.
As a part of the rise in interest of things “cultural”,
the Toronto Irish Players came together in 1975, and as their first performance
staged W.B. Yeats;’ “Kathleen ni Houlihan” at Caravan that year. The ardent nationalism of the piece was a
source of controversy among the Executive of the time, creating not the first
and certainly not the last dilemma with regard to the Society’s non-political
nature. Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann was coming into its own in Toronto at the
same time, also performing at Caravan.
In a more proactive approach to benevolence, guest
speakers with expertise in areas of interest such as the law, the police,
travel concerns, health, and family counselling were invited to exchange
information on the first Monday of each month.
Irish language classes were also made available at the Lansdowne
facility.
By 1978, the bank balance was again healthy enough to make
it possible for the Executive to begin the search for a larger property. Then President Michael Quigley oversaw the
setting up of a Ways and Means Committee, and the hunt began. Alice Boylan continued the search in 1979,
with Cathal Boyd assisting in the capacity of Chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee. In November 219u79, it was
announced in the newsletter that “subject to approval by the Board of
Governors” an offer had been made and accepted on the property at 1650 Dupont
Street, closing date January 15, 1980. To all of the Irish in Toronto, both
groups and individuals, I express a warm invitation. Come and join our Society.
Become active and vital in your new home, the Irish Centre. Let us go forward in unity, now that the
dream has become a reality” (some points to ponder: asking price - $325,000,
purchase price - $245,000, downpayment - $100,000, open mortgage - $145,000 @ 11%).
The community rallied together in the following
years. A Ladies’ Committee was formed
and wonderfully “home cooked”: meals were produced for sale every Sunday
evening. Community tradespeople got
together to transform what had been a large, bare Croation Centre into a more
comfortable “Irish” setting. A novice
volunteer crew became proficient at bartending, waiting on tables and selling
all manner of tickets.
Caravan, a good revenue producer, was held in the Irish
Centre for the first time in 1980, and for the first time that year, Shannon Pavilion
took first prize for traditional music.
In 1981, a $5,000 donation was received from Ralph Philips, President of
Hogan Pontiac Buick, to be used towards the purchase of a new Oldsmobile
Cutlass. An ambitious fund raising
event, a raffle for the car which ran from early spring until the closing day
of Caravan was undertaken with impressive results. All of these efforts were vitally important, for it was found
that the running of 1650 Dupont Street was horrendously costly. Donations from such successful groups as the
Toronto Irish Players and the Youth Committee were invaluable. Of great vale also, were the ‘BIG’ events
such as St. Patrick’s Day and All- Ireland finals, which could now be held at
the Centre.
Over the years a wide (and some would say wild) variety of
events have been held at the Irish Centre.
To name a few: Easter Bonnet
Dance and Parade, The Faded Rose Contests, the St. Patrick’s Soda Bread Baking Contest,
Pub Quizzes, the Annual Last Snake Dance, visits from the Wren Boys, the
Mariposa Celtic Music series, First Fridays Club and so on.
The Irish Centre has also welcomed representatives of
State: George Colley, Tánaiste and
Minister for Finance for the Government of Ireland (March, 1978), Brian
Lenihan, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Government of
Ireland (March, 1989), John Murray, Attorney General for Ireland (March, 1990),
Padraig Flynn, Minister for the Environment for the Government of Ireland
(March 1991), Harry Whelehan, Attorney General for Ireland (March 1992).
Through all of the changes that have been weathered by the
Irish Canadian Aid and Cultural Society, those who have served on Executive
Committees and Board of Governors have consistently worked to uphold the ideals
and fulfill the mandates that have been entrusted to them. Of vital importance now if the Irish
Centre’s role as nerve centre for the diverse groups which form Toronto’s Irish
community. The Toronto Irish News
provides a forum for the circulation of ideas, opinions and information. In November 1991, the Spirit of Ireland, a
public relations initiative was organized by the Irish Centre, and implemented
by all of the groups which host major events during the busy St. Patrick’s
season. Positive results were
forthcoming, both in the scheduling of events and in the promotion of Irish
culture.
Benevolence continues to be an issue of real concern, be
it the provision of money or material goods, the provision of legal or
immigration assistance, or the provision of a venue for the staging of a fund
raising event.
In this watershed year, a quarter of a century into its
life, the Society is faced with vitally important questions with regard to its
place, geographical or otherwise, in the next quarter century. What has become a year of discontent
internationally has not allowed a shadow to be cast on a future that still
glows with the dedication and imagination of its membership.
By:
Patricia Ruane
Reproduced from: 25th Anniversary – The Irish
Canadian Aid & Cultural Society 1967 - 1992