Canadian American Club of Watertown Formed in Boston on May 19, 1937

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Image courtesy of Canadian-American Club

On May 19, 1937, a group of Canadian expatriates living in Massachusetts came together to form the Canadian-American League.

The Boston Globe reported that the group was "seeking 1,000 charter members....(and) more than 200 attended" the first meeting.

Three weeks later, on June 16, 1937, the group met again at Intercolonial Hall on Dudley Street in Roxbury, which was a regular gathering spot of Canadian immigrants.

Attorney Joseph S. O'Neill, the organizer and first president of the Canadian-American League, was originally from Charlotteville, Prince Edward Island, according to his obituary in The Boston Globe published on August 20, 1938. He worked at the Dolan, O'Neill and Balch law firm in Boston.

Other officers included Alexander C. Chisholm, treasurer; Mrs Colin W. MacDonald, secretary and Jeannette C. Chisholm, assistant secretary.

"The purpose of the organization is to unite the great number of Canadian-Americans living in the state of- Massachusetts," said O'Neill. "The league is strictly non-partisan and non-sectarian and has no connection with any political group bearing a similar name. It has as its objects the cementing of Canadian-American relations and is concerned with the political and social welfare of the 700,000 Canadians living in the state of Massachusetts."

The organizers were largely comprised of immigrants who had come to the Boston area from the Maritime provinces.

The Canadian-American League became the Canadian American Club in 1950 and continued to hold regular dances and to raise money for charitable causes, including blood drives held at Boston College.



Image courtesy of Canadian-American Club 


In June 1969 the Club purchased its own meeting hall at 202 Arlington Street in Watertown, according to the Canadian-American Club website. Since then the club has been the gathering place for numerous Canadian, Scottish and Irish music and dance activities, including Scottish Country Dancing and Quebecois sessions.

The Boston chapter of the Reynolds-Hanafin-Cooley Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Irish Musicians Association) holds its month ceiling there on the first Sunday of each month.


- Researched by Michael Quinlin




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