The Empire Club of Canada
of
Toronto, ON – October 2, 2024, – The Empire Club Foundation of the Empire Club of Canada is excited to announce the successful launch of its new website, which took place yesterday at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, the largest publicly accessible collection of rare books and manuscripts in Canada. This represents a monumental step toward preserving and sharing Canada’s rich history of public discourse.
Under the leadership of the Empire Club Foundation’s President Gordon McIvor and the dedicated efforts of the Board, the website now hosts over 4,000 speeches, offering a treasure trove of insights and perspectives from Canada’s influential leaders.
This new digital platform not only enhances user experience but also facilitates research and access to the Empire Club’s extensive collection of speeches, making it easier for Canadians to explore the voices that have shaped our nation.
“The launch of this new and very extensive digital library provides Canadians with an important new source of firsthand historical information, often delivered by the very person who is associated with that history. This kind of original source material is rare and will greatly advance the work of researchers, academics, students, journalists, authors, policy makers and anyone who needs to know what was said by those who make news in Canada”, said Dr. Gordon K. McIvor, President, Empire Club Foundation.
“Our Foundation’s new website is a significant step in making the voices of the past accessible to all Canadians and audiences worldwide,” said Kent Emerson, the first CEO of the Empire Club of Canada. “The Empire Club Foundation has always been committed to preserving and sharing our understanding of history and empowering individuals to learn from our extensive collection of speeches as we strive to create a more inclusive and brighter future.”
For more than 120 years, the Empire Club of Canada has provided a forum for speakers to engage, debate, and educate, advancing dialogue on issues of importance to Canadians. It continues to be Canada’s go-to forum for conversations that matter and is Canada’s oldest speakers club of record. It has hosted many of Canada’s and the world’s most prominent figures, including Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Indira Gandhi, Bill Gates, and Justin Trudeau, to deliver messages that matter to the influential audience that the Club attracts across Canada and abroad.
For Canadians eager to learn more about our past, this initiative represents an invaluable resource. By engaging with the ideas and speeches that have defined our national conversation, we can cultivate a more informed and thoughtful society.
Visit the newly launched website to explore the rich archive of the Empire Club of Canada.
The Empire Club of Canada set up a Foundation 55 years ago, in 1969, to further the reach of the Club through various educational programs. It most notably collects, curates, publishes and distributes the speeches and panel discussions hosted by the Club to a wide cross-section of Canadian schools, universities, and other organizations through its research archives which constitute a very extensive digital library.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Dr. Gordon K. McIvor
President, Empire Club Foundation
Tel. (519) 622-9494
Cell (647) 968-9949
mcivorgordon@rogers.com
gordonmcivor.ca