The Rideau Club is a private social club in

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. The club was founded in 1865 by

Sir John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...

and Sir George-Étienne Cariter as a gentlemen's club, but since 1979 has been mixed-sex. For much of its history the club was populated primarily by parliamentarians. In 1876 the Rideau built its clubhouse at 84 Wellington Street, where it remained until the building burned down in 1979. Since the fire, the club has been located in the top floor of the Metropolitan Life Building at 99 Bank Street.

History

The club building, located for years across the street from the Parliament Buildings, burned down in October 1979. The club is now located on the top floor of a downtown office tower on Bank Street. At the time of the fire, the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

was attempting to expropriate the club's property to serve as part of a future U.S. embassy. It was reported to be the first club in Canada (and one of the first in North America) to disallow the use of the blackball tradition which allowed clubs to subtly discriminate against

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

potential members, after succumbing to pressure from Prime Minister

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...

, among others, to admit

Louis Rasminsky Louis Rasminsky, (February 1, 1908 – September 15, 1998) was the third Governor of the Bank of Canada from 1961 to 1973, succeeding James Coyne. He was succeeded by Gerald Bouey. Born in Montreal, he was raised in Toronto, graduated at ...

Governor of the Bank of Canada The governor of the Bank of Canada () is the chief executive officer of the Bank of Canada and acts as chair of its board of directors. The ''Bank of Canada Act'', 1985, S. 6(1), provides that the governor and deputy governor shall be appointed ...

.https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/stain+Canada+tolerant+history/7710997/story.html Similarly, in the 1970s, after seeing controversy over its all-male policy, the club allowed female members and at the same time removed restrictions on female guests. The lounge, located on the north side of the club, is named after its first female member,

Jean Pigott Jean Elizabeth Morrison Pigott, OC (May 20, 1924 – January 10, 2012) was a Canadian politician and businesswoman. The daughter of Ottawa businessman George Morrison, her family has lived in the Ottawa Valley for four generations. She ma ...

. She was accepted to the Rideau Club in 1979, the same year as the fire. Each room on the south side of the club is dedicated to a significant person in Canadian history. Most are named after former prime ministers of Canada, but one is named after

Yousuf Karsh Yousuf Karsh, FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian-Armenian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century. An Armenian ...

. It is filled with famous portraits taken by him and left to the Rideau Club after his death.

References

;Bibliography * * * *

External links

{{Coord, 45.42023, N, 75.70023, W, display=title Buildings and structures in Ottawa Burned buildings and structures in Canada Gentlemen's clubs in Canada Politics of Canada Politics of Ontario

History

See also

References

External links