A Brief History of the Ontario Regional Conference

The Ontario Regional Conference, as it has come to be known, had humble beginnings.
On December 16, 1943, eighty people came together at the Royal York Hotel to mingle , and more importantly, to celebrate their newfound sobriety. This celebration was a continuation of smaller commemorations that all marked the anniversary of the
beginnings of AA in Toronto, Canada.
Between 1943 and 1950, the location of the conference changed frequently. The Central office at 1170 Yonge Street or ‘1170’, the Knights of Columbus Hall on Sherbourne Street and Central Tech High School were used a number of times, until the organizing teams returned to the Royal York Hotel every year from 1951 to 1979.
On March 3 & 4, 1951, The Ontario Regional Conference was held at the Royal York Hotel. Bill Wilson came to speak and gave a pitch for a General Service Conference. It was unanimously accepted by those in attendance from the State of New York, the State of Pennsylvania and the Province of Ontario.
In the new scheme of things, the two states and the province of Ontario became entities unto themselves, after adopting Bill Wilson’s plan for the Third Legacy.
It now became necessary to elect an Ontario delegate to attend the General Service Conference, which would be held the following month, April 1951, in New York.
Adam Capeling from the Friday-Young Group in Toronto was elected as Ontario’s first delegate. He would go on to serve on Panel 1 from 1951 to 1952. In 1953 he was unanimously chosen as the first Canadian to serve on the Board of Trustees from January 1953 until April 1957. The huge task of establishing areas and districts throughout the Province of Ontario to fit into these new A.A. plans fell in the hands of Adam Capeling upon his return from the Conference in New York.
During his first year in office, with capable and dedicated help of his committee, they got this job done, in spite of the enormity of it all. Most of what was accomplished then remains in place today.
In 1958, the Ontario region was divided into 2 areas – the West and the East/North.
In 1963, the Ontario region was further divided into 3 areas – East, West & North.
In the fall of 1964, the 1st Assembly for Eastern Ontario was held outside Toronto. Alf McGowan from Ottawa was elected delegate at Belleville.
From the very beginning, the Ontario Regional Conference was sponsored by all groups in Ontario.
With the passage of time and growth, many parts of the province began to have their own conferences.
From 1951 until 1963, delegates were elected at the Ontario Regional Conference. The first Western Ontario Delegate was elected in London in 1957.
Gradually, the original purpose for this conference eroded, although it continued to be sponsored by Toronto Intergroup and the Ontario General Service Committee, whose name changed to Ontario Provincial Committee in 1981.