The International Order of The King’s Daughters and Sons (IOKDS) is an international, interdenominational organization of Christian men and women whose aim is to carry out religious, educational, and philanthropic projects in their communities. The Order is comprised of members across the United States and Canada. In Canada, the majority of members belong to Circles within the Ontario Branch.
Miss Annie Brown of Toronto and Miss G.E. Strange of Kingston joined the Order in 1886 before any Circles were started in Canada. The first Circle in Ontario appears to have been established in Coburg in 1887 and was called the Zenna Circle. The Whatsoever Circle of Toronto was also organized in 1887 followed by the Helping Hand Circle also in Toronto in 1888. Once realizing that the number of Circles in Ontario was increasing rapidly, Mrs. M.E. Crawford of Toronto started work on organizing the Ontario Branch and by 1891 the Branch was established. The number of Circles grew and by 1894 there were 141 Circles in Ontario with a membership of 3,473. By 1895, there were eight County Unions and seven City Unions; however, as rapidly as membership had increased, it also decreased, and by the 1950s, only the Ottawa City Union remained active.[1]
Currently, Ontario Branch is comprised of the Ottawa City Union which is made up of six Circles, and Southwest Ontario District Union which has one Circle. While most members now live in Ontario, there are Ontario Branch members that reside in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Montreal, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Ottawa City Union History
‘The Whatsoever Circle’ was the first IOKDS Circle established in Ottawa. The Circle was started in February 1889 by Mrs. C.A. Bigger just three years after the Order of The King’s Daughters was founded in New York City. By the end of 1889, Ottawa had established three Circles, with many others founded throughout the 1890s. From the very beginning, Ottawa Circles were involved in social activity. Members visited the sick and the needy, they sewed layettes for babies, and they made flannel shirts for newsboys.
The Ottawa City Union was organized in February 1893. City or District Unions were often created within the Order to support and coordinate the charitable works of Circles within a City or District especially on larger projects – e.g. community housing, hospitals, retirement homes, schools, etc.
In 1902, the Ottawa City Union began operating a “Rest and Recreation Room for Business Girls known as the Girls’ Club”.[2] It was a place where working women had a place to read and find a friendly welcome. As the Club grew, successively larger buildings were purchased by the Ottawa City Union and the Club later became known as “The King’s Daughters Guild”.[3] Berwick Hall at 219 Laurier Avenue West was home to hundreds of women over its 50 years of service, with living rooms, a kitchen, laundry, and 34 rooms for the young women who chose to live there. Berwick Hall enabled the economic independence of women by allowing them to earn a living and live safely. The Ottawa City Union also played an important role supporting gender equality by providing access to education. Courses in English, Domestic Arts, Business, Music, Languages, and other subjects were offered throughout the week at 219 Laurier Avenue West.
The Fresh Air Cottage initiative (1906-1949) was pioneered by OCU out at Britannia Bay in the west end of Ottawa. The Cottage provided a much-needed vacation and recreational space for Ottawa’s disadvantaged inner-city children, mothers, and elderly women.
Strathcona House provided a home for young boys operated by the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa-Carleton. This home was rented to the Children’s Aid Society on a low rent basis.
In the 1950s, the Ottawa City Union sold its property on Laurier Avenue which created the funds to build The King’s Daughters and Sons Apartments building on Cambridge Street in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 1964, this residence has been a safe, comfortable, and affordable home for thousands of seniors. A refurbished lounge enhanced this comfortable six story building in 1998 and the kitchen was remodelled in 1999. The lounge was used by tenants to enjoy and by The King’s Daughters and Sons for meetings and special events. In 2019, the building was expanded to include an additional 58 units bringing the total number of units at the site to 128. The newly expanded KDS Village is another great contribution to the community by the KDS organization and will provide accessible, affordable housing for seniors for many years.
The other major contribution by Ottawa City Union that was important to the social development of the Ottawa Region, and perhaps the OCU’s best-known endeavor is The King’s Daughters’ Dinner Wagon. Established in 1967, the program was inspired by the instruction of our Savior to “Feed my sheep”. The meals-on-wheels program provided nutritious dinners to This service has grown from 327 meals per day at $3.40 per meal, in 1985; to 350 hot meals per day at $4.20 per meal, plus an additional 100 clients who received frozen meals weekly, in 2000. Although the Meals on Wheels program is now run as a non-profit agency with much of its funding coming from the province, Ottawa City Union continues to make a significant contribution to the Ottawa Meals on Wheels Program while also supporting other causes such as autism and educational scholarships.
Circle members in Ottawa assisted with these projects and annual events: Founders’ Day, Consecration Service, Scholarship Tea, Garden Fair, and the Christmas party for tenants of The King’s Daughters Apartments. A Centennial Service was held on January 15, 1989, at Dominion-Chalmers United Church. The Glebe Centre, a seniors’ residence in Ottawa, was chosen to be financially supported. A Centennial Dinner was held to celebrate 100 years of faithful service following the 54th Ontario Branch Convention in 1989 with Nancy Baker as the guest speaker. A special Garden Party in 1999 highlighted the 110th anniversary of the Ottawa City Union. Several organizations were supported with the collection of aluminium, stamps, soup labels for school equipment, soap and toiletries for street people, and drink can tabs which, with other contributors, assisted 242 people in Eastern Ontario who acquired wheelchairs.
Ottawa City Union – Patronage of the Governor General of Canada – May 3, 2019
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette Governor General of Canada
Vice-regal patronage of the Ottawa City Union (OCU) dates back to 1897 when Her Excellency Lady Aberdeen became a Life Patron of the Canadian Order of The King’s Daughters and has continued uninterrupted ever since.
There has also been participation by spouses of Governors General in significant King’s Daughters and Sons (KDS) events in Ottawa. On December 16, 1909, at 219 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, The King’s Daughters Guild, a building pioneered by OCU to help solve a significant need for housing the wave of young single women coming into the city to join the labour force, was formally opened by Her Excellency, Countess Gray.
In 1928, at The KDS International Convention, Her Excellency Mary Adelaide, Lady Willingdon, wife of the Governor General Lord Willingdon, was made an honorary member of The King’s Daughters and Sons.
In June 1966, Her Excellency Madame Pauline Vanier opened the annual Garden Party on the grounds of the then recently constructed KDS apartment building at 567 Cambridge Street.
During the tenure of Mr. Roland Michener as Governor General, Her Excellency Mrs. Norah Michener, took an active part in several KDS events such as receiving delegates to the KDS International Convention at Rideau Hall, opening the annual Garden Party on the grounds of the KDS apartment building at 567 Cambridge Street South, and attending a reception in 1969 at the National Library marking the 80th anniversary of KDS in Ottawa.
[1] History of the International Order of The King’s Daughters and Sons, Volume III, 1886-1970, p. 259
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.