ROYAL HALIFAX

The Halifax Yacht Club was founded in 1837 and has the distinction of being the oldest organised yacht club in the Americas. Queen Victoria granted her permission to use the word Royal to the club's name in 1861. By 1875, tensions among members led to a group of yacht owners leaving to form the Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. By 1880, the club had been forced out of their original location (built 1870 just south of Pier 6 which went on to become the home of Lorne Amateur Aquatic Club) and the new entity was christened the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Members were in attendance at American Canoe Association meets around 1886 with the name "Royal Halifax" attached to their names.

ROYAL CANADIAN

	Toronto Yacht Club

The original Toronto Boat Club, with blue and gold as its colours, became the Toronto Yacht Club two years later and then in 1854, to the Canadian Yacht Club, which would ultimately become the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. In 1880, RCYC vacated its Toronto moorings and moved to its present Toronto Island site. Evidently not all members endorsed the move, and the same year the dissidents revived the TYC, complete with its blue and gold colours. It apparently survived until 1889 when it again amalgamated with RCYC. (Text courtesy Queen City Yacht Club)

There is a Royal Toronto S. (Sailing?) Club listed in the ACA club lists from 1900 at the same time as RCYC. Whether this is an oblique reference to the Toronto Yacht Club or a blatant error is unknown.

ROYAL HAMILTON

The Royal Hamilton Yacht Club was founded 1888

ROYAL ST. LAWRENCE

The Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club was founded 1888 by a group of Montreal businessmen who wanted to pursue an interest in sailing and competition. The Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club was granted its “Royal” designation by Queen Victoria in 1894.

QUEEN CITY

The Queen City Yacht Club was founded 1889 by Tommy World who was among former members of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club who splintered to reclaim the name Toronto Yacht Club. They rented space from the Toronto Canoe Club in small buildings in between TCC and Argonaut Rowing Club on the Toronto Harbourfront. Club colours were originally blue and gold to match the origins coming out of the Toronto Yacht Club but in 1891, the club decided to avoid any further disagreements by adopting blue and white. After renting clubhouse space from Argonaut until 1920, a new home needed to be sought for two reasons: the THC was actively trying to relocate clubs to facilitate their harbourfront expansion plans, and the structure in behind Argonaut slipped on its pilings and sank partway into the harbour. The club then focused on a new building on what is currently Algonquin Island on the east end of the Toronto Island archipelago.

NATIONAL YACHT

The National Yacht & Sailing Club was founded 1890 with the first clubhouse on the west side of the Queens Quay Wharf. In 1904 it was moved to a more protected area on the east side of the wharf - currently the site of the old Loblaws warehouse (N.E. corner of Bathurst and Lakeshore). Sometime around 1920, the club took the THC up on a relocation offer to the Western Gap to allow for harbourfront transformation.