OCAQ - 125 years of excellence

125 years of excellence

The year 2005 marked the 125th anniversary of the chartered accountancy profession in Quebec. On July 24, 1880, the Quebec government granted a charter to The Association of Accountants in Montreal, which over time became the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec, the first professional accounting association in North America.

Being this old, you would expect the Ordre to be an institution that is stuck in time, yet our profession is forever transforming itself and Quebec CAs can best be described as movers and shakers open to new ideas.

1879
On June 11, 1879 a meeting of accountants was held in Montreal to prepare the application for a charter. It was the first official meeting of accountants in North America to establish a professional association. The next such meeting took place in Toronto five months later, but the Ontario accountants did not receive their charter until 1883.

	1880
The Association of Accountants in Montreal was chartered by the Quebec Legislature. Its mission was to train public accountants and to supervise their professional acts following the model of CA organizations in the United Kingdom. James Court was the first president, a position he held from 1880 to 1883.

	1883
Philip S. Ross, founder of the firm P.S. Ross & Sons, which became Touche Ross in 1958 and then Deloitte & Touche in 1990, succeeded James Court and presided over the Association until 1896.

	1902
The Association of Accountants in Montreal affiliated with The Dominion Association of Chartered Accountants created under a federal Act. The Canadian Association's mission was to promote the advancement of accounting and to hold examinations, issue certificates and establish member categories.

	1905
Alfred Cinq-Mars became the first francophone president.

	1917
The introduction of the first form of federal income tax was a key event in the development of the accounting profession. It was a limited, elementary sort of tax that was supposed to be for the duration of the war only, but in the end was never abolished.

	1927
The Association of Accountants in Montreal became The Society of Chartered Accountants of the Province of Quebec.

	1930
Charlotte Howell became the first woman to obtain the CA designation.

	1941
The Uniform Final Examination (UFE) was implemented for CA students in Quebec.

	1946
The Act to regulate the practice of accountancy and auditing was adopted. Under this legislation, the Society became The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Quebec. After January 1, 1947, no person was permitted to practice as a public accountant or imply that he was a public accountant unless he was a member of the Institute or held a permit issued by the Institute. The legislation governing the Corporation des comptables publics and the stitut des comptables et auditeurs was revoked and their members joined The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Quebec.

	1951
The Dominion Association of Chartered Accountants became The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA).

	1955
The construction of the first and only building the Ordre ever owned was a model of efficiency. The cost estimates proved to be remarkably accurate. The work began in February 1955 and the building was officially opened on October 12 of the same year. Located at 630 de la Gauchetière Street West in Montreal, this simply-styled building was to be the Ordre's headquarters for more than 20 years.

	1964
The Act to regulate the practice of accountancy and auditing became the Chartered Accountants Act.

	1968
The first edition of the CICA Handbook was published.

	1970
In 1965, half of all new chartered accountants were university graduates. In 1967, the majority of future CAs registered with the Ordre were university students. On January 1, 1970, a university degree became compulsory for admission to the CA profession.

	1973
Adoption of the Professional Code and legislation respecting professional orders. The government implemented a single framework for all professional orders focusing on the main objective of protecting the public. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Quebec became the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec.

	1980
The Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec celebrated its centenary. Edgar Andrew Collard published a book entitled First in North America, one hundred years in the life of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec.