Guest Speakers

Each year, the Society invites a person of note to speak at the Annual St. Patrick’s Society Luncheon or, in earlier years, the Annual Banquet. Below are the names of previous guest speakers. This page is a work in progress. As we come across more names from years gone by, we will add them.

1934 Rt. Hon. R.B. Bennett PC MP KC Prime Minister of Canada
1937 James McGurren President – American Irish Historical Society of New York City
1950 Daniel A. Riley KC MP Member of Parliament for St. John-Albert
1952 Brendan Fahey Professor of Classics, Cardinal Newman High School
1958 Mr. Justice Owen McGivern New York State Superior Court Justice
1960 His Excellency General Georges Vanier Governor General of Canada
1961 Rt. Hon. Louis St. Laurent PC QC Former Prime Minister of Canada
1962 Mr. Arthur Maloney Q.C. M.P. Member of Parliament
1963 His Excellency William P. Fay Ambassador of Ireland to Canada
1967 Hon. Alister Grossart Senator
1967 Mr. Bryce Mackasey MP MP – Verdun
1970 Mr. George Colley TD Minister for Industry and Commerce – Ireland
1972 Most Reverend G. Emmett Carter, D.D. Bishop of London, ON
1973 Rt. Hon. The Lord O’Neill of the Maine Member – House of Lords
1974 Dr. Larkin Kerwin Rector – Université Laval
1979 Most Rev. John M. Beahen Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa
1983 Mr. Ted Blackman Broadcaster & Gazette columnist
1989 Dr. Victor C. Goldbloom Former MNA – D’Arcy-McGee
1991 Patrick Kenniff Rector – Concordia University
1992 Jean Doré 39th Mayor of Montreal
1993 Larkin Kerwin 1st President – Canadian Space Agency (1989-92)
1994 William Johnson Journalist
1995 Daniel Johnson Former Quebec Premier, Leader of the Opposition
1996 Hon. Jean Charest PC MP Leader of PC Party of Canada
1997 Matthew Barrett Chairman – Bank of Montreal
1998 Hon. Warren Allmand PC QC Former Federal minister
1999 Michel Tysserel
2000 David O’Brien Chairman – Encana Corporation
2001 Rex Murphy Host – Cross Country Checkup
2002 Hon. Charles Doherty Gonthier Puisne Judge – Supreme Court of Canada
2003 Me. Simon Potter Partner – McCarthy Tetrault
2004 Thomas Mulcair MNA MNA – Chomedy & Deputy House Leader
2005 Hon. Brian Tobin PC Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP
2006 John Doyle Globe & Mail
2007 Richard Pound Stikeman Elliott LLP
2008 Hon. Jean Charest PC Premier of Quebec
2009 Prof. Derek Drummond McGill University Professor
2010 Hon. Bob Rae PC MP MP – Toronto Centre
2011 Louis Vachon CEO – National Bank
2012 Dr. Kathy Reichs Author and Forensic Anthropologist
2013 Kevin Tierney Film Producer
2014 Terry Mosher (Aislin) Political Cartoonist
2015 Hon. Thomas Mulcair PC MP Leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa
2016 Hon. Denis Coderre PC 44th Mayor of Montreal
2017 Mr. John Rae C.M. Executive Vice President – Power Corporation
2018 Hon. Jean Charest PC Former Premier of Quebec
2019 Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ Former Prime Minister of Canada
2020 No Luncheon
2021 His Excellency        Eamonn McKee Ambassador of Ireland to Canada
2022 Dr. Jane McGaughey Professor – Concordia University
2023 Mr. PJ Stock Former NHLer / Sports Analyst
2024 Mr. Eoin Ó hÓgáin Partner – Power Sustainable