THE EARLY DAYS
The first meeting of the Association was convened Sunday, December 1, 1968 at 2 PM, at 12 Queen Street East, Toronto. The following officers were appointed: President- Dr. S. Allan Liverpool, Vice President- Mr. Fred Isaacs, Secretary- Ms. Shirley Sutherland, Treasurer- Ms. Edna Hunte, and PRO- Mr. Caley Bonadie.
Mr. M. A. Zuker, a lawyer, represented the Association in filing an application for Letters Patent at The Department of Finance & Commercial Affairs, in Toronto on November 23, 1970. The Letters Patent was granted by the Province of Ontario on February 26, 1971 under the name of “The St. Vincent Association of Toronto”.
MISSION STATEMENT
The St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Toronto Incorporated (SVGAT), is committed to providing assistance and support to groups and institutions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ontario, and wherever else the Association deems fit. We strive to provide an anti-bias space for cultural, educational, social and recreational enrichment, to maintain a network of communication through information and referrals, and to strengthen relationships and facilitate the exchange of information and experiences among individuals of all ages.
We are a non-profit community-based Association which recognizes that the demographics and needs of the community have changed since the organization came into being in 1970. It is with this view that the Association seeks to become a charitable organization to better serve the SVG community in the Greater Toronto Area.
WHERE SVGAT IS NOW
The executive committee of the (SVGAT) began work on three initiatives for the Association in 2014:
(1) Updated the Association’s documents for compliancy with the current legislation of the Ontario Business Corporation Act, 1990, under which the Association is incorporated
(2) Approved as a charitable organization December 11, 2014, and
(3) Applied for charitable number with Canada Revenue Agency.