Phi Kappa Pi

Phi Kappa Pi (ΦΚΠ) is a Canadian national fraternity. Founded on March 22, 1913, as Canada's only national fraternity, Phi Kappa Pi has active chapters in Burnaby, Halifax, Toronto, and Montreal, as well as six inactive chapters. There are alumni chapters associated with most undergraduate locations, as well as a National Council. The fraternity operates as a social one on all of the campuses upon which it resides.

Phi Kappa Pi
ΦΚΠ
The Crest of Phi Kappa Pi Fraternity
FoundedMarch 22, 1913 (1913-03-22)
McGill University, University of Toronto
TypeNational
Scope Canada
MottoCanada's Only National Fraternity
Colors  Royal Blue and   Gold
Chapters4 active, 6 inactive
NicknamePhi Kap
Websitepkpabg.com

History

Phi Kappa Pi Fraternity was founded in 1913,[1][2] by two previously existing and separate organizations. Sigma Pi, founded in Toronto in 1901[3] and Alpha Beta Gamma, founded in Montreal in 1905,[4][5] joined forces to create Canada's first and only national fraternity.[6] The individual organizations' names would then become chapter names.

In 1923, alumni from the Alpha Beta Gamma chapter approached the Phi Kappa Pi National Council about the possibility of expanding to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The expansion request was approved and a chapter was founded. The chapter was the first fraternity to be located on Dalhousie's campus, and was named the Dalhousie chapter until 1959 when it received its Greek name, Zeta Gamma.[7] The following year, 1924, Alpha Iota chapter was established at the University of British Columbia,[8] followed by Delta Mu chapter in 1930 at the University of Alberta,[9][10] Tau Sigma Rho chapter in 1935 at the University of Manitoba,[11] and Alpha Epsilon chapter in 1967 at the University of Waterloo.[12]

The 1970s proved to be a tough decade for Phi Kappa Pi, with 4 chapters being lost. Alpha Iota and Alpha Epsilon both closed down in 1974, followed by Tau Sigma Rho in 1975, and one of the founding chapters, Alpha Beta Gamma in 1976. Alpha Beta Gamma, however, would be reopened in 1990 with the help of alumni from Phi Kappa Pi's then remaining two chapters. Soon after, in 2000, Theta Kappa Omicron chapter opened at the University of Ottawa, and Omega Iota opened in 2006 at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.[13]

In September 2008, Simon Fraser University's student body voted 57% in favour of overturning the university's ban of Greek life on campus.[14] The Omega Epsilon chapter opened on the university's campus in 2012.[14][15] Phi Kappa Pi was the first Greek life organization to open on the Simon Fraser campus. Despite its establishment, the Omega Epsilon chapter has yet to be officially recognized by the university. Lack of institutional recognition is common across the Canadian fraternity system. Nevertheless, the Simon Fraser chapter continues to operate on and off campus as it tries to help convey a social life within the university's community.

Chapters

Until at least 1976, the chapter names are the name of the local from which it was formed, except in the case of Dalhousie.[16]

Name Chartered Institution Location Status Notes Reference
Sigma Pi (ΣΠ) 1901 University of Toronto
Ryerson University
York University
Toronto Active
Alpha Beta Gamma (ΑΒΓ) 1905 McGill University
Concordia University
Montreal Active
Zeta Gamma (ΖΓ) 1923 Dalhousie University
Saint Mary's University
Mount Saint Vincent University
Halifax Active First at Dalhousie by five years [16]
Alpha Iota (ΑΙ) 1924 University of British Columbia Vancouver Inactive First at UBC by two years [16]
Delta Mu (ΔΜ) 1930 University of Alberta Edmonton Inactive Members of the Rocky Mountain Goat Club formed the core of Delta Mu at Founding [17]
Tau Sigma Rho (ΤΣΡ) October 2, 1935 University of Manitoba Winnipeg Inactive [18]
Alpha Epsilon (AE) 1967 University of Waterloo Waterloo Inactive
Theta Kappa Omicron (ΘΚΟ) 2000 University of Ottawa Ottawa Inactive
Omega Iota (ΩΙ) 2006 University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa Inactive
Omega Epsilon (ΩΕ) 2012 Simon Fraser University Burnaby Active First social Greek letter organization in over 40 years [19]

Notable alumni

NameChapterUniversityNotabilityNotesReference
Nels CrutchfieldAlpha Beta GammaMcGill UniversityNHL player
Joe GhizZeta GammaDalhousie UniversityFormer Premier of Prince Edward Island
John GomeryAlpha Beta GammaMcGill UniversityCanadian Justice; after retirement led Gomery Commission
Dr. Philip LappAlpha Beta GammaMcGill UniversityCanadarm lead engineer; Order of Canada (1985)
Dr. Sidney Smith Zeta Gamma Dalhousie University Former Canadian Secretary of State, and 7th President of University of Toronto
Ernest MacMillanSigma PiUniversity of TorontoOrchestral conductor and composer[20]
Russell MacLellanZeta GammaDalhousie UniversityFormer Premier of Nova Scotia
Russell McConnellAlpha Beta GammaMcGill UniversityNHL prospect
Jack McGillAlpha Beta GammaMcGill UniversityNHL player
Charles CattoSigma PiUniversity of TorontoFounder of Frontiers Foundation[21]
Derek HartAlpha Beta GammaMcGill UniversityStatistics Professor at McGill University[22]

See also

References

  1. William Raimond Baird (1957). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. p. 266.
  2. Craig LaRon Torbenson; Gregory Parks (2009). Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in College Fraternities and Sororities. Associated University Presse. pp. 40–. ISBN 978-0-8386-4194-1.
  3. "PKP Toronto". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-08.,
  4. Wm. Raimond Baird (1912). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (7 ed.). College Fraternities Pub . p. 760.
  5. "PKP Montreal". Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  6. Wm. Raimond Baird (1915). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (8 ed.). Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated. p. 729.
  7. "PKP Halifax". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  8. "PKP Vancouver". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  9. The Cross & Crescent. 1968. p. 61.
  10. "PKP Edmonton". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  11. "PKP Winnipeg". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  12. "PKP Waterloo". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  13. "PKP History". Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  14. "The Peak - Frat Race". 8 October 2012.
  15. "PKP Burnaby". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  16. William Raimond Baird (1977). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. p. 368.
  17. Ellen Schoeck (1 October 2006). I Was There: A Century of Alumni Stories about the University of Alberta, 1906–2006. University of Alberta. pp. 215–. ISBN 978-0-88864-464-0.
  18. "U FRATERNITY JOINS NATIONAL GROUP TODAY". Winnipeg Tribune. October 2, 1935.
  19. Graham Cook (26 September 2011). "New fraternity attempted at SFU Burnaby". The Peak at SFU.
  20. Ezra Schabas (1994). Sir Ernest MacMillan: The Importance of Being Canadian. University of Toronto Press. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-8020-2849-5.
  21. "2013 Annual Breakfast | Frontiers Foundation". www.frontiersfoundation.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  22. "Derek Hart". Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2015-11-06.
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