Our History

THE ELITE CLUB IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN MONTREAL

With 140 years of history, the MAA Club Sportif is one of the country’s oldest athletic clubs. Winner of 4 Stanley Cups (1893, 1894, 1902 and 1903), Grey Cup Champions (1931), the home of Canada’s first Gold Olympian (1904) and was voted the best fitness club in the country by Readers Digest in 2006.

1893

The M.A.A.A. HOCKEY TEAM clinches the Canadian Championship title in 1893, defeating Winnipeg 7 to 4. It thus becomes the first team to win the prestigious Stanley Cup. The team retains the title the following year and wins the Cup two more times in 1902 and 1903.

1904

THE FIRST CANADIAN participation in the modern Olympic Games dates to 1904 in Saint-Louis, where Étienne Desmarteau, member of the M.A.A.A., wins Canada’s first individual Olympic gold in the hammer throw.

MAA New Building Clubhouse 2070 Peel Street Montreal

1905

THE OFFICIAL OPENING of the new Peel Street building on November 16, 1905, is celebrated with a special evening that welcomes over 3,000 members and friends. With the addition of several modern sports facilities, the new gym now overtakes the swimming pool as a member favourite.

MAA, George Hodgson, Olympic Double-Gold Swimmer

1912

M.A.A.A. MEMBER, George Hodgson, becomes the first Canadian to win two gold medals in swimming at the Stockholm Olympics in the 1500m and 400m freestyle events. He sets a world record in the 1500 m and two Olympic records.

1920

SPORTING THE COLORS of the M.A.A.A., boxer Bert Schneider wins the Canadian welterweight title. At the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, he secures gold for Canada by winning 3 of 4 rounds in the final bout.

1928

MYRTLE COOK, M.A.A.A. member, wins Olympic gold in the women’s 400m relay team and sets a record in track and field at the Amsterdam Games, which marks the first time women are allowed to compete in the Olympics.

1931

THE M.A.A.A. TEAM brings home its first Grey Cup, emblem of Canadian football supremacy, defeating the Regina Roughriders 22-0.

1933

THE “WHEELSMEN” MEMBERS come to the aid of the Club by collectively investing in the addition of a wing to incorporate several new sports which are increasingly popular, such as squash and badminton.

1956

M.A.A.A. MEMBER, Lucille Wheeler earns bronze in alpine skiing at the Cortina d’Ampezzo Games. Two years later, she wins the downhill and giant slalom events at the World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria.

1962

M.A.A.A. MEMBER, Richard Pound is not only a distinguished builder and a leading figure in the Olympic movement; he also competed in two Olympic swimming finals at the Tokyo Games in 1960. At the 1962 Commonwealth Games, he won four medals: one gold, two silvers and one of bronze.

1976

WITH MORE THAN 35 M.A.A.A. members becoming Olympic medalists since 1904, it seemed only appropriate for the 1976 Olympics to be held in Montréal. To celebrate the occasion, the Winged Wheel newsletter published special editions throughout the year featuring these great Club athletes.

MAA, Carolyn Waldo, Olympic Double Gold Medalist Synchronized Swimming

1988

M.A.A.A. MEMBER, Carolyn Waldo, becomes one of the rare double Olympic gold medalists in Canada by winning the individual synchronized swimming and duet synchronized swimming competition at the Seoul Games.

1998

SAVED FROM bankruptcy by a group of shareholders who are members of the Club, Club Sportif MAA is established under the Quebec Companies Act. An initial investment of $3 million allows for the renovation of facilities and the purchase of state-of-the-art fitness equipment.

1999

THE GRAND reopening of the MAA takes place on November 4, 1999. Over 700 members and prominent sports and entertainment personalities participate in the event, giving it significant media coverage. Club Sportif MAA is reborn and embarks on a new era of its historical epic.

2018

FOLLOWING A CALL for tenders, Club Sportif MAA chooses DEVIMCO for the realization of a real estate project comprising of more than 300 condominiums on Peel Street. Once completed, this 33-story project will revitalize the MAA.

2023

THE ALL-NEW MAA Club Sportif will open its doors in the summer of 2023. This Montreal institution, which has existed for 140 years now, will resume its place among the greatest sports clubs in the world. Rich in its unique history at the heart of Canadian sporting achievements, it will continue to allow generations of Montreal athletes to meet, move and invest in their health. Its 1905 historic facade will house modern and welcoming sports facilities, designed to make it the highlight of our members’ day when they visit.