The year 1997 marked the twentyfifth anniversary of the
foundation of the first Canadian statistical association and the silver jubilee
of The Canadian Journal of Statistics (CJS). This paper relates the
events and circumstances that led to the creation of these institutions. It
also describes how frictions between individuals, as well as diverging regional
and professional interests, soon led to the rise of a second, rival association
that eventually merged with the first in 1977–78 to form what is now
known as the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC). This historical account is
based on abundant archival material and on interviews conducted by the authors
in preparation for a commemorative presentation they made at the Annual Meeting
of the SSC, June 2, 1997, in Fredericton, New Brunswick.