In 1953, when Vic Wallace’s job at the Wallace Lumber Mill brought on acute asthma, his doctor advised him to move to a drier climate or his life would be cut short. So Vic, his wife, Reta, and their two daughters moved from Thamesford, Ontario, Canada - a small rural village 15 miles east of London - to Lynwood Street in downtown Phoenix.

Reta, Vic, and other expatriate Canadians arrived in Phoenix when the only things many had in common were respiratory ailments or arthritic conditions. To counteract the isolation and homesickness that sometimes troubled new arrivals, Reta and Vic started the Canadian Social Club of Greater Phoenix, bringing together newcomers who would otherwise have gone it alone. During the 1950s and 60s, it was a vital source of exchange, support and referrals for families who had relocated to the Valley.

“I used to get phone calls from friends or doctors in Canada asking me to go check on so-and-so here in Phoenix because they were sick or depressed,” said Reta. “I’d go find them and get them to a doctor or just take them home with me for a while.”

One of the first projects the newly formed club tackled was their inaugural Canadian Picnic. Reta and Vic, with fellow club members, scoured Valley parking lots looking for cars with Canadian license plates. They scribbled invitations on the backs of old Bayless receipts and tucked them under windshield wipers. About 500 local Canadians attended the first picnic.

The front porch of Reta Wallace’s home is still the site of the longest running card game in Phoenix and is in full swing even during the scorching heat of summer. Time has marched on for the early members of the Canadian Social Club and their ranks have thinned. When you dust off the patina of age, the values of a kinder, gentler time shine through.

The Business Journal of Phoenix - July 13, 2007

by Lynn Ducey, The Business Journal

The Grand Canyon state is appealing to more Canadians, as almost half a
million people from the great white north visited Arizona last year, state
tourism leaders say.

According to statistics from the Arizona Office of Tourism, 495,800
Canadians traveled to Arizona during 2006, an increase of more than 17
percent from 2005.

They were among the 33.7 million people who vacationed in Arizona last year,
pumping $18.6 billion into the economy.

Those record-setting figures, the latest available, were presented July 12
at the 27th Annual Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism.

"Arizona is outpacing the rest of the nation in the growth of Canadian
visitation to our state," said Margie Emmermann, director of the state
Office of Tourism.

Emmermann attributed the surge to a combination of the strong Canadian
dollar, the availability and frequency of air travel between Canada and
Arizona, and ongoing marketing programs targeting Canadian tourists.

Debbie Johnson, president and chief executive of the Arizona Hotel & Lodging
Association, said she's glad to see such a strong showing.

"This really tells me that once people are here, we are providing them what
they want and what they need in a destination," Johnson said.

The increasing number of Canadian visitors to Arizona marks a departure from
a downward trend nationwide in international tourism.

"Overseas arrivals over the past six years, from 2000 to 2006, are down 17
percent," said Allen Kay, spokesman for the Travel Industry Association, a
Washington-based trade organization.

Nevertheless, Arizona has seen a steady increase in domestic tourism since
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Visitation from other states
increased 8.9 percent here from 2005 to 2006, said Jacki Mieler, director of
media relations for the Office of Tourism.

Arizonans also are taking more trips within the state. The number of
in-state travelers increased 22.3 percent from 2005 to 2006.

Much of that can be attributed to the high cost of gas and growing
complexity of airline travel, Mieler said.