# 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 and Toronto, as well as seven 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.

## History

Phi Kappa Pi Fraternity was founded in 1913, by two previously existing and separate organizations. Sigma Pi (local), founded in Toronto in 1901 and Alpha Beta Gamma (local), founded in Montreal in 1905, joined forces to create Canada's first and only national fraternity. The individual organizations' names became their 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. The following year, 1924, Alpha Iota chapter was established at the University of British Columbia, followed by Delta Mu chapter in 1930 at the University of Alberta, Tau Sigma Rho chapter in 1935 at the University of Manitoba, and Alpha Epsilon chapter in 1967 at the University of Waterloo.
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.
In September 2008, Simon Fraser University's student body voted 57% in favour of overturning the university's ban on Greek life on campus. The Omega Epsilon chapter opened on the university's campus in 2012. 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 were the name of the local from which it was formed, except in the case of Dalhousie. Following is a list of chapters. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics.
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status | Reference |
| Sigma Pi | 1901 | University of Toronto Ryerson University York University | Toronto | Active | |
| Alpha Beta Gamma | 1905–1976; 1990–2025 ? | McGill University Concordia University | Montreal | Inactive | |
| Zeta Gamma | 1923 | Dalhousie University Saint Mary's University Mount Saint Vincent University | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Active | |
| Alpha Iota | 1924–1974 | University of British Columbia | Vancouver | Inactive | |
| Delta Mu | 1930–197x ?; 19xx ?–1995 | University of Alberta | Edmonton | Inactive | [20] [a] |
| Tau Sigma Rho | October 2, 1935–1975 | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg | Inactive | |
| Alpha Epsilon | 1967–1975 | University of Waterloo | Waterloo, Ontario | Inactive | |
| Theta Kappa Omicron | 2000–20xx ? | University of Ottawa ? | Ottawa | Inactive | |
| Omega Iota | 2006–202x ? | University of Ontario Institute of Technology | Oshawa | Inactive | |
| Omega Epsilon | 2012 | Simon Fraser University | Burnaby | Active | |
* ↑ Chapter formed by members of the Rocky Mountain Goat Club.

## Notable members

| Name | Chapter | University | Notability |
| Nels Crutchfield | Alpha Beta Gamma | McGill University | NHL player |
| Joe Ghiz | Zeta Gamma | Dalhousie University | Former Premier of Prince Edward Island |
| John Gomery | Alpha Beta Gamma | McGill University | Canadian Justice; after retirement led Gomery Commission |
| Dr. Philip Lapp | Alpha Beta Gamma | McGill University | Canadarm 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 MacMillan | Sigma Pi | University of Toronto | Orchestral conductor and composer |
| Russell MacLellan | Zeta Gamma | Dalhousie University | Former Premier of Nova Scotia |
| Russell McConnell | Alpha Beta Gamma | McGill University | NHL prospect |
| Jack McGill | Alpha Beta Gamma | McGill University | NHL player |
| Charles Catto | Sigma Pi | University of Toronto | Founder of Frontiers Foundation |
| Derek Hart | Alpha Beta Gamma | McGill University | Statistics Professor at McGill University |
| Thomas Stanfield | Zeta Gamma | Dalhousie University | Former President and CEO of Stanfield's |