John Leslie, Assistant Comptroller of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and two fellow railway accountants, E.B. Manning and F.A. Cousins, form the Canadian Accountants' Association. John Leslie is the association's first president. The association organizes lectures for members and funds a professional library.

On June 6, 1913, the association, now known as the General Accountants' Association, is federally incorporated. It becomes a self-regulating professional organization able to set standards and examinations for admission. The CGA designation, born in 1908, is now confirmed.

The association's first chapter is formed, in Toronto. Over the next two decades, chapters are established in Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax and Regina.

The first book of past exams is published as a study guide.

Ivy Cox becomes the association's first female CGA. She would later marry and become Ivy Thomas.

Association membership stands at 1,253 and there are chapters from coast-to-coast. Provincial and territorial associations are later established under their own charters.

Examinations are offered in French and English in Quebec. The move to a bilingual organization is underway.

CGA-BC and the University of British Columbia's School of Commerce develop an innovative five-year extension program, available on campus or by correspondence. The program is later adopted in other jurisdictions and becomes a national curriculum standard.

The education program is extended to the Caribbean and Bermuda.

CGA-Canada approves what would become the Code of Ethical Principles and Rules of Conduct. The national office relocates to Vancouver from Montreal.

CGA-Canada becomes a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

At the national level, the General Accountants' Association becomes the Certified General Accountants Association.

The CGA education program is extended to Macau, and later to Hong Kong and China.

CGA is registered under the federal Trademark Act, providing national, as well as provincial, recognition.

John Leslie Award is established in honour of the association's founding president and Chair. The award recognizes exceptional service.

A major revision of the education program, known as Program 90, is completed. Competency-based objectives, management emphasis and integration of ethics and information technology become hallmarks of the revised program.

An agreement between CGA-Canada and the provincial and territorial associations further defines their respective roles and responsibilities.

A national requirement is instituted for CGAs to obtain a bachelor's degree prior to certification. Partnerships are developed with universities to provide distance-learing options for degree completion.

CGA-Hong Kong is granted affiliate status. CGA education materials are offered at more than a dozen Chinese universities.

The CGA education program moves to a fully online distance learning model. CGA-Canada enhances its certification model. Laurentian University and CGA-Canada team up to offer on online MBA program for CGAs.

CGA-Canada signs a mutual recognition agreement with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the world's largest and fastest-growing accounting association.

CGA-Caribbean is granted affiliate status.

CGA-Canada marks its centennial anniversary and the birth of the CGA designation.

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