Mary Malcolmson organized the first Canadian Girl Guides Company to be officially registered in St. Catharines, Ontario; their registration is dated January 1910. A park in St. Catharines was later named for Mary Malcolmson. Other Guide Companies were registered later in 1910: Toronto, Moose Jaw and Winnipeg. The First Toronto Company held the first-recorded Girl Guide Camp in Canada on the banks of the Credit River in June of 1911. By 1912, the movement had spread to all parts of Canada, and had become so popular that on July 24 1912 Agnes Baden-Powell created Lady Mary Pellatt "Chief Commissioner of the Dominion of Canada Girl Guides". Many Guide events were held at her home, Casa Loma, in Toronto. It is now a tourist attraction with a special Girl Guide display. In 1917 the Canadian Government passed an Act of Parliament approving the Constitution of the Canadian Girl Guides Association as it was then known.

In 1918 Newfoundland's first Guide Company was formed, although the Province itself, did not become part of Canada until 1949.

The Salvation Army adopted Guiding as part of its program for girls in 1937, and it became officially associated with the organization. Although the Army disassociated itself in 1998, it continues to offer a form of Guiding to its girls.



The Canadian Girl Guides Association changed its name in 1961, again by Act of Parliament, to "Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada".

In 1962 "Les Guides Catholiques du Canada (secteur français)" became members of Girl Guides of Canada. This organization had originally been active only in the Province of Quebec but over the years had developed a small membership in other Provinces as well. It had its own program, uniform and administration, but acknowledged the Chief Commissioner of Canada as the head of Guiding in Canada and had membership in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. In 1992 "Les Guides Catholiques du Canada (secteur français)" became "Guides francophones du Canada", and in 1995 they became officially affiliated with Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada, as "Guides francocanadiennes".