Quebec Area

Quebec area is part of the Atlantic North Region. The first C.A. Group appeared in August 20, 1986. It wasn’t name at first, it was bilingual and then somewhere in November that year, it split in English and French and the year after they were name respectively Thursday Night (became The End of the Line in 1989) and La Nature Exacte.

We elected our 1st delegate in 1988, and he did assist to his 1st conference in 1989, but we do not have a trace for our ratification, but our original corporation was approved on July 7th 1988. At raftification there was one (1) District and 10 Groups and today (2018) there are now three (3) Districts and 60 Groups plus 7 H&I meetings with approximately 600 – 700 members.

We had for a while a 4th district that was encompassing groups from Ottawa city.

The Area holds social or special C.A. related activities: a yearly convention (except this year because of CAWS2018. Our 1st Area convention was held on November 7th 1987. In 2017 we held our 30th Area convention. We held the Canadian Great convention in 2014.

We held the first World Services Convention (8th WSC Convention)) outside of USA, on May 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 1992. We usually hold diverse events, including CATW in March.

Our website is http://www.cocainomanes-anonymes.org

We have our World renowned countdown at our Convention. We are a bilingual fellowship, one district is including our English meetings and the 2 others include our French meeting. Our Convention is bilingual (English and French). When we held the WSC Convention in 1992, we had simultaneous translation (En to Fr and Fr to En) that will also be the case for CAWS2018.

And Then C.A. Became an International Fellowship

The date was October 26, 1983. Robert F. started rehab and 30 days later, after completing treatment, he was told that he had a 95% chance of maintain his sobriety if he attended a 12-step Fellowship and less than a 5% chance if not. He was able to stay sober by attending A.A. and N.A. meetings.

But there were some elements in the meeting rooms that were bothering. Seemed some people in A.A. did not like shares and talks about cocaine. He was even told: “shares like yours we do not need to hear.” Some people in N.A. did not like when the word sober was used instead of clean.

In 1985, A.A. held their 50th World Convention here in Montreal, and over 50,000 alcoholics took over the city. Dave S., a buddy who Robert met in the rooms, had met a girl from California in one of the marathon meetings that were being held at the convention. A few months later he went down to visit her in Los Angeles. And at the same time, he attended some C.A. meetings. He was so excited about them; “Everyone was blond” he said, and there was a common thread that held all together: cocaine … A Fellowship where all were free to speak about their drug of choice.

A request was sent for a starter kit. How exciting it was when the starter’s kit arrived from Culver City!!! Seeing C.A.’s First Step for the first time, “We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all mind-altering substances and that our lives had become unmanageable.” Robert spoke to a local church and told them he would like to start a meeting for cocaine addicts, called Cocaine Anonymous. This was a taboo subject as cocaine is illegal and he was very glad when they replied asking him “What night would you like?” Little did we know that we would not only be starting a meeting but a Fellowship! On a Thursday night, August 21, 1986, the first C.A. meeting was held in Montreal. About 20 people attended. Dave S. was the speaker and Robert F. was the secretary.

All it took, was a couple of addicts, a little resentment and a girl.

Within three months there were six meetings going, so any addict could work the Steps exclusively in C.A. There was such a buzz and enthusiasm in the rooms, and the Fellowship grew very quickly. A couple of months later the first French speaking C.A. meeting started. There was a bilingual meeting called “Saturday Night Live” where we had over 200 people attend on a regular basis. People shared in French and in English, together as one. Growing pains were enormous as this was a completely new Fellowship. Area meetings lasting hours, doing the best to practice principles over personalities, but unity did prevail over all. We were all so young- in our early twenties, and the meetings were jammed. We were the new kids on the block, so to say. But the message was being passed on, that you could get clean and sober in C.A.

Robert F. was elected as the first delegate to the Quebec Area. He attended the World Service Conference in California in 1988. People were so excited that there was a delegate from outside of the United States. C.A. had finally become international! In 1992, C.A. held its annual World Service Convention in Montreal! The first convention that was held outside of the United States. Over 1000 people attended from all over the world.