In 1919 a group of Syrian businessmen formed the Syrian National Society. They purchased a building on St. Denis Street just below Mount Royal Ave. and made it their headquarters.  By 1933 there were two other Syrian Canadian associations in Montreal, the Syrian Canadian Society and the Echo Club. In that year, the three groups agreed to merge, with headquarters in the building they owned on St. Denis.  To reflect the status of this wider diversified membership the name was changed to the Syrian Canadian Association.

In 1944, a building committee was formed to build a new headquarters to meet the needs of a growing community. Land was purchased on the corner of Jean-Talon and St-Dominique streets. In 1946 work was completed and the new building was officially inaugurated.

In 1968 the name of the Association was changed to the Lebanese Syrian Canadian Association (LSCA) in respect of the majority of members whose forefathers had emigrated from had become the independent country of Lebanon.

The LSCA became the centre for many charitable activities: the Ladies’ Aid Society which distributes clothes and food to needy families in our community, the Underprivileged Children’s Fund which assists underprivileged families and the Alexander Shatilla Scholarship Fund which awards scholarships to deserving students.

The Association was also the centre of the community’s social activities, including softball, hockey, arts & crafts, boy scouts, girl guides, brownies and a drama guild. Bowling alleys were installed and leagues were organized. Golf, tennis and badminton tournaments were also successfully organized.

A memorable highlight in the history of the LSCA was the folklore group which danced at Expo ‘67. Supported by the Lebanese Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sponsored by the Lebanese Cultural Union.

Throughout the years the LSCA has hosted many successful formal social functions and business luncheons featuring prominent speakers and noted dignitaries. In 1997 the Lifetime Achievement Awards were launched, honouring individuals who have made a significant contribution to the community. In recent years, the association has also organized trips to Lebanon.

At the turn of the 21^st century, the headquarters of the LSCA were in need of major repairs and the cost of maintaining the building had become a financial burden. In a move to safeguard the financial future of the association, in 2003, the Board of Trustees, supported by the members of the LSCA, agreed to sell the property on Jean-Talon Street. A year later, after renovations were completed, the LSCA moved into its new rented headquarters on Côte-de-Liesse.

In 2003, with funding from Canadian Heritage, the LSCA commissioned the first ever demographic study on Montreal’s Lebanese population. In this same year, the Lorraine Tabah Boosamra Humanitarian Fund was established to further humanitarian aid.

In 2005, the members of the association voted to change the name to the Lebanese Canadian Heritage Association. Today the LCHA continues in its rich historic path to preserve its heritage while assisting its community in its diverse needs.