Back in 1944 a Communications Technician from Toronto submitted an application for membership in APCO International. He became the first Canadian member and also the first to attend the Association's annual conference.

In 1967 Canada played host to the APCO International Conference in Toronto, Ontario (they were to return to Canada in 2004 to hold the Montreal conference).

In 1987 APCO International granted Canada a charter to become the first ever international Chapter of the organization and it was at that time that our first constitution and bylaws were formally adopted.

The first Canadian "Regional" conference was held in 1988 and such conferences continue to be the flagship education, networking and learning event for public safety communications professionals in Canada.

Expanding on the conference and recognizing the need for communicators to share their knowledge and experiences, the year 2001 marked the first year of the APCO Canada publication of the "Wavelength," which has since become the official publication of the Association.

As the organized evolved, matured and stabilized financially, the Board of Directors determined that the needs and interests of public safety communications professionals in Canada would be best served if APCO Canada were a stand-alone organization. In January 2002 APCO Canada declared its independence with an updated constitution and bylaws.

Internationally, APCO Canada has had a strong voice and has successfully advocated for the creation of the APCO Global Alliance for Collaboration and Development. Along with her partners in Australasia, Great Britain and the USA APCO Canada signed the historic agreement atop the CN Tower in Toronto, October 2, 2006.  While this group was officially disbanded in 2014, the relationship between the APCO associations is as strong as ever.

Today, APCO Canada is a well respected organization providing leadership for public safety communications professionals in Canada and around the globe. It's a membership-driven organization filled with committed volunteers who are passionate about public safety communications and who contribute to their profession tirelessly.