As one of the leading accounting and advisory firms in Canada, BDO is proud to celebrate over 90 years of great relationships. Our professionals proudly serve thousands of individuals and organizations across the country in multiple industries. We understand how our clients operate, offering local and tailored services combined with national resources and expertise.
Over the last decades, we have grown from a small practice in Winnipeg to become part of an international organization ― with our strengths remaining firmly rooted in the communities we serve. We are proud of our rich history, as well as the strong reputation we have developed among our wide variety of clients from coast to coast.
Dunwoody & Company
Dunwoody & Company was established by the late Colonel James M. Dunwoody in March 1921. From its roots as a small local practice to its current status as a national firm, Dunwoody & Company has continued to reflect the influence of its founder. By 1947, the firm had offices located in Winnipeg, Kenora and Fort Frances, Toronto, and Thunder Bay.
An international link was forged in 1963 on the condition from the British BDO firm that Dunwoody & Company also line up a US affiliate. When an agreement was reached with an American firm, the union (in which Dunwoody was the leader and moving force) was forged.
Our Canadian firm became truly national in scope in June 1965 when the Vancouver office (established in 1959) joined in, and three partnerships were integrated as Dunwoody & Company. At the time, there were 23 partners and 120 employees in 11 offices.
BDO Ward Mallette
From its origins in 1951 as a single office operated by Geoff Ward, BDO Ward Mallette grew to become Canada's seventh-largest public accounting firm. In 1954, the first partnership leading to the establishment of the firm was formed with Herb Watson in Lindsay, Ontario. More partnerships soon formed and the Ontario-wide name, G.H. Ward & Partners, was eventually adopted in the 1960s.
As attempts were made at various stages in the firm's history to secure an international connection, it had to grow nationally before it could plan an international expansion. Discussions took place with firms in other provinces, which led to a three-way merger of the Ontario firm, the Quebec firm (founded by Paul Mallette, Past President of the Quebec Ordre) and the British Columbia firm (founded by David Rolfe, Treasurer of the BC Institute) in 1973.
In 1975, the new national firm became the representative of the American firm, Seidman & Seidman, and a member of the international firm, Binder Seidman, two years later. This later became BDO Binder and, more recently, BDO International Limited.
BDO in the ‘90s
In January 1992, our Canadian accounting firms, Dunwoody & Company and BDO Ward Mallette ― each with decades of history ― merged with BDO Guenette Chaput in Winnipeg and BDO Frazer Matthews in Edmonton to form one unified firm.
The national accounting and advisory firm, developed in the 1990s, has been committed to helping independent businesses succeed. Our dedicated team of partners and professionals serve a broad range of clients across the country.
BDO today
Our firm has been built on similar principles as both of our former, foundational practices. Since growing to span the entire country, we have established ourselves as one of the leading accounting and advisory practices for entrepreneurial clients.
Effective January 2010, our Canadian member firm changed its name again with the rest of the international BDO network to become known as, simply, BDO. This decision united us as one firm around the world in professional name, visual identity, and corporate spirit. It also reflected our continuous investment in building a consistent, integrated and seamless network of national and global offices.
The international BDO network
BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. All of our national accounting firms are tied together by means of a common agreement to operate under the BDO name.
BDO is a worldwide network of public accounting firms, called BDO Member Firms, serving international clients. Each BDO Member Firm is an independent legal entity in its own country. The network’s unifying philosophy includes providing personalized service and quality advice to clients, and emphasizing practical applications and superior standards for all firms in the BDO partnership.
An international directory of all of our BDO offices around the world is available in each office and online at
www.bdointernational.com.