First Life
Formed in the early 1990's by Morpheus and Groovella Blak, under the name of The Gothic Society of Canada, the Society was an opportunity for people of like mind in the gothic community of Toronto to gather for social evenings and special events. The Society's members were initially friends, associates and some clientele from Siren, Toronto's (and North America's) oldest Gothic clothing emporium. Originally meeting at Pimblett's, a Victorian-themed pub in Toronto's Cabbagetown area, the group changed venues after approximately one year to accommodate group growth, expanding from 10 to 25 members in a relatively short period due to publicity and public awareness, and partly due to the popularity of the movie “Interview With The Vampire” (after Anne Rice's novel of the same title) and following the hour-long special on City TV'sThe New Music. With expansion came diversity within the group, with members of many facets of Goth life partaking in the sense of community and creative camaraderie. At that time the vast majority of the membership was part of the artistic community, with a large emphasis on the newly blossoming digital age. The group was made up of musicians, artists, clothing designers, computer programmers, engineering and film students, and a few funeral directors and grief counselors for good measure (we came by our dark interests very honestly).
This first version of the Society existed for roughly 3 - 4 years, eventually running out of steam, with members moving on and losing touch and peoples' lives taking different directions.

Undeath
In late 2000, two former members of the original Society, Baron Marcus and the Lady Ritz, endeavoured to regenerate the Society. Meetings were initially held at the Artful Dodger in Toronto, the first gathering taking place in November 2000. After some scheduling issues, the meetings were eventually moved to the Nine of Cups Cafe on Queen Street. Gatherings numbering between 10 - 12 dedicated individuals took place there for the best part of six months until the Cafe’s demise. At this point, Michael Ratt and Lady Silver took the reins and held the group together, sometimes a little discouraged, but not ready to give up on the concept - it was felt that a forum of expression and fellowship for those with historical Gothic leanings filled a void for many and had a definite role within the larger gothic subculture of the city, and indeed as far into the world as we could reach. After a few months of insistence and persistence, the new incarnation of the society, with the new moniker The Dark Place, began to gather at a club on Queen Street West. Through a word-of-mouth membership campaign and utilizing a small, ambiguous and compelling handbill, an infusion of new blood commingled with and enriched the old established ranks. Following the 2002 Yule gathering, the core of the present membership came together. Thus the Society's revival was realized and continues today under the guidance and organization of Mr. Ratt and the Lady Silver. Our membership is characterized by thoughtful, artistic and committed people of all ages - an incredibly talented, diverse group of individuals involved in many aspects of life and art, including clothing designers, artisans in various media, computer technologists, writers, graphic artists, dancers, business administrators, photographers, musicians of many styles, and historians specializing in areas ranging from costumes to gravestones, to name but a few.

The members of the present-day Society are setting the stage for a return to elegance and grace within the Gothic community and society as a whole.