Jesuit Refugee Service Canada began formally in 1983 as a project of the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice which was created by the Jesuits of English Canada in 1979. The early forms of JRS–Canada activity included offering spiritual support and teaching days for those working with refugees. It developed a strong library of documents, books and articles relating to the many related activities taking place for and around refugees and began publishing Refugee Update which continues to this day–only under different sponsorship.

Gordon Rixon and Ted Hyland were early heads of this work. Peter Bisson spent much of his Regency in JRS work. JRS also had a central and very active role in ICCR, the Inter-Church Coalition for Refugees during these years of Ted's leadership. In the mid-1990s, Ezat Mosallanejad took over the leadership and did a huge amount to deepen the documentation centre, broaden the ecumenical relationships, and create a strong, advocating JRS voice in the affairs of CCR.

When the Jesuit Centre ceased its formal activities in 1997, the documentation of JRS was divided between 2-3 different storage places, one of which remains - in the basement area of the Orchard Park office complex on the Jesuit Property in Guelph, ON. Richard Soo carried on the work of JRS but no longer within the Jesuit Centre.

In December 1999 the Jesuit Centre was restored to activity and Jack Costello, along with the companionship and assistance of Richard Soo, restored JRS within it. Richard carried on his JRS work in connection with Hamilton House, the FCJ initiative led by Sr. Lois Ann Bordowitz. Jack gave emphasis to his already existing work at Romero House while re-inserting JRS into a more active role in ICCR while Richard moved mainly to the ICCHRLA work as his base. Jack became a co-chair of ICCR in 2001 and remained in that position till 2003 when the Coalitions folded into the administratively integrated group called Kairos.

Jack Costello continued the work of JRS. In 2006, after the Jesuit Centre again folded its tent, he was invited to accept the mandate to care for the interests and needs of migrant workers as well as refugees, and was asked to accept the role of director in a renamed Jesuit work called the Jesuit Refugee and Migrant Service (JRMS). This group continues to this day.

The Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits, under its superior General Pedro Arrupe SJ, created the Jesuit Refugee Service in November, 1980. It was an instant success and grew quickly and imaginatively over the course of many years. It continues strong but with much more lay leadership and with far fewer Jesuits assigned to its work.

The history of the Society of Jesus can be viewed at sjweb.info or by tapping into the site of the Jesuits in English Canada at www.jesuits.ca.

The Board of JRMS is made up of the following members with the following roles: