Institut Canadien


A literary and scientific society, founded at

Montreal in 1844, and incorporated in 1852. It included among its early

members most of the leaders of the more progressive and independent

element in Quebec political life, among them A. A. Dorion, Eric Dorion,

Joseph Doutre, Rodolphe Laflamme, and Wilfrid Laurier. The success of

the parent society led to the founding of similar Instituts throughout

the province. Although popular among the laity, these societies

encountered the determined opposition of the Roman Catholic Church, led

by Bishop Bourget of Montreal. The outside societies yielded to clerical

pressure, but the Montreal Institut stood upon its rights. The fight

went on for many years, but finally most of the Roman Catholic members

dropped out, and the books and papers were transferred to the Fraser

Institute. =Bib.=: Willison, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberal

Party.



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