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.