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between the United States and Canada was more fluid than in the present era and encourage such ideals. These institutions attempted to include the working class, French
Canadians and women, where the British social model did not support these inclusions. The composition of the executive of the Bytown Mechanics' Institute in its various formations illustrates this and exemplifies the issues of cost and available leisure time that would eventually cause the institute's failure.
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161:, Upper Canada. Newsrooms were spaces where reading materials, especially newspapers, were made available presumably to those who subscribed and paid for the materials. Newsrooms were set up in the British Hotel in Upper Town and another in McArthur's Hotel in Lower Town. The longevity of these organizations was influenced by the long hours of the working class.
555:
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and used French language institutions. For anglophones, the
Carpenters' and Joiners' Society had largely the same purpose. Third, fund raising events were generally failures. Finally, and most critically, there was no newspaper support or advertising. The continuity of the BMI through to the BMIA was broken between 1850 and 1852.
254:. As required, a declaration dated January 29, 1853 was sent to the Provincial Government requesting incorporation. The Province of Canada provided the incorporation, and fees were set at one pound annually. Donations to the new BMIA included a recently shot heron, a hawk, a crow and a box of Indian stone implements.
265:. The change did not favour the BMIA, but rather favoured the Public Library movement in Ontario. Public libraries became the norm in Ontario after the private funding of the Carnegie Institute began. By February 28, 1855, the BMIA had 899 volumes, 33 newspapers and periodicals, and 850 natural specimens.
144:
organization aimed at encouraging grassroots participation. These institutions were
Victorian and moralistic in tone and class-oriented in structure which, in part, explains their failure. However, they show the tendency towards democratic institutions in the early history of Canada where the border
303:
Lectures were considered a staple of the
Mechanics' Institute. Improving the mind of the common man was the ultimate goal of the Mechanics' Institute. The following is a sample of lectures made available through the BMIA. Although never intended for them, women attended the lectures in significant
224:
Lack of participation had several causes. First, the subscription fee of five shillings was likely too high for the majority of the area's inhabitants. Second, it is unlikely that there were enough working men who would be attracted to such an organization. Lumberjacks were largely French-speaking
425:
Membership in the BMI had been based almost solely on high social status although the membership was intended to be working class status. While the BMIA was not immune to this type of social patronage in its executive, it did allow women membership and some limited democratic involvement in the
257:
In 1856, the BMIA changed its name to the Ottawa
Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum to reflect the name change of the town. Later, in 1868/9 the Ottawa Natural History Society and the Ottawa Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum were merged by Provincial Act into the Ottawa Literary and Scientific
176:
The lifespan of the BMI was relatively short, and the institute does not appear to have merged with any other organizations. The timelines of the BMIA, the Ottawa
Natural History Society and the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society are blended as three naturally related organizations.
212:
The Bytown
Mechanics' Institute (BMI) was established in 1847. This first Mechanics' Institute was not long-lived and closed two years later. The Bytown Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum (BMIA) was officially established January 29, 1853.
216:
The Bytown
Mechanics' Institute differed from the newsrooms in that the founding fathers were not clerks or members of the working class; they were employers and professionals. The social leaders of Bytown formed the BMI: Hon.
118:
1847: Hon. Thomas McKay -- President; G. W. Baker -- Vice
President; Hamnett Hill -- 2nd Vice President; Elkanah Billings -- Corresponding Sec.; H. Bishoprick -- Recording Sec.; Andrew Drummond -- Treasurer
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or, later, the province of
Ontario and it speaks to the numbers of Irish immigrants and the relatively large francophone population in the area as a whole.
281:
Lord Elgin opened the first BMIA exhibition held in the West Ward Town Hall on July 28, 1853. The exhibition was primarily a local affair. On display were:
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executive. The democratic nature of the executive could be seen in the inclusion of Roman Catholics. This type of inclusion was not common across
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This association appears to have been an extension of the Upper Town newsroom as both were housed in the British Hotel.
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221:, George W. Baker, Horatio Blasdell, John Scott, William P. Lett, John Bower Lewis and all resident clergymen.
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Daily local papers; tri-weeklies including 2 French, one from Dublin, one from Glasgow; 29 weeklies including
597:
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The Bytown Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum began in January 1853. The BMIA had strong support from
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Prior to 1863, in the Temperance Hall of the Congregational Church near Sappers' Bridge; post 1863.
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141:
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The Bytown Mechanics' Institute, improving the mind of the working class. Bytown pamphlet series
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Lower Bytown, from the Barrack Hill, near the head of the Eighth Lock and Sappers' Bridge, 1845
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View of Rideau Falls. The buildings in the background are the McKay and McKinnon cloth mill.
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Feed the Flame: A Natural History of the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society
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Blanchard, Jim. Anatomy of Failure: Ontario Mechancis' Institutes, 1895-1935,
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ad hoc, however $ 50-$ 600 annually might be expected from government sources
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The Bytown Mechanics' Institute: Improving the Mind of the Working Class.
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in September. Local francophones formed their own similar organization,
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French Canadian membership, although sparse, stopped in 1849 after the
236:, in 1852. The stratification of Ottawa was both social and cultural.
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The real change in fortune came in 1906 with the opening of the
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The Library Associations and Mechanics' Institutes Act of 1851
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Common Words and Phrases as Indicative of National Character
703:"Bytown or Bust: History and Genealogy in Ottawa Canada"
702:
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Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society — 1869 – c. 1907
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Bytown Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum — 1853–1869
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732:, Ottawa, Ontario: The Historical Society of Ottawa
288:• window blinds from Currier, Dickenson and Company
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294:• a fine set of false teeth from a local dentist.
347:Moralistic lecture by Reverend Thomas Wardrope
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327:Moralistic lecture by Rev. William Aitken
187:Ottawa Natural History Society — 1863–1869
24:
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666:, Bytown Pamphlet series; 39) 1992. p .6.
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240:Bytown Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum
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334:Modes of detecting Criminal Poisonings
181:Bytown Mechanics' Institute — 1847–1849
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414:Moralistic lecture by E. A. Meredity
393:Zoological Lecture by Van Courtlandt
7:
372:Meant to include women and families
285:• tweeds from Thomas McKay's factory
234:Institute canadien français d'Ottawa
164:In 1845, clerks in Bytown organized
780:Library buildings completed in 1906
584:Libraries & the Cultural Record
383:Moralistic lecture by Rev. Johnson
362:An evening of short popular essays
337:Scientific lecture by S. C. Sewell
166:The Mercantile Library Association.
790:1847 establishments in Canada West
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344:Woman, her Duties and her Rights
73:; 4 illustrated papers including
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553:
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400:Geological Structures of Ottawa
785:1906 establishments in Ontario
692:, Toronto:William Briggs 1912.
390:The Herpetology of the Ottawa
1:
800:Libraries established in 1847
81:; United Kingdom periodicals.
403:Scientific lecture by Grant
19:Bytown Mechanics' Institute.
795:Former education in Ontario
459:Bytown and Prescott Railway
291:• hemp from Hull-grown flax
208:Bytown Mechanics' Institute
134:Bytown Mechanics' Institute
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728:Hirsch, Forbes R. (1992),
157:were beginning to open in
679:Ottawa: 1946, pp. 280-281
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644:Canadian Library Journal
316:Lecture Type and Author
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324:War and Military Glory
94:Criteria for collection
79:London Illustrated News
526:Physician and Surgeon
278:
204:
626:Gaizauskas, Barbara.
598:Ottawa Public Library
276:
202:
89:In 1856, 1004 volumes
36:Mechanics' Institute
765:Libraries in Ottawa
745:Musée Bytown Museum
690:The Public Library.
677:Ottawa Old and New.
662:Hirsch, R. Forbes,
457:Senior Bookkeeper,
67:Scientific American
770:Literary societies
646:, v.38(1981)p.396.
279:
251:The Ottawa Citizen
205:
172:Institute timeline
142:knowledge transfer
775:Defunct libraries
760:History of Ottawa
530:
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507:E. Van Cortlandt
453:Braddish Billings
421:Membership sample
418:
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248:the publisher of
230:Stony Monday Riot
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102:Other information
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380:Human Happiness
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62:Items collected
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721:Bibliography
706:. Retrieved
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523:J. A. Grant
499:Hamnet Hill
447:Businessman
428:Upper Canada
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219:Thomas McKay
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138:Upper Canada
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486:Politician
479:A. Workman
474:Politician
444:George Hay
439:Occupation
246:Robert Bell
126:1 librarian
71:Canada West
41:Established
754:Categories
605:References
515:J. Garvey
510:Physician
502:Physician
494:Architect
57:Collection
708:August 6,
518:Labourer
304:numbers.
258:Society.
155:newsrooms
123:Employees
533:See also
482:City of
470:City of
369:Picnics
115:Director
49:Branches
195:History
149:Origins
591:Bytown
484:Ottawa
472:Ottawa
269:Events
159:Bytown
136:is an
107:Budget
436:Name
408:1866
377:1865
352:1864
321:1856
310:Year
75:Punch
710:2010
132:The
86:Size
77:and
69:and
44:1847
33:Type
756::
651:^
635:^
613:^
712:.
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