Institut Canadien

Institut Canadien, literary and scientific society that came into conflict with the Roman Catholic church in 19th-century French Canada. Founded in Montreal on Dec. 17, 1844, it soon became a forum for discussing the problems of the day, maintaining the largest free library in Montreal. The membership of the parent organization in Montreal reached 700, and branches were established all over French-speaking Canada. In general, the Institut Canadien became the centre of a movement critical...