The Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Institute was a mechanics' institute and library formed by officers and employees of The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) in 1857 at Point St. Charles, Montreal, Quebec. The Institute was incorporated in 1871, and active until 1923 when GTR was purchased by Canadian National Railways. The Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Institute is listed as a component of the Canadian National Railway.

Similar to other Mechanics' Institutes of the time, the purpose of the Institute was to supply its members with instruction in science, literature and the arts, to provide a reading room and library, and to provide specimens and drawings.[1] While some Mechanics' Institutes operated more like cultural centres for their communities, the Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Institute was more about educating its workers.[2]

The Institute at Point St. Charles, Montreal contained over 6500 volumes. Membership here also allowed access to all the privileges of the building, including "hot and cold baths, the use of the lecture hall at noon for lunch, the lectures and entertainments."[3] The lecture hall was a large room with tables and benches, but it also had a heating chamber to keep the men's lunches hot, and at one end of the hall was a stage with stock scenery for dramatic productions.[3]

Membership

Any employee could become a member of the Institute to make use of the library and reading room, providing the potential member had two recommendations from existing members and paid the monthly membership dues.

Life Members

Life Membership was given to anyone who donated $25, rendered valuable service to the Institute, retained membership for at least 25 years, or was a person eminent in arts or sciences.[1]

By 1905,[4] Life Members included:

Governance

Officers

The Institute was governed by the officers of the Institute: President, Vice Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer, a Managing Committee of thirteen members, a board of Trustees, a librarian and two auditors. The President was to preside over all meetings and see that the Institute's Constitution and By-Laws were observed. The Vice Presidents were to assist the President and act in his absence. The Secretary-Treasure was to keep the books, attend all general and Committee meetings, keep the minutes of the meetings, conduct all correspondence, receive all moneys due, and make the books available to the Auditors twice a year. The Trustees consisted of the President of the Grand Trunk Railway, the Board of Directors, the Mechanical Superintendent, and two members elected as Working Trustees.[1]

Librarian

The Librarian was to open the library and reading room for the hours set by the Committee. He had to take care of all the books, periodicals, papers and property of the Institute. He had to keep a register of the members. He had to keep a record of all books taken out of the library by members. He was to not permit anyone but Committee members from having access to the book cases. If a book needed repairs, the librarian was to report the offending members to the Committee and submit the books for the Committee's inspection. He was required to be courteous to visitors.[1]

Managing Committee

Among the powers of the Managing Committee were: deciding the charges for lectures and classes, purchasing, exchanging, and accepting gifts or loans of books, and establishing regulations of use of the reading room, library, lectures and classes. The Committee also had the power to draft by-laws of the Institute, but all acts of the Committee were to be approved by members at a general meeting. The Committee also had governance over membership with the ability to reprimand, fine, suspend or expel a member for acting contrary to the rules of the Institute.[1]

By-Laws

The by-laws included setting a date for the annual general meeting, the frequency of the Committee's meetings, and the hours of operation of the reading room. The by-laws stated that "silence and decorum must be observed at all times in the Reading Room."[1] The by-laws required the catalogue to be kept in the reading room for all members' convenience. Papers and periodicals were not allowed to leave the room. Members were allowed to borrow books for 14 days; late fines were one cent per day. Members no longer employed by GTR had their membership service unless they qualified to be a Life Member.[1]

Lectures and Programming

One topic included for lecture in 1915 was "Banks: Ancient & Modern," given by C. E. Benedict of the Bank of Montreal.[5]

Gifts to the Institute

In 1861, when His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited the new rail bridge in Montreal, Victoria Bridge, he presented the Point St. Charles, Montreal location of the Institute a gift of $440 for the benefit of the employees. The Directors of the Grand Trunk Railway handed over the sum to the Committee of the Institute for the purchase of new books.[1]

On March 27, 1879, the Point St. Charles, Montreal branch of the Institute received a gift from Mr. J. Curtis Clark, in the form of five framed pictures of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, His Excellency the Governor General the Marquis of Lorne, Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise, the late Governor General the Earl of Dufferin, and the Countess of Dufferin.[6]

Other Locations

The Institute was also located in GTR stations in the Ontario towns of Belleville, Stratford, and Lindsay.[7]

The Institute in Lindsay, Ontario operated from 1890 to 1923 with a reading room and library on the second floor of the station located at Durham and William Streets. The library contained 1600 volumes of books. Hours of operation were 2pm to 5pm and 7pm to 9pm six days a week. The librarian, David Callison Trew (1844-1925), was paid $8 per month. The fee for membership was 5 cents per month.[8] In 1914, a spark from a passing engine set the station's roof on fire. The extent of the damage was to the roof and attic of the building. The greatest loss for the library was to the periodicals on the tables. "The cases saved the books."[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM2844413&R=2844413 Catalogue of the library belonging to the Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Institute, Point St. Charles, with constitution, by-laws, order of business and rules of order : founded 1857, incorporated 1871.
  2. ↑ Jarrell, Richard A. Educating the Neglected Majority: the struggle for agricultural and technical education in nineteenth century Ontario and Quebec. McGill-Queens Press - MQUP. 2016.
  3. 1 2 American Engineer: Railway Locomotives and Cars. Volume 69, number 10. October 1895. p. 472.
  4. ↑ Catalogue of the Library belonging to the Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Society. 1905.
  5. ↑ Benedict, C. E. Banks: Ancient & Modern: a lecture delivered before the Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Institute. February 25, 1915.
  6. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=_kc_bZDykSQC&dat=18790327&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Montreal Daily Witness, March 27, 1879.
  7. ↑ Moynes, Ford. "On The Main Street." Lindsay Daily Post, 31 Jan 1968
  8. ↑ Heels, Charles. "Lindsay - A Railroad Town." Part 38. Lindsay Post. January 1956.
  9. ↑ Watchman-Warder, Lindsay, Ontario. Thursday, September 17, 1914.
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