Old Town in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

York Mechanics' Institute

1830-1882

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

1. York Mechanics' Institute Marker
(south side • English)

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

[English]
The Mechanics' Institute movement began in Britain and soon spread to North America. Its aim was to teach workers the applied technology behind new methods of manufacture and craftsmanship introduced during the Industrial Revolution. The first Institute in Ontario was established at York (Toronto) in 1830. It sponsored lectures, held classes and operated a lending library. It moved from rented quarters into its own new building on this site in 1861. After passage of the Free Libraries Act in 1882, the Institute transferred its assets to the municipal government. Its book collections formed the foundation of the Toronto Public Library, which opened in the former Institute building in 1884.

[Français]
Le mouvement du Mechanics' Institute naît en Grande-Bretagne et s'étend à l'Amérique du Nord. Son but est d'enseigner aux ouvriers la technologie appliquée sur laquelle reposent les nouvelles méthodes de fabrication et d'exécution inaugurées pendant la Révolution industrielle. Le premier Institut de l’Ontario est fondé à York (Toronto) en 1830. Il organise des conférences et des cours et

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possède une bibliothèque de prêt L’Institut, d’abord installé dans des locaux loués, prend possession, en 1861, de son nouvel immeuble construit sur ce site. Après l'adoption de la loi sur les bibliothèques gratuites en 1882, il cède ses biens à l’administration municipale. Ses collections de livres constituent le fonds de la Bibliothèque publique de Toronto, qui s’ouvre en 1884 dans l'ancien immeuble de l'Institut.

Erected by Ontario Heritage Foundation / Fondation du patrimoine ontarien.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Foundation series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 43° 39.079′ N, 79° 22.491′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Old Town. Marker is at the intersection of Church Street and Adelaide Street East, on the right when traveling north on Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 82 Adelaide Street East, Toronto ON M5C 1K9, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. St. James Parking Garage (within shouting distance of this marker); Adelaide Street Court House (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Robert Gourlay (about 90 meters away); The Cathedral Church of St. James (about 120

York Mechanics' Institute Marker<br>(<i>north side • Français</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

2. York Mechanics' Institute Marker
(north side • Français)

meters away); Toronto's Eighth Post Office (about 120 meters away); Albert Jackson (about 120 meters away); Consumers' Gas 150th Anniversary (about 150 meters away); Consumers' Gas Company Building (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.

Also see . . .
1. Mechanics' Institutes.

Mechanics' Institutes began as voluntary associations of working men seeking self-improvement through education. The community-based institutes offered evening lectures, lending libraries and periodical reading rooms. Members were supposed to learn the underlying scientific principles of their work as well as the general value of "rational information." In Ontario, the provincial government used legislation to transform the institutes into public libraries. The Mechanics' Institutes reflected important features of 19th-century Canada: the constant anxiety of local leaders about social order and stability; the widespread hope of self-improvement through education; and the increasing popular thirst for reading material.

(Submitted on June 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Mechanics' Institutes.

York Mechanics' Institute Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

3. York Mechanics' Institute Marker

(looking north along Church Street from Adelaide Street East)

Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts, were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men in Victorian-era Britain and its colonies. Small tradesmen and workers could not afford subscription libraries, so for their benefit, benevolent groups and individuals created mechanics' institutes that contained inspirational and vocational reading matter, for a small rental fee. Later popular non-fiction and fiction books were added to these collections. Some mechanics' libraries lasted only a decade or two, and many eventually became public libraries.

(Submitted on June 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 125 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.