The British Garrison and Montreal Society, 1830-1850

摘要

This article examines the influence of the British Army garrison in Montreal on society in that city society from 1830 to 1850. The garrison served as a tangible symbol of that link to Empire. The leisure activities of the garrison soldiers, particularly the officers who were generally "well-born," well-connected, and wealthy, set a standard of social behaviour for the well-to-do English speaking citizens of Montreal who sought to emulate imperial society in colonial Montreal. The social legacy of the garrison was the establishment of a tradition of theatre, music, sporting events and socializing along British lines that long survived the withdrawal of the garrison. However, the garrison also served to reinforce a colonial mind-set and to inhibit the development of Indigenous institutions within Montreal society. It would not be until the garrison withdrew that most music, theatre and sporting organizations in the city became truly Canadian.