Montreal Historical Society

The Montreal Historical Society (Société historique de Montréal, SHM) is a non-profit organization founded on April 11, 1858, making it the oldest historical society in Canada. Its legal existence is based on an act of the Parliament of the United Province of Canada, sanctioned on May 4, 1859. The Society was founded by Raphaël Bellemare, editor at La Minerve; Joseph-Ubalde Beaudry, clerk of the Court of Appeal of Lower Canada; Louis-François-Georges Baby, lawyer; and Jacques Viger, the first mayor of Montreal. Its mission, as stated in its original 1858 statutes, is to dispel "the omissions and errors that slip into the relation of historical facts of Canada" using authentic documents. Its motto is "Rien n'est beau que le vrai" (Nothing is beautiful but the truth), a phrase from Nicolas Boileau's ninth epistle. The Society welcomes anyone interested in the study and dissemination of Montreal's history and, secondarily, Quebec history from a Montreal perspective. It engages in a variety of activities including conferences, award ceremonies, a radio show, and publications. It produces a radio program called "Notre histoire en tête" broadcast on Radio VM (91.3 FM) on Tuesdays at 9 a.m., organizes monthly conferences (currently virtual on the second Tuesday of the month, previously on the first Saturday), and publishes the review "Montréal en tête" twice a year. The Society also collaborates on historical publications and periodicals such as "Mémoires et documents relatifs à l'histoire du Canada" (1859–1921), "Bulletin de la Société historique de Montréal" (1963, 1981), "Cahiers de la Société historique de Montréal" (1982–1988), and "Montréal en tête" (since 1993). The Society awards several distinctions: the Médaille de la Société historique de Montréal (since 1922) for a historian's lifetime achievement; the diplôme de membre d'honneur (since 1964); the Prix Percy-W.-Foy (since 1990) for a member's writing on history; and the Prix Robert Prévost, awarded every three years. The Percy-W.-Foy Prize is funded by the Fondation Percy-W.-Foy, established by the will of Percy-William Foy, which also supports the Société historique de la Vallée du Richelieu, the Société généalogique canadienne-française, and the city of Sorel. The Robert Prévost Prize honors Robert Prévost, a journalist and author who donated his library of some 40,000 books and documents to the Society. The Society's archives are held at the Montreal archives center of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. It is affiliated with or supports various heritage organizations such as the Comité Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, Fédération Histoire Québec, Fondation Lionel-Groulx, Musée Pointe-à-Callière, and Radio VM. The Society continues to be active, with events scheduled into 2026–2027, including conferences and radio broadcasts.

The Montreal Historical Society was founded on April 11, 1858, by Raphaël Bellemare, Joseph-Ubalde Beaudry, Louis-François-Georges Baby, and Jacques Viger. Its legal existence was formalized by an act of the Parliament of the United Province of Canada, sanctioned on May 4, 1859. The founding members gave the Society the mission to dispel, using authentic documents, "the omissions and errors that slip into the relation of historical facts of Canada." The Society's motto, "Rien n'est beau que le vrai," is drawn from Nicolas Boileau's ninth epistle. Throughout its history, the Society has engaged in various activities including conferences, award ceremonies, a radio show, and publications. It has published or collaborated on several periodicals: "Mémoires et documents relatifs à l'histoire du Canada" (1859–1921, 12 issues), "Bulletin de la Société historique de Montréal" (around 1963; September to December 1981), "Cahiers de la Société historique de Montréal" (March 1982 to December 1988), and "Montréal en tête" (since 1993, becoming a review in autumn 2010). The Society has awarded distinctions since the early 20th century. The Médaille de la Société historique de Montréal has been awarded since 1922 to a historian for their lifetime work. The diplôme de membre d'honneur has been awarded since 1964. The Prix Percy-W.-Foy was established in 1990 and is awarded to a member for a written work on history. The Prix Robert Prévost is awarded every three years. The Percy-W.-Foy Prize is funded by the Fondation Percy-W.-Foy, created by the will of Percy-William Foy (1882–1966), a librarian at the Ministry of Marine in Ottawa for 45 years. The foundation's income is divided equally among the Montreal Historical Society, the Société historique de la Vallée du Richelieu, the Société généalogique canadienne-française, and the city of Sorel. Due to a dispute, the first payment was made in 1978, twelve years after Foy's death. The Society used the funds to publish its Cahiers for about ten years. The Prix Robert Prévost honors Robert Prévost, who became a member at age 19, had a career in journalism and the Quebec public service, and published 38 books, including "Montréal, la folle entreprise," which won the Prix Percy-W.-Foy in 1992. He died on October 26, 2007, and donated his library of some 40,000 books and documents to the Society. From its founding to the present, 24 people have served as president of the Society. The Society's archives are conserved at the Montreal archives center of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. The Society continues to be active, with a radio show on Radio VM, monthly conferences, and publications. It celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008.

• 2008

  150th anniversary of the Society.

• 2007

  Robert Prévost dies on October 26; donates his library of ~40,000 books and documents to the Society.

• 1993

  Publication of "Montréal en tête" begins (becomes a review in autumn 2010).

• 1990

  Prix Percy-W.-Foy established.

• 1982

  Publication of "Cahiers de la Société historique de Montréal" begins (until Dec 1988).

• 1964

  Diplôme de membre d'honneur first awarded.

• 1963

  Publication of "Bulletin de la Société historique de Montréal" (around 1963; again Sept–Dec 1981).

• 1922

  Médaille de la Société historique de Montréal first awarded.

• 1859

  Legal existence formalized by an act of the Parliament of the United Province of Canada, sanctioned on May 4.

• 1859

  Publication of "Mémoires et documents relatifs à l'histoire du Canada" begins (until 1921, 12 issues).

• 1858

  Founded on April 11 by Raphaël Bellemare, Joseph-Ubalde Beaudry, Louis-François-Georges Baby, and Jacques Viger.

Oldest historical society in Canada, dedicated to preserving and promoting Montreal's history through publications, conferences, and awards.

• Mémoires et documents relatifs à l'histoire du Canada

  Periodical published from 1859 to 1921, 12 issues.

• Bulletin de la Société historique de Montréal

  Bulletin published around 1963 and from September to December 1981.

• Cahiers de la Société historique de Montréal

  Published from March 1982 to December 1988.

• Montréal en tête

  Bulletin since 1993, became a review in autumn 2010; published twice a year.

• Notre histoire en tête

  Radio show broadcast on Radio VM (91.3 FM) on Tuesdays at 9 a.m.

1. 1Société historique de Montréal – Depuis 1858societehistoriquedemontreal.org
2. 2Notre histoire – Société historique de Montréalsocietehistoriquedemontreal.org
3. 3Prix Percy-W.-Foy – Société historique de Montréalsocietehistoriquedemontreal.org
4. 4Prix Robert Prévost – Société historique de Montréalsocietehistoriquedemontreal.org
5. 5Montreal Historical Societywikidata.org
6. 6Société historique de Montréalfr.wikipedia.org