McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Montreal Board of Trade
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
In 1822 a group of Montréal businessmen, perturbed by the effects of the depression which followed the end of the Napoleonic wars, formed a "committee of Trade" with a mandate "to watch over the general interests of the trade of the country". The Committee was incorporated as the Montreal Board of Trade in 1842. During its first century, the Board's role was primarily that of lobbyist, particularly with regard to improving navigation to Montréal and constructing port facilities. They have been closely involved in municipal administrative reform, public health campaigns, anti-pollution and slum-clearance drives. Since the 1920s, the character of the Board has gradually altered to that of an information clearing-house and education facility.