Society Pages from the Executive Director
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N U M B E R 3 1 ■ Spring 2011 ■ $ 2 . 0 0 ■ 150 YEARS AGO ■ LOOKING BACK AT IMAG- INATION ■ MONTHLY GIVING ■ The Morrin Centre is managed by the Literary & Historical Society of Quebec ■ Published with the assistance of Canada Post EDITORS Virginie Haustrate [email protected] DESIGN NUMBER 31 ■ SPRING 2011 David Dupuis ■ PUBLISHER CONTENT Literary and Historical Society of Quebec 44, chaussée des Écossais Québec (Québec) G1R 4H3 Letter from the President 1 David F. Blair PHONE 418-694-9147 From the Executive Director 2 Simon Jacobs FAX 418-694-0754 GENERAL INQUIRIES [email protected] Transactions WEBSITE 150 Years Ago 3 Charles André Nadeau www.morrin.org ■ LHSQ COUNCIL Events & Activities David F. Blair, President Louisa Blair, Interim Secretary Looking Back at ImagiNation 5 Valérie Chabot Sovita Chander, Vice-President James Haberlin, Treasurer Barbara Salomon de Friedberg, Honorary Librarian Library Pages Peter Black Book Review 9 William GK Boden Gina Farnell Nathanial B. Findlay Shauneen Furlong Fundraising Taylor Ireland Ladd Johnson The Story of James Douglas, Jr 12 Marie Rubsteck Hélène Thibault Elspeth Tulloch [email protected] ■ DIRECTORS Simon Jacobs Executive Director [email protected] Barry McCullough Director of Administration LIBRARY HOURS [email protected] Marie Rubsteck Sunday 12:00PM-4:00PM Director of Development Monday CLOSED [email protected] FULL-TIME STAFF Tuesday 12:00PM-9:00PM Virginie Haustrate Library Manager Wednesday 12:00PM-4:00PM [email protected] Valérie Chabot Thursday 12:00PM-4:00PM Cultural Events Coordinator Rosemarie Fischer Friday 12:00PM-4:00PM Administrative Assistant [email protected] Saturday 10:00AM-4:00PM ■ The mission of the Morrin Centre is to share and foster English-language culture in the Quebec City region. The Morrin Centre is administered by the Literary & Historical Society of Quebec. ISSN 1913-0732 Front cover: ImagiNation 2011—Poster with authors’ signatures LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear members and friends, Thus, despite the fact that we are among the oldest cultural institutions in the country, we are only The Quebec Literary and Historical Society is in the sporadically supported by the various levels of process of establishing a strategic plan for the future. government and we get virtually no core funding. Core We have retained the services of Zins Beauchesne & funding is the key to the ongoing healthy operation of Associés, a firm of consultants to advise us on how best the Morrin Centre and the Society. If we are to to formulate this plan. Ultimately, however, the issue develop, sustain and grow our library services and that we are facing is one of funding. We have been in cultural programs, we have no choice but to ensure the existence since 1824. We are one of the oldest if not provision of significant core funding from one or other the oldest cultural institution in the city and indeed in or all three levels of government. Canada. The governments must recognize the important role However, due to a variety of circumstances, we have that we play in the city of Quebec and indeed in the fallen through the cracks when it comes to public province and the nation. We are a cultural jewel that funding. The various government agencies have not has been forgotten and unrecognized by the public been able to properly characterize us nor place us in a purse. While we do undertake a large variety of category for which funding for other libraries and activities which are intended to generate revenues, we museums is available on a regular basis. Although we are a cultural institution and not a business, and we are a library, we are not part of the public library cannot survive nor do we want to survive by making network comprising 25 establishments in the city, and profit the goal of our activities. not eligible for a share of the city’s 23 million dollars budget for libraries. We have artefacts and hold With unflagging determination, the Society has exhibitions, but we are not officially classified as a independently provided faithful service to the Quebec museum either, so we have no access to the provincial City community for over 187 years. In 13 short years, government funding for museums such as le Musée des we will be celebrating our 200th anniversary. This is a Beaux Arts, le Musée de la civilisation, le Musée de remarkable achievement and one for which we must all l’Amérique française and the other 14 museums and 6 be very proud. In order to secure the future and to interpretation centres presently operating in the city. allow the organization to continue serving its community, we must be successful in obtaining a During a remarkably successful major fundraising sustained source of public funding while retaining the campaign over the past few years, we were able to character and independence of the Society. gather over five million dollars in contributions and commitments from both private and public sources. We In these circumstances the strategic plan that we are invested a portion of these sums in endowments which working on will identify a path for us to follow into the will ensure long-term revenues for the future. The future, a path providing security and a vision for the provincial and particularly the federal government long-term. contributed project funding in response to our campaign and ongoing grant applications. Project funding Thank you for your continued support. on its own, however, does not enable us to cover the cost of the basic operations of the Morrin Centre. THE LIBRARY IS YOURS... BE PART OF IT! Read any good books lately? If so, fill out one of the slips you’ll find in the library, write your name on it, and add the book to our recom- mendations shelves. PAGE 1 SOCIETY PAGES FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It was good to see so many of you at the Annual Gen- We have also been very busy on the cultural activities eral Meeting on March 28th. Thank you for taking the side. Here is a quick list of what we have done: Imagi- time to attend. Nation Writer’s festival (presenting 13 authors over five days), the Celtic festival, the Literary Feast, Arts Mat- As I reported to you last year, we needed an additional ters events (one with the Conservatoire de Musique, 5 one million dollars to finish the building restoration. I with the OSQ and 4 with the Violon du Roy), four con- am pleased to announce that we received the funds certs in the Songwriter’s Circle, various book launches necessary for completion thanks to our provincial part- (Louise Penny, Aurian Haller, Ray Baillee, Alexander ners the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications Reeford, Earl John Chapman and Ian McPherson et de la Condition féminine and McCullough), history lectures the Ministère du Tourisme; our (Steve Cameron, William Moss, federal partners, Parks Canada and Jack Little), We organised a Book Canadian Heritage, as well as the Quest over the summer to en- City of Quebec, the Office du courage young readers. Tourisme, the CLD de Québec and the Bureau de la Capitale- This year, we plan on creating ac- Nationale. Last, but certainly not tivities for seniors to expand our least, we also received major sup- library services, with possible pick- port from the Jeffrey Hale Founda- up and drop-off services in Ste-Foy tion, the R. Howard Webster at the Eastern Quebec Learning Foundation and la Maison Simons. Centre. Louisa Blair, Donald Fyson The restoration of the building is and Patrick Donovan are presently almost completed with just a few working on a book exploring the loose ends to tie up. history of our building and the different organisations that have been housed in it. The book is expected to be New hand rails have been installed on the central stair- published in the spring of 2012. cases and the staircases leading to college hall and the library. A second, higher handrail will be discreetly add- We are currently developing our guided tours, which ed behind the existing ones on the balconies in College already have obtained the position of #2 ‘Things to do’, Hall and the Library, to bring them up to conformity according to TripAdvisor, a travelers web advisory fo- with the building code. Wheel chair ramps have been rum. Here, we will need your help. During the summer, installed between College Hall and the library, so that it we will be open for tours 7 days a week and would re- should now be easy to get into the library from the ele- ally appreciate the help of volunteers at the reception vator. The exit door to the ramp has finally got a prop- desk in the entrance hall. If you have time this summer, er fixture to open and close! The entrance hall staircas- please consider volunteering at the Morrin Centre. es have been painted and new linoleum was installed. Both prison cell blocks have been restored, each in I look forward to seeing you this summer at the library their own fashion. The prison exhibition will be ready or at one of our many cultural events. to open at the beginning of the summer, along with an interpretation project on the English community. The All the best, chemistry class room has now been restored and will also be opened during the summer. The third floor Simon Jacobs meeting room and a fourth floor office have been re- stored along with the introduction room next to the kitchen. All the original wooden floors in the central staircase and the mezzanine floors in College Hall have been cleaned and oiled.