Feds honour Atwater Library

The Atwater Library's historic significance was officially commemorated last Friday when Mayor Karin Marks, Montreal City Councillor Marie Cinq-Mars and Atwater Library president Hugh McGuire joined Senator David Angus for a plaque unveiling ceremony. "The Government of Canada is proud to recognize the work of those who dedicated themselves to the development and success of this distinguished institution," said Senator Angus.

The Atwater Library and Computer Center offers cultural, educational and social services to more than 80,000 annual users of the entire Montreal region, regardless of their municipal address. It's the oldest subscription library in Canada with 40,000 volumes and the only one in the downtown area. It also organizes programs to facilitate learning about digital technologies and hosts community groups and events. "The Atwater Library has made a tremendous contribution to the enrichment of our city," said Cinq-Mars, while Marks described the library as an oasis.

The building was designated a National Historic Site in 2005 by then Environment Minister Stéphane Dion, but had not yet received a commemorating plaque.

It was completed in 1920 in order to house the library of the Mechanics' Institute of Montreal, an international institution that seeks to provide technical training to working men and women.

Library president Hugh McGuire reminded the audience that the Institute counted Louis-Joseph Papineau and John Molson as some of its founding members.

The Atwater Library is the last Mechanics' Institute building in Canada that continues to serve its original purpose.