The Royal Canadian Military Institute in 1935

The Royal Canadian Military Institute has its origins on January 30, 1890, in a small meeting of Militia Officers in Rossin House, a family hotel at York Street and King Street West (which was halfway between the Legislature and Yonge Street).

The meeting took place at the behest of Lieutenant-Colonel William Otter, Deputy Adjutant General for Military District No. 2. LCol Otter understood that the Militia had to be transformed if it was to serve as the front-line defence for Canada. Rather than annual drills and band concerts, the Militia had to know about war, tactics, strategy and the changes that would soon make a modern battlefield unrecognizable to soldiers shaped by the images of Waterloo and the Crimea. Fifty militia officers from Otter's garrison attended this meeting, with every unit represented.

The foundation for this meeting took place two weeks prior, on January 14th, when Otter summoned his officers to begin talking about the formation of a military institute of some kind in Canada. Precedents were available. In 1831, the Duke of Wellington founded the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), which was the oldest institute of its kind. In 1878, American officers had formed the Military Service Institute of the United States. In New South Wales, Australian officers had also launched a military institute.

Gen Sir William Otter - Founding President of the RCMI

 The Library of the incipient Institute would benefit from 200 books from the defunct Militia Institute. Publication exchanges with the Militia Department and counterpart Institutes in the Empire and the United States were soon initiated. The War Office was eventually persuaded to send copies of its publications and maps.

Selected Papers were published, which would have articles on a variety of subjects, such as "A Co-operative System for Defence of the Empire," "Military Geography of Canada," by Lieutenant Arthur Wagner, and the valuable series of lectures and papers by Col E. Cruickshank on "The Services of the Canadian Regiments in the War of 1812." A robust speakers programme was also initiated, and would later feature such talks as "Modern Machines and Weapons of Land Warfare," by Major-General A. G. L. McNaughton, "The Opening Phases of World War III" by Major Stuart Armour, and "The Effects of Science on Future Wars" by Dr. Omond Solandt of the Defence Research Board.

For over a century, the Royal Canadian Military Institute has focused on "the Promotion and Fostering of Military Art, Science and Literature" in Canada. Most recently, under the leadership of the Defence Studies Committee and its Chair, Col (Retd) Brian MacDonald, the Institute has benefited from a reinvigorated publications and speakers programme. This should come as no surprise. As pointed out by Desmond Morton and Ken Bell, "Changing times have altered the means, from the early lectures on artillery tactics and battlefield administration, to the modern promotion of strategic studies and public education on Canada's defence needs and policies."