Picture courtesy of Canadian Dictionary of Biography
in the cemetery behind Precious Blood Church
Commemoration
Bergin was born in York (Toronto) and received his medical degree from McGill College in Montreal. He practised medicine in Cornwall, where he also assisted at a local typhus hospital. He later worked with the Mohawks of Akwesasne during a devastating smallpox outbreak. Bergin was elected Member of Parliament in 1872. He was a passionate and early advocate for rural affairs, public health and social justice. His innovative efforts and political appeals to improve workplace conditions and reduce the hours of work for women and children influenced future successful labour reform in Canada. A lifelong supporter of the militia, he was the first commanding officer of the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion. In 1885, he became Canada's first Surgeon General, laying the groundwork for the creation of a permanent medical corps. A promoter of local industry, he played an important role in the expansion of the Cornwall Canal and founded the Ontario Pacific Railway. After his death, Bergin was honoured with one of the largest public funerals ever held in Eastern Ontario.
Background
Darby Bergin was born on September 7, 1826, son of an Irish immigrant. He was active in many areas of the community. In 1878, he opposed the Canada Temperance Act believing that it did more harm than good. He died in Cornwall in 1896.
The Ontario Pacific Railway was never built during his lifetime. It did come into being after his death as the Ottawa & New York Railway.
Not of Loyalist stock, we see that immigration, especially from the British Isles, contributed to the colony and later the nation.