Delino Dexter Calvin

Delino Dexter Calvin
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Delino Dexter Calvin (May 15, 1798 – 18 May 1884) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Frontenac in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1868 to 1875 and from 1877 to 1883.

He was born in Clarendon, Vermont in 1798 and moved to northern New York state in 1818 where he farmed and became involved in the lumber trade. He later moved to Clayton, New York to concentrate on lumber operations. In 1836, he became involved in the Kingston Stave Forwarding Company (later Calvin and Cook) based on Garden Island in Canada West and, in 1844, he relocated to Garden Island. The company owned several ships which transported timber from the Great Lakes to the island, where the logs were built into rafts that were floated down the Saint Lawrence to Quebec City for transportation to Britain. The company also operated as general merchants, shipbuilders and manufacturers, transported other goods and operated a tugboat service. Calvin also served as a director of the Kingston and Pembroke Railway. He became sole owner of Garden Island and looked after the small community there that mainly consisted of company workers, serving as reeve when it was incorporated as a village in 1866. Calvin enforced prohibition on the island. He was also reeve of Wolfe Island and became warden for Frontenac County in 1863. He was elected to the provincial legislature in an 1868 by-election after the death of the sitting member and served until 1875. He was elected again in 1877 after the death of Peter Graham and served until 1883. He died on Garden Island in 1884 and was buried in Clayton.

His son Hiram Augustus took over the operation of the business on his father's death and later served in the House of Commons. His daughter Minerva Edna married Nelson Gordon Bigelow who served in the Ontario legislative assembly.

The township of Calvin in Nipissing District was named after him.

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Member's parliamentary history for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Persondata
Name	Calvin, Delino Dexter
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Short description
Date of birth	May 15, 1798
Place of birth
Date of death	18 May 1884
Place of death