PROFILE
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Former teacher ignited passion for learning By Lisa Etherington-Runions
stronger golf player and curler,” he quips with a smile. One of Bergeron’s most enjoyable learn- ing experiences was writing a book called “Hamilton Island A Pleasure Ground.” This book is a history of Hamilton Island and in- cluded a personal history of all the cottag- ers. “When you research a book you have the pleasure of talking to a variety of people. I learned a lot and found this to be very inter- esting,” Bergeron said. History has always captured Bergeron’s interest, and as a history specialist during his teaching career, he enjoyed Ancient Greek and Roman history. “If it were pos- sible, I would like to go back to the time of Alexander the Great and spend time with him in his expansion of the empire. This era intrigues me.” Bergeron is also fascinated by Canadian
W.B. Yeats once wrote: “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.” For over 33 years Lynn Charles Bergeron, a local high school educator, has kept the fire ignited for many students, and recalls with pride how meaningful his career was. “I became a teach-
er because I wanted to teach young peo- ple, high school stu- dents about values and that they did have a positive role in society. I really admire elementary school teachers, but I could not do the work that they do.” “The hardest part of the profes-
Many students have come back and thanked me for opening their minds.
political history, and would have loved to have had the op- portunity to have met Pierre Trudeau. “I think he was the man that kept Cana- da alive as a country (during the FLQ cri- sis) in a very trying time in our history,” explains Bergeron. As a retired educa- tor, and researcher
“Success is having a good life, peace of mind, friends and family, and a little money does not hurt.”
sion was building self-confidence in my students. Once they had it, did they ever progress. Many of my past students have come back to me and thanked me for open- ing their minds. I consider this my greatest achievement.” Bergeron, born and raised in Cornwall, was inspired as a child watching his Dad perform his duties as a judge in provincial court involving young people. It affected Bergeron by making him aware of the fact that many young people were involved with the law for a variety of reasons, and in a lot of cases it was not their fault. Bergeron attended elementary school in French, and had difficulty speaking English until he enrolled in high school. He then at- tended the University of Ottawa, and came back to Cornwall to teach at Cornwall Col- legiate for over 33 years, spending time teaching history, law, and philosophy. He was also the department head for Social Studies. A father of two children, now grown, and a grandfather, Bergeron credits his wife of 47 year, Gwen, with helping him to guide
Photo Etherington-Runions
For more than 33 years Lynn Charles Bergeron, a local high school teacher, has kept the ignited a passion for learning in many students. He recalls with pride how mean- ingful his career was.
Bergeron spends his free time reading and enjoys books of historical significance as well as murder-mystery novels and such au- thors as John Grisham and James Patterson. When Bergeron reflects on his life thus far, he is very content. “I was happy with my profession and I have no regrets. When I was working I looked forward every day to go to work. In the years ahead I see myself exactly where I am, doing the things I enjoy most.” “Success is having a good life, peace of mind, friends and family, and a little money does not hurt.”
his career, and making him that person that he is today. She has had the greatest influ- ence on his life. He values his family most. Bergeron was one of the founders and served for 40 years on the board of direc- tors of the United Education Credit Union. He also served as a judge for eight years with the Ontario Teacher’s Federation. Over the years he has coached baseball and girl’s hockey, has volunteered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and has vol- unteered with the Canadian Cancer Society
for the last nine years, by organizing and cooking 2,700 half chickens for the “Relay For Life.” Bergeron has also volunteered by work- ing on the annual Santa Claus parade, and for over 25 years has been organizing Inter- national music exchanges to England for students in the community. Bergeron feels his personal strengths right now are in his dedication and involve- ment in student exchanges, “although I would also hope that I am getting to be a
Zamboni donated by Cornwall arrives in Pond Inlet Pond Inlet residents have an extra reason to be excited about the upcoming hockey season in their community. unteer in Pond Inlet. “Everyone is excited that this hockey sea- son will be that much better by having the Zamboni resurfacing the ice.”
A surplus city of Cornwall icre-resurfacer recently arrived in the northern commu- nity of 1,600 via ship, much to the delight of the community members. Tucked inside the hood of the machine were some surplus hockey bags and various pieces of equip- ment from the Ontario Hockey Academy, as well as some T-shirts from Team Cornwall. “When the Zamboni arrived, people of all ages came out to see the new addition to the community arena,” said Robert Kavana- ugh, an RCMP officer and community vol-
Cornwall city council agreed in July to do- nate the surplus ice resurfacer to Pond Inlet after receiving a request from the commu- nity, which is located on the northeastern tip of Baffin Island in the Territory of Nuna- vut. The machine was purchased in 1987, and it was originally slated to be disposed of later this year through a surplus equip- ment tender. Officials from Pond Inlet coordinated and covered all of the shipping arrangements.
Special photo
Members of the northern community of Pond Inlet pose with an ice-resurfacing ma- chine donated by the city of Cornwall.
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