Garden coming for late MPP Hugh O’Neil

By Lindsey Harren and Dan Taylor

TRENTON – Construction on the Hugh O’Neil Friendship Garden is officially underway in Trenton.

On a rainy Monday evening this week, a groundbreaking ceremony took place with the garden’s committee members and the O’Neil family in attendance. A reception followed at the Seasons Dufferin Centre, where the man often referred to as “Mr. Quinte” was honoured.

O’Neil, who died a year ago,  represented Quinte riding as a Liberal MPP in the Ontario legislature from 1975 to 1995. He held four cabinet portfolios in areas including industry and communications.

After he left politics, he started a small real-estate company called Fraser and O’Neil, with two offices in Trenton and Belleville employing roughly 30 people.

The garden, located near the Trent Port Marina, will be beside the existing Roy Bonisteel memorial.

Among those at the groundbreaking was O’Neil’s wife, Donna.

“He was a people person,” she told the crowd. “He liked people and took great pride in what he could do to help in his community. He was proud of his community and was forever reminding them in Toronto that Toronto was not the centre of the universe.”

She thanked those in attendance for the tribute to her late husband.

“Hugh would be so proud and so honoured. You know, there are doers and there are talkers. Fortunately, Hugh was a doer,” O’Neil said.

Duncan Armstrong, Quinte West city councillor and garden committee member, said that work will begin this week. It is expected to take three to four weeks.

The Campbell Monument Company and Modern Earthscapes Design are behind the garden. The memorial will include a pathway extension from the Roy Bonisteel Memorial along with a selection of flowers and shrubs. The garden will have a centrepiece stone with O’Neil’s picture and the caption “Come my friends and rest a while.”  Separate stone monuments will list his legacy as a family man, entrepreneur, volunteer, politician and instructor.

The garden was approved by Quinte West council early this month. It is expected to cost $60,000 and will be entirely paid for by donations from the public. So far the garden committee has raised about $35,000.

“We’re almost two-thirds there,” said John Williams, former mayor of Quinte West and committee member.

In an interview with QNet News, O’Neil’s son, David, said: “I think that it’s just not that he was a cabinet minister or member of parliament. It was more that he went out of his way to help people whenever he could.

“I think his lasting legacy is that he did so much to help other people, and he didn’t expect anything in return.”