Martin BurrellPC (19 October 1858 – 20 March 1938) was a Canadian politician.
Born in Faringdon, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), Burrell emigrated to Canada as a young man, where he eventually became a fruit grower on a farm about two miles east of Grand Forks, British Columbia. His farm was the largest apple tree nursery in the province.
Burrell served as the Minister of Agriculture in the Borden government from 1911 to 1917, and from 1917 to 1919, as Secretary of State of Canada and Minister of Mines. From 1919 to 1920, he was the Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue. He also helped secure the departure of the Komagata Maru, against those mistreating the passengers and prolonging the departure date.[citation needed]
A fire damaged the Parliament Buildings in 1917, and Burrell was badly injured in it. From that time he filled the position of librarian for the Library of Parliament. After leaving politics, he remained in Ottawa and kept the position of Parliamentary Librarian until his death in 1938. He is buried in Beechwood Cemetery.[citation needed]
1The department was eliminated in 1993 when the government was reorganized. The position of Secretary of State for Canada was not legally eliminated until 1996 when its remaining responsibilities were assigned to other cabinet positions and departments, particularly the newly created position of Minister of Canadian Heritage.
