July 11, 2010

Edgar Burton ‘defined what was best in Sudbury’

Founder of Christmas food drive dies

By: Rachael Punch

Edgar Burton had the members of the 2nd Battalion Irish Regiment behind him during the 2005 Greater City of Sudbury Employee and Business Food Drive.

Edgar Burton — the man who started the Business Employee Christmas Food Drive and helped it grow into the largest Christmas campaign in Canada per capita — has died.

Burton, who died Friday at Sudbury Regional Hospital, was 56. He was retired from his job in the Inco divisional shops, where he worked for more than 36 years.

Burton started the food drive 23 years ago.

“The world is a better place because of Edgar and Sudbury, in particular, is a better place because of Edgar,” said an emotional Greater Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci.

“He certainly showed his compassion and his caring for the people he served in many, many different ways, not only in the collection of food. Edgar did so much more to motivate people, to bring out the goodness in people and he challenged people to be like him — caring, compassionate and with an incredible social conscience,” Bartolucci said.

“That goes back to our early days together at St. David School when he, with his daughters, decided to come up with this wonderful idea to help those who were less fortunate.

“We will miss him in a very real way.”

The Sudbury Food Bank has decided to rename the 2010 Christmas Campaign The Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive and Kids Helping Kids.

“It was very important to him that we incorporate kids,” said Geoffrey Lougheed, chair of the Sudbury Food Bank.

Lougheed said Burton was a man who “really defined what is best in Sudbury.”

“His life has been devoted to caring and sharing,” Lougheed said.