A new street sign honouring the contributions of Wayne and Huguette Burns to the community was unveiled in an early evening ceremony on Aug. 13. Huguette and Wayne Burns are seen (above) holding a replica of the street sign which will designate St. Lawrence Street between Main and Clarence Streets in Winchester as Burns Way. Thompson Goddard Photo
WINCHESTER – A portion of St. Lawrence Street in Winchester, stretching from Main Street to Clarence Street has been renamed Burns Way in recognition of the contributions of pharmacist and philanthropist Wayne Burns. This is the result of a grass roots movement of people in the community to honour the contributions of Wayne and Huguette over the years.
A group of close to 100 people joined Mayor Tony Fraser, Deputy Mayor Theresa Bergeron, Councillors Gary Annable, John Lennox and Matthew Uhrig at Sweet’s Corner in Winchester for a ceremony honouring Burns. Dr. David Flowers, a long-time associate and friend of the Burns family, made a short speech telling those present of the work done in a quiet manner for the community. He thanked Wayne for his contributions to both Winchester and North Dundas in his role as a pharmacist, businessman, volunteer and community builder.
Mayor Fraser, who served as emcee for the event, welcomed Wayne and Huguette as well as their family and members of the community. He noted how Wayne was the founder of Seaway Valley Pharmacy and served as an inspiration to the community of North Dundas. Fraser then announced the portion of St. Lawrence Street would be renamed to Burns Way in recognition of his contributions and as a testament to the power of doing good. The street sign was then unveiled by their son Philip and a replica street sign presented to the couple.
Wayne then spoke a few words, mentioning how “this means a lot to me and my wife” before thanking all those present, noting how it had been a privilege to serve the people of North Dundas. As he finished speaking, the crowd began to sing “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow”. This was followed by a time of fellowship wherein many people took this opportunity to visit with Wayne and Huguette.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
