Residents of Calumet and the surrounding area are mourning the loss of a community builder.

Burton “Burt” McHardy died on July 11 while traveling in Switzerland. He was 74.

For many years, McHardy owned what is now Neil’s Ultramar service station on Route 148 in Calumet. And, by all accounts, he put the service in service station, hiring local youth as employees and making sure customers were satisfied, back when Route 148 was the only highway connecting Gatineau to Argenteuil. The service station was known just as “Burt’s” locally.

“He was fun, he really cared about his business,” said Brittany Cruise, who worked for McHardy for about seven years. Her brother, Neil Cruise, now owns the service station.

Brittany Cruise remembers working seven-hour shifts at the gas station, and McHardy would work along with his student employees. He would order pizza for them as a reward for their long hours and hard work.

“He didn’t work at the business. He worked in the business,” Cruise said.

She described McHardy as always positive and a fine role model.

“He just made you smile,” she said.

McHardy’s family meant a lot to him. He and his late wife Brenda did not have children, but his 13 nieces and nephews, and many more great nieces and nephews were an important part of his life.

“Burt and Brenda didn’t have children but they treated their many nieces and nephews as if they were their own,” said one of their nephews, Josh Bates.

The service station originally belonged to Burt’s late father Kenny McHardy and sold Gulf gasoline.

“Burt would be sporting his blue coveralls and making time to chat with the customers while helping to direct the traffic,” Bates said.

McHardy enjoyed skiing, motorcycling, hiking, and golfing. He was a member of the ski safety Prevention Team at Mont-Tremblant.

“Despite being one of the oldest volunteers on the team, he earned the nickname “la machine” as there was no job Burt couldn’t do,” remarked Bates.

McHardy also left a legacy for local education. In memory of his late wife Brenda, he established the Brenda McHardy Education Award at Grenville Elementary School.

A celebration of life for Burt McHardy was held at the community centre in Grenville, on Sunday, August 13. Arrangements were entrusted to Hillcrest Funeral Home in Vankleek Hill.