The Town of Burlington is grieving the loss of long-time mayor, George Kelly. He passed away yesterday after a short illness.
A mayor and councilor for 26 years, the town says Kelly was a strong advocate for Burlington in every way.
Current Mayor Rudy Norman says when it came to passion and dedication to seeing the community grow and prosper, nobody compared to George Kelly.
In the mid-1990s Burlington, like many communities in the wake of an economic downturn brought on by things like the cod moratorium and a downturn in the forest industry, was facing many challenges when Kelly took over in 1995.
The town was nearly bankrupt at the time but Mayor Norman says Kelly quickly turned things around and has become a thriving, prosperous community with a growing tourism industry and a bright future.
Flags will be flying at half-mast over the next few days.