Burton MacIntyre proudly shows of his new X ring he received at a lunch during Whycocomagh’s Winterlude. (Photo credit: MaryBeth Ferguson)
-by Beverley Phillips
Burton MacIntyre has given so much to his community that his community decided they needed to give something back. At the closing luncheon of the Whycocomagh Winterlude festival, they surprised him with an X ring, replacing the one he lost years earlier.
St. F.X. graduates are proud of the distinctive ring they get during their graduation year, and MacIntyre was no different.
But his story of earning his ring isn’t the story most can tell. He was late to begin his university career. He quit school in grade 12, after his father died, to run his father’s store and help his mother take care of his younger siblings, Ethel and Warren. He moved on from there and got a job at the pulp mill in Point Tupper. After a few years there, he went back to school for his grade 12, and he kept working all the while.
He then went to St. F.X. for his Bachelor of Arts, studying by day and working the back shift at the pulp mill by night. He earned his degree, followed by his education degree, the next year.
And while he worked hard those years, he always had time for friends and a good time. Steve MacDonald spoke about meeting MacIntyre in the line of the cafeteria in Morrison Hall on the first day of classes. MacDonald is from Washabuck, and they had a mutual friend. Once they made the connection, they have been friends ever since.
It’s MacIntyre’s ability to connect with people that motivated a group of former students and others who had volunteered with him to start fundraising to replace the lost X ring.
On August 23rd, a group chat began plotting on how to fundraise without him discovering their plan. “We did a lot of sneaking around,” said Nancy Turnbill. “Burton even came to one of our fundraisers.” They even managed to trick him into sizing the ring.
To make sure he attended the luncheon, they asked him to speak on the value of volunteering for one’s community. So before the ceremony, he gave a short talk noting that it would soon be festival season again, and they need more young people to volunteer. But, he encouraged everyone, no matter what community they lived in, to not just watch community events from the sidelines, but get involved, and “Be part of it.”
MacIntyre never shied away from being part of it. MacDonald outlined a few of the things he has done for the community, including initiating the rink, the summer festival, and being one of the founding members of the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Association. He has also demonstrated a lifetime commitment to volunteerism.
Turnbill put the ring on MacIntyre’s finger. “Thank you all so very much,” he said. He told a few stories, including one of “not” catching a group of girls skipping school one day, though of course he knew, and extended them grace, “to not ruin a good skip.”
He was clearly grateful for all that was done to make this happen and extended grace once again. “This is really awesome. You have no idea. Thank you, and I forgive you for setting me up.”
Speaking to MacIntyre the next day, he said he was completely surprised. He had no idea something was up, and once again expressed his gratitude for what everyone did. “It was a good afternoon,” he said. “I talked to a lot of people. And I had messages from all over, even from Denmark!”
He has no big plans for the summer, but will keep doing what he has long been doing, lifting weights at the gym, having laughs with friends, square dancing, of course, and being part of it.