We regret to advise of the death of Corporal Lorne "Bummy" Burant, CD (Ret'd) on 21 June 2023, the morning of his 90th birthday. Lorne was a veteran of the Korean War.
Lorne was born in Montreal but was raised in Wilno ON by his grandmother after age 3 when his mother died. In his teens, he worked in lumber camps in the Ottawa Valley. Lorne joined the Royal Canadian Engineers just before his 18th birthday and went on to serve the Canadian Military Engineers in a career that spanned 33 years.
Lorne enlisted for the Korean War and served with the 59th Independent Field Squadron (1953-54). He served much of the rest of his career in Chilliwack with 3 Field Squadron (1 Combat Engineer Regiment). Lorne also served in 1 Field Squadron in Petawawa, 4 Field Squadron in Germany and deployed on peacekeeping duties with the United Nations Emergency Force in Egypt.
Lorne was generally found in Support Squadron or Park Troop. He was legendary for his ability to support his unit with good living conditions in the field. His electrical, carpentry, pipe fitting and other trades skills and experience helped keep a camp operating..The tented camps for concentrations at Gagetown (for RV 81) Wainwright (for RV 83 and RV 85) and Chilcotin were notable. Lorne also supported the camps on large projects like the Nemaiah Valley Road project, the Taseko River Bridge ("Davidson Bridge") project, and the Ogilvie River Bridge project.
Lorne was forever the real-life 'MacGyver." In retirement, he was forever tinkering. He wasted·nothing. If something could be fixed, he would do whatever that took. If he thought something needed to be modified for better performance, he did that too.
A Mass. of Christian burial was held on 30 June 2023 at St. Mary's Catholic· Church in Chilliwack.
