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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2024) - Hockey legend Brian Burke is to be honoured with the title of Grand Marshal of Toronto's St. Patrick Parade for 2024.
The parade will take place on Sunday, March 17th, beginning at 12pm.
Burke has enjoyed a wide and varied hockey career, both on and off the ice. He played college hockey for the Providence Friars, and the following year he turned pro, winning a Calder Cup with the AHL's Maine Mariners.
Feeling he had achieved all he could as a player, Burke hung up his skates to attend Harvard Law School.
Burke worked as a player agent after completing his law degree. He would go on to hold senior roles with six NHL teams and in the league office. Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs will recall his tenure as team President and General Manager.
He now serves as Executive Director of the Professional Women's Hockey League Players Association.
He is also proud of his Irish heritage, as his mother's relatives hailed from Roscommon, while he has Mayo roots on his father's side. This Irish heritage will be honoured at Toronto's St. Patrick Parade.
Toronto's St. Patrick's Parade is one of the largest community events in the city and is the largest celebration of Irish culture anywhere in Canada.
St. Patrick's Parade in Toronto has grown into a major event in North America. That growth can be attested to the large number of volunteers who dedicate an immense amount of time each year.
Over 5,000 participants march the parade route each year, and hundreds of thousands more line the streets to watch the festivities.
The parade will take a new route in 2024 due to construction of the new Ontario line on Queen Street West. It will begin as usual at the corner of St. George and Bloor Street West at 12 pm and proceed down Yonge Street, and this year finish at a review stand at Yonge and Dundas Square.
Brian Burke, Grand Marshal of the Toronto St. Patrick's Parade, said:
"I am immensely honoured to be named Grand Marshal of Toronto's St. Patrick's Parade and to have the opportunity to celebrate my Irish heritage.
"Irish people have played an important role in helping build Canada, and this parade is a celebration of those achievements."
Shaun Ruddy, Chairperson of the St. Patrick's Parade Society of Toronto, said:
"The parade is not only a celebration of Irish heritage and culture but also a great opportunity to promote the city of Toronto and its diversity.
"It's not just a great opportunity to enjoy a fun day out with the family, but it also provides an opportunity for people to learn about Irish culture and history.
"The parade also features a variety of community groups, schools and cultural organizations, highlighting the city's diversity."
For more information, please contact:
Shaun Ruddy,
Chair of St Patrick's Parade Society of Toronto,
[email protected]
416-996-8790
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/196973
