Common Folks Remember Mirvish’s Common Touch
Posted July 13, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An emotional service marked the end of an amazing life Friday, but equally moving was the way “Honest” Ed Mirvish sparked emotional tributes for those outside who didn’t even know him.
Hundreds packed Bathurst Street outside Beth Tzedec Synagogue to pay their respects to the Toronto legend, as well as the legacy he leaves behind.
“I just wanted to teach my children a little bit about Toronto history and that he did a lot for the people of Toronto and that we really appreciated him,” said Maxine Butler, who brought her kids to the street outside the service.
Others on hand were equally emotional, including those who were personally inspired by Ed.
“I started work in his store, June 30th, 1957, the day before I turned 16,” said longtime employee John Campbell. “He was one of my heroes.”
Of course the reason Mirvish is so popular among Toronto’s ordinary citizens is simple: he was an ordinary person and a people’s hero. From giving away holiday turkeys to keeping his prices legendarily low, Mirvish was simply a generous man with a big heart. And because of his decades of generosity, his legacy will almost certainly live on for just as long. That is, at least if Friday’s ceremony was any indication. “He was one of the greatest Torontonians,” mourner Elsa Gayle stated simply. “He helped a lot of people.”
