Hundreds of mourners pay their respects to Halifax philanthropist

HALIFAX – Hundreds of people attended a funeral Friday for Ruth Goldbloom on Halifax’s waterfront, a short walk away from the immigration shed that she helped turn into a national museum.

Goldbloom died Wednesday at the age of 88.

Born Ruth Schwartz in New Waterford, N.S., Goldbloom was a committed community leader and philanthropist who was known for her tireless work on behalf of several organizations.

Bestowed with six honorary degrees, Goldbloom also served on several boards. She was chairwoman of the board of Mount Saint Vincent University and was the first chairwoman of the annual United Way campaign in 1989.

She also gained recognition for her prolific fundraising efforts for the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, where her husband of 66 years, Richard Goldbloom, served as the chief of pediatrics for many years.

But it’s her work to establish Pier 21 as a national immigration museum that is likely her most lasting legacy.

Goldbloom was the driving force behind the campaign to turn what was a derelict shed on the Halifax waterfront into a lasting tribute to the one million immigrants who passed through its doors between 1928 and 1971.

After persistent lobbying she succeeded in co-founding the Pier 21 Society in 1990. Her efforts paid off in 2010 when Pier 21 was recognized as a museum by the federal government. Goldbloom was named the museum’s director.

Among the mourners attending her funeral at the Cunard Centre were Liberal Leader Bob Rae, former Nova Scotia premier Gerald Regan, Nova Scotia Lt.-Gov. James Grant and the leaders of the province’s two opposition parties.

Rabi Ari Eisenberg officiated the service and remarked on the diversity of the mourners who gathered to remember Goldbloom.

“We may seem like a disparate group but Ruth was the one that reminded us that as citizens of society, we are all responsible for one another,” Eisenberg said.

Goldbloom was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 1992 and was later promoted to officer within the Order of Canada in April 2000.

The citation recognized her work as chancellor of the Technical University of Nova Scotia and in establishing Pier 21.

“Through her efforts, it was transformed from a humble gateway into a national symbol of hope for thousands of new Canadians,” the citation reads.

Goldbloom also received the Order of Nova Scotia in 2008.

In a statement, Liberal MP Geoff Regan called Goldbloom an “exceptional Canadian” who dedicated much of her life to supporting arts, culture and charities.

“Ruth Goldbloom demonstrated how much difference one person can make,” said Regan, who attended the funeral. “That is quite a legacy.”

Goldbloom and her husband had three children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.