A Montreal West resident who lost his life on the ski slopes in northern Vermont is being remembered for his generosity and how he was always willing to lend a helping hand.
Bruce Charron, 68, died in a ski accident Sunday afternoon at Jay Peak resort, just south of the Canada-U.S. border and about 130 kilometres southeast of Montreal.
Vermont State Police said he was seriously injured after he lost a ski and crashed into trees along the edge of the trail. Emergency responders treated him at the scene, but his death was confirmed shortly after at the resort.
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The 68-year-old father and businessman leaves behind a legacy of friendship and charitable acts. In 1997, Charron and his friends created the Andy Collins for Kids Foundation in honour of a friend who passed away.
Mark Zimmerman, a childhood friend and partner at the foundation, said Charron will be sorely missed.
“He took a genuine interest in everybody and he wanted to do whatever he could do to help people out,” said Zimmerman.
“That was Bruce.”
Over the past two decades, Charron helped raise nearly $4 million for the foundation associated with the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
His death comes one day before the hospital had planned to surprise him at his house on Monday night with a special plaque in honour of his continued efforts.
“We were planning the surprise for him this evening to let Bruce know he was winning an award of excellence for community leadership and volunteer work at the Children’s,” said Valerie Frost, the director of donor relations at the Montreal Children’s Foundation.
“His wife, his kids, his friends — they were all planning the surprise with us so he was the only one who didn’t know.”
Vermont State Police say Charron’s death is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 802-334-8881.
— With files from Global’s Gloria Henriquez and The Canadian Press