By Staff
February 10TH, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward issued the following statement on behalf of city council on the death of Pasquale Paletta:
“I and many residents of Burlington are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Pasquale Paletta. Our condolences go out to Pasquale’s family.
Pasquale Paletta
Pat, as he was affectionately known, donated generously to health care organizations which has greatly benefited all our residents. The City of Burlington has also been a recipient of his family’s generosity through numerous contributions including an addition at Carpenter Hospice, Tansley Woods Community Centre and a contribution to Paletta Mansion allowing the early twentieth century mansion to remain in public hands.
Pat’s many business interests through his hard work, perseverance and vision, have all contributed to the growth and prosperity of Burlington. His incredible legacy as a self-made businessman will continue to carry on now through his family.
Mr. Paletta has left us a great legacy that will last for years to come.”
The legacy is undoubtedly impressive – what is even more impressive was the relationship between the sons and “Pat”. In the lobby of the head office, before it was severely damaged by a fire, there hung a picture of Pat, which Angelo explained to an audience once, was their Mona Lisa – “we genuflected every time we came into the building”.
Everything the boys learned when they were young, was at the hands of their father. He was the one who made the decisions on which properties to buy, he was the one who created the strategy and took the risks.
The skills the boys have and the business acumen they developed came from a father who came to this country with very little and grew it. He prospered and gave back to the city that was home to him.
From an obituary we learn that in 1953 Pat purchased his first animal which was the beginning of the empire. In 1954, Pat, his father and brothers built their first meat packing plant in Hannon. In 1964 they purchased property at Appleby Line and QEW in Burlington and opened a federally inspected meat packing plant.
By 1983 he built the business to become the largest private meat packer in Eastern Canada. In the early 1970s Pat vertically integrated into livestock production by starting a beef feedlot and crop production to supply livestock to the meat packing plant, becoming the largest feedlot in Ontario. He also fed cattle in Western Canada and US.
In 1967 Pat started the real estate division which has prospered to owning lands across Ontario and becoming the largest land holder and developer in the Region of Halton and City of Hamilton combined.
Funeral Mass on Monday, February 11th at 10:30 a.m. at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, 2016 Blairholm Ave., Burlington. Interment at Our Lady of Victory Mausoleum in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Pasquale Paletta was 87.
the fire remains unsolved