Burlington cookie magnate Harry Voortman passes away at age 88
Published April 27, 2022 at 3:41 pm
The last of three Burlington cookie-making brothers, Harry Voortman, passed away earlier this month.
Voortman was 88 when he passed away and, along with his brothers Bill and John, made Voortman Cookies a household name, across Canada and around the world.
The humble beginning for the Dutch immigrants was selling their cookies door-to-door in their Hamilton neighbourhood.
By 2015, the enterprise had grown to selling $100M worth of cookies in 80 countries.
In 2005, Harry was the first person inducted into the Burlington Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Burlington Economic Development Corp. Hall of Fame and the Halton Business Hall of Fame.
The Voortmans moved their cookie plant to Burlington in 1956, finally settling on a North Service Rd. location near Appleby Line.
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Voortman is survived by his children Brenda, Ed, Lynn, Robert and Adrian, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His wife Anne died on March 23 at age 85. He was predeceased by brothers John, Bill and Johann.
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