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A community kitchen at a London YMCA now bears the name of a late London developer who lived at the Y after he arrived in London from Europe with nearly empty pockets in 1952.
The Bierbaum Family Community Kitchen at the StarTech.com community centre, YMCA and library on Southdale Road celebrates the life and legacy of Ewald Josef Bierbaum, the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario announced Wednesday.
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“Today, we are honoured to give back to the community that supported him, ensuring that newcomer children have the same opportunities for growth and connection that my father had,” said Bernie Bierbaum in a news release.
Ewald Bierbaum, who died in 2017 at the age of 85, co-founded Esam, the company that developed the Cherryhill residential retail complex. He also founded construction giant Old Oak Properties that spun off Bluestone and Summit Properties. His children and grandchildren are involved in the companies.
The community kitchen holds programs for children and adults and serves as a community hub.
The family declined to provide details about the donation, but it will also provide newcomer children with access to YMCA Camp Queen Elizabeth and YMCA Camp Henry.
“It’s one of the really great places where kids can develop skills, and not a lot of kids have access to it, because of financial barriers,” said Elyse Sheare, YMCA spokesperson. “It’s our mission to help people to have access to programs like that, so this will absolutely be 100 per cent allocated toward helping kids like that, and we’ve got so many of them that we know will be happy to participate.”
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Bierbaum was born in Paderborn, Germany, in 1932 and worked as a mason. He emigrated to London in 1952 and arrived with his tools and $20. He built his first project in 1955, two duplexes on Springbank Drive, and sent money back to Germany to his future wife Ilse.
A decade after the Second World War, Bierbaum started a partnership with Sam Katz, a Jewish immigrant and Holocaust survivor. In 1957 they created Esam Group. Bierbaum was the builder and kept a low profile. Katz was the front man and “people person,” becoming the unofficial “mayor of Cherryhill.”
“This dedication is a testament to Ewald Bierbaum’s incredible legacy,” said Andrew Lockie, chief executive of YMCA of Southwestern Ontario. “His story is one of perseverance and giving back. The Bierbaum Family Community Kitchen will continue his legacy by supporting the next generation of newcomers, ensuring they feel as welcomed and supported as Ewald once did.”
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