In Memory of Carl David Burlock
Carl David Burlock, 60, of Ottawa, Ontario, died peacefully at the Bruyère Health Saint-Vincent Hospital on February 26, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife, son, and daughter. Carl was born in Chicoutimi, Quebec, and grew up in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia. Carl received a master’s in business administration from Dalhousie University and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Dalhousie University/Technical University of Nova Scotia. He completed the advanced management program at Columbia University.
Carl began his career as an engineer at Nova Scotia Power in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He and his family moved to Ottawa, Ontario, in 1997 where he worked at Export Development Canada (EDC) for the remainder of his career. Over the years at EDC, he worked in a number of executive leadership roles and was known for his generous mentorship.
Carl’s personal interests included a love for music, playing piano, and enjoying nature and wildlife. An east-coaster at heart, he enjoyed frequent trips back to Nova Scotia.
Carl’s greatest pride in his life was his family. He is survived by his wife, Glenda (nee Macdonald), of almost 38 years; their two children, Laura (Calgary, Alberta) and Christopher (Ottawa, Ontario); his parents Rodney and Danièle (Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia); his sister Christine (Summerside, PEI); and his brother Patrick (Campbellton, New Brunswick).
Friends and family are invited to join an open reception on Thursday, March 5th, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at Heritage Funeral Complex (1250 Trim Rd, Orleans, Ontario).
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada or the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Went to school with Carl in Port Hawkesbury. My since condolences to family and friends
My deepest condoleances to families affected with the loss of Carl…..my thoughts and prayers are with you all….
Carl l was the remarkable product of a remarkable family and not surprisingly. He did remarkable things. Sad loss for his family, but also for anyone who values individuals of character and compassion and commitment to community.. it’s a terrible loss and I want to express my deep condolences to Carl’s family and friends. His dad is taking me back to our times as young people in Port Hawkesbury and my memories of absolutely fabulous human being and a fabulous family that made enormous contributions to the community and those around them. As painful as this loss is the remembrance of this man of character and kindness should give us all a pause because today we need those type of individuals and that inspiration more than ever.
Royden Trainor
Our hearts go out to you during this difficult time. We are deeply sorry for your loss.
May the memories of Carl bring you all comfort in the days ahead.
Que ces quelques mots vous apportent un peu de réconfort. Avec toute nos affections.
Carl led our team many years ago, and remained a dear friend through so many changes in my life and his. We send pur love and prayers to all his family. He will be missed deeply.
Our sincere condolences at this very sad time in your lives To Rod and Danielle, to Carls family as well as to Christine and Patrick. We share your pain. Please be assured of our prayers and may God be with you all
Dear Glenda, Laura, Chris and family,
My deepest condolences to you all. Carl was a great friend and we shared many ups and downs together as we went through classes at TUNS and Dal, especially when we delayed our trips home from class by grabbing a few beverages after suffering through a mid-term test or assignment. I always enjoyed catching up with him at our lunches since then and while he enjoyed incredible success in his career, he was always happiest and proudest when he talked about his family. I will always smile when I hear Elvis music and will be reminded of Carl.
To all Carl’s family
Our sincerest sympathy at this time. I worked with Carl’s father Rod at the Pulp Mill and we know his parents well. RIP
Carolyn and Joe Janega💔
Words cannot properly express my deepest condolences to Carl’s loved ones. I was so saddened to hear about his passing.
He will always be one of my favourite leaders at EDC, and thankful that I got the opportunity to have him as my direct leader and in other roles. I will always remember his ability to find some humour, even during the challenging times (at work).
My heartfelt condolences to his family.
My deepest condolences to Carl’s family and friends. I worked with Carl at EDC where he was indeed a generous mentor. He had a lot of patience and took his time to teach and explain things to me when I changed roles. He was committed to the work the Cleantech Team did at EDC and it was a pleasure to work with him when he participated in conferences and interviews. He had a soft sense of humour and takes on things that were insightful and funny. Carl was a great role model for all employees and modeled what thoughtful leadership looked like. He was an incredibly smart person whose intelligence was matched by his niceness.
My deepest condolences to the Burlock family. I have so many wonderful memories of working with Carl at EDC.
Glenda, Laura, Christopher, Danièle and Rodney: please accept my most heart felt condolences on your tragic loss.
Carl was my colleague and friend during a 20-year career at EDC, where we worked closely together through some challenging business and personal situations.
He spoke of all of you – often. And through the stories he shared of his family it was obvious he loved you all deeply. From his reminiscing of meeting Glenda at school, and his dreams for retirement together in a quiet spot on the Nova Scotia coast, to tales of family trips to Disney where cost-conscious Carl would seek out the most reasonably priced accommodations, to his pride as Laura and Christopher grew up, tackled their studies and built their own lives, to his trip to visit Rodney and Danièle for some encouragement and home cooking as he navigated the interview process for his first Executive-level role — you were the reason for his existence, the source of his joy and the inspiration that kept him going in tough times.
Carl was one of the most thoughtful and generous people I have ever had the privilege of working with. And I am so grateful to have known him.
The loss of Carl at such a young age is truly tragic. I mourn for each of you, and for his unfulfilled dreams.
May you be comforted in the undying love he felt for each of you, and his tremendous impact on others – all of which will continue to live on.
Glenda, Laura, Christopher and family …
Sincere sympathies and deepest condolences for the passing of Carl. Dating back and having known Carl since his start with EDC, Carl was always a terrific colleague and an excellent leader.
Wishing you all a degree of comfort during this difficult time of grief. May he rest in peace.
Sincere condolences to family and friends.
His compassion, kindness, calmness and love for Canada made him one of EDC’s greatest leaders in my time at EDC. His friendly hellos and witty banter will be missed in the hallways of EDC’s offices. The impact he has had on countless employees is remarkable. A true gentleman. My sympathies to the Burlock family. Rest in peace, Carl.
Nous venons de perdre l’un de nos cousins les plus gentil, drôle, brillant. Enfants nous avons passé des vacances d’été et de Noël délicieuses et inoubliables avec Carl, son frère Patrick, sa sœur Christine ainsi que ses parents tante Danièle et oncle Rod que nous aimons profondément. Nos parents Simone (sœur de Danièle) et Gervais, présents dans nos cœurs désormais, auraient été certainement à vos côtés. Nous avons aussi une pensée pour son épouse et ses enfants.
Étant nous-mêmes dans le deuil, nous vous envoyons tout notre amour.
Que Carl repose en paix.
François, Sophie, Isabelle, Suzanne et Pierre-Richard
My condolences to Carl’s friends and family. I remember Carl as a kind, humble, generous person with a playful sense of humour and optimistic, grateful perspective on life. He had a calm reassuring presence during stressful times that made him a very effective leader. Carl was a true gentleman who made the world around him a kinder, better place, and will be missed.
Mes condoleance a toute la famille
J’ai connue Carl il y 55 ans et nous restions tous les deux a Bagotville (Saguenay) , moi sur le 3ieme rue. Je ne l’ai jamais revu par la suite.
Je conserve un bon et lointoin souvenir.
Cordialement
Michel Pare
Mes condoleance a toute la famille
J’ai connue Carl il y 55 ans et nous restions tous les deux a Bagotville (Saguenay) , moi sur le 3ieme rue. Je ne l’ai jamais revu par la suite.
Je conserve un bon et lointoin souvenir.
Cordialement
Michel Pare
I am sorry to hear of this ….my condolences to the family ….I knew Carl when I worked at EDC and respected him for the person he was ….
This is one of the events which tears at my heart as I grow older .
Glenda,
We are deeply saddened to learn of Carl’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Chris and Laura.
Dear Burlock family,
The Port Hawkesbury swim team was very saddened to hear of Carl’s passing. He was instrumental in getting the swim team up and running many years ago. Since that time many young swimmers have had the opportunity to have a safe space to swim. We remember his vision and dedication. Please know that as a swim team family we are sending along sincere condolences and holding you in our prayers.
Karen MacKinnon
Swim Team President
Rod, Danièle , Christine, Patrick and all of Carl’s family. Please accept our sincere condolences on the passing of Carl. May all the happy memories you have bring you some comfort at this difficult time.
We are so very sorry to hear of this very sad news. Our sincere condolences to all the family, may the many happy memories help you through this most difficult time.
Sincerely Carolyn and Russell Langley. Port Hawkesbury NS.
Carl was one of the first people at EDC I told that I was expecting my first child. I will never forget the way in which he responded, and spoke about his personal joys of parenting and the advice he gave me in cherishing every moment along the way. Carl was always kind and generous with his time. I spent time with Carl early in my career and he immediately encouraged and supported me in my work. Working with Carl was tremendously rewarding and empowering and he’s left in indelible impression on me. His kindness and thoughtfulness will sincerely be missed. I pass along my deepest condolences to his entire family and especially his kids, who he spoke so highly of every time he was asked.
Danille, Rod and family
Our deepest sympathies on Carl’s passing. It is always most difficult to lose a “child”.
Yes even at 60 he is still your child.
We will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely
Marie & Gerard
Sincere condolences to family and friends, I met Carl when we were together at EDC, he was completely devoted to his work, it’s a big loss,
Shocked and saddend to learn of Carl’s passing. While I haven’t seen Carl in many years, I still clearly remember the impact he had on young swimmers at the Port Hawekesbury pool. From a young age, he was a role model and exemplified community involvement and volunteerism. My deepest condolences to all of Carl’s family.
Carl was a gem, a rare leader and a true one of a kind. I had the privilege of working with him on and off over the years and each time I learned something new about him…and myself. He left a tremendous legacy and his mark on EDC and we are a better organization because of him. My deepest condolences to his family. Carl – merci mon ami, you will be deeply missed but fondly remembered.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of a truly exceptional leader and person.
I had the privilege of working with Carl for a number of years, and I will always be grateful for the support, encouragement, and trust he showed me throughout that time. He was not only a genuine and thoughtful leader, but also someone who carried himself with integrity, kindness, and quiet strength. His leadership left a lasting impression on many of us who had the opportunity to work alongside him.
I will never forget the meaningful work we accomplished together—supporting our clients and building strong teams that cared deeply about what they did. He had a way of bringing out the best in people and creating an environment where collaboration, respect, and purpose truly mattered.
Beyond his professional impact, I always admired the deep love he had for his family and how proudly he spoke of them. It was clear they were at the center of his life.
My sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be remembered with great respect and appreciation, and his influence will not be forgotten.
My deepest sympathies to the Burlock family. I was fortunate to have worked with Carl early in my career. He was so genuine, honest and encouraging. He will be missed.
Very sorry to hear of Carl’s passing and my sincerest condolences to his family and friends. A wonderful person who I had the pleasure of working with at EDC. Rest in peace Carl.
To all of Carl’s family, especially his parents, Rod and Danielle, who are our neighbours.
Our Sincere condolences and prayers❤️🙏
You have my condolences, gone way to soon.
I’m deeply sorry for your loss. Thinking of all of you and sending my heartfelt condolences. May the love you share help carry you through this difficult time.
Anne and I are so sorry to hear about Carl’s passing. Sincere condolences to Glenda, Laura, and Christopher. I met Carl in the first few days at Dalhousie – we were both in engineering and both in Bronson House, then off to TUNS for Mech Eng. and many shared classes and a few beer glasses. I recall several Sunday afternoons at his place, we started doing assignments but naturally switched to listening to and discussing great music instead. No bigger Elvis fan than Carl. Even when we would catch up occasionally over the years, we always ended up on the subject of Elvis’ comeback show,
Thinking of Carls family today. Shocking news. I think fondly of past days as classmates in Charlies english. Carl then was a bright, soft spoken fellow with a great sense of humour. The nicest kind of guy. I always knew Carl would have successes in life, more heartening to know, through the other posts that his greatest pride was his family. A very good man is gone too soon.
I was so saddened to hear about Carl’s passing. Growing up, I spent so much time at the Burlock home that it truly felt like a second home to me. They always welcomed me so warmly and made me feel like part of the family.
Carl always treated me like a little sister—there was plenty of teasing, as there should be—but beneath that was a genuinely kind, sympathetic, and caring person. I will always remember that side of him.
My thoughts are with the entire Burlock family, and also with Glenda, Laura, and Christopher during this difficult time. Sending heartfelt condolences and keeping you all in my thoughts.
We were very sorry to hear of Carl’s passing. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Glenda, Chris and Laura and extended family.
I was deeply grateful to have known Carl and to have learned from him. Over the years, he had a profound impact on me, both professionally through his wisdom and leadership and personally through his kindness, calm strength, and unwavering integrity. Carl led with generosity and grace, and in doing so, he shaped the people around him in lasting ways.
He showed what it truly means to lead: with humility, resilience, and genuine care for others. I am proud to have been guided by him and thankful for every conversation, every moment of encouragement, and every lesson he shared. Though he is no longer with us, his influence endures through the many lives he touched, and I will carry his example with me always.