Noted philanthopist Morton Brownstein dies

Businessman and philanthropist Morton Brownstein died Thursday, at his home, at the age of 85.

He had been suffering from kidney cancer and his health had declined ever since undergoing surgery in December.

Brownstein was the heir to the a family-run business, Brown's Shoes, founded in Montreal in 1940. The company is currently run by his son, Michael, and has 40 outlets across Canada.

His contributions to numerous charity works, particularly to the Jewish General Hospital, were well known.

In the political world Brownstein's name became known in the 1980s when he launched a legal battle against Quebec's signage laws that went all the way to the the Supreme Court. He then became a key supporter of the now-defunct Equality Party.

He also frequently spoke in support of Israel.

Brownstein, who was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2005, is survived by his widow, Bernice, along with three children and five grandchildren. His funeral will be held Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Shaar Hashomayim synagogue in Westmount.

With a file from The Canadian Press