Acts of kindness requested in memory of murdered Sydney businessman

The family of a man who was murdered in Sydney, N.S., in August is encouraging acts of kindness in his name.

Jim Matthews, 54, was found dead Aug. 29 in his apartment above the Prince Street Market, which he owned.

"Jim would be so thrilled to see people go out and do good things for each other," said his sister, Donna Matthews-Hicks.

"It doesn't matter, even if it's a little thing such as paying for somebody's coffee at Tim Hortons."

Matthews-Hicks said her older brother went out of his way to help people, whether it was giving free office space to a budding entrepreneur or helping deliver milk after the regular milkman got sick.

She wants people to carry on his legacy.

"Just do something nice, and as Jim would say, just do something positive in the world today."

Tradition of kindness

Matthews-Hicks said her daughter read about a white envelope campaign inspired by a woman in Atlanta who made donations and performed good deeds instead of buying gifts for her husband.

She would hang an envelope on the Christmas tree for him with a note about the gift. Their children kept up the tradition after the man died of cancer.

People are now doing the same for her brother, Matthews-Hicks said.

"A couple went out and bought some presents for a patient in the hospital in Jim's name. So in some ways it's like keeping him alive a little bit at Christmas."

The Matthews family asks that people post a note about their gift on the Facebook page White Envelopes for Jim. People can also drop off or mail their envelopes to 13 Clyde Ave., Sydney Mines.

The family intends to read the notes at a free skating party at the Emera Centre in North Sydney on Dec. 23.

A pretrial hearing for the suspect in Matthews's murder is scheduled for March 1, 21 and 22, 2018, in Sydney provincial court.

Aaron Shaun Young, 29, of New Waterford is accused of second-degree murder and robbery with violence.