When asked about Burns Dunbar, Burton Russell described him as follows: “From 1923 to 1931 inclusive, the Westville Senior Baseball Team was one of the best in the Maritimes, being serious challengers to the Springhill Fencebusters as the best baseball team in Nova Scotia. In 1924, 1925, and 1931 the Westville coal-mining town won the provincial senior title, and in 1926 they were also the Maritime Champions. The heart of those great Westville teams was Burns Dunbar, one of the fastest and most skilled base runners ever to grace the provincial diamonds. Springhill legend Ackie Allbon rated Burns as “big league all the way.”

Burns Dunbar was a great lead-off man and in 1926 he played outstanding baseball as the Westville team defeated Springhill and Charlottetown to emerge as tri-provincial champions. That team included the incomparable Burns Dunbar, his brother Johnny, Dan McMillan, Bill McIsaac, and pitchers Alex Marshall and “Red” McLeod. In 1932 the Springhill Record selected a provincial all-star team naming Dunbar in the midst of other legends like Hank O’Rourke, Ackie Allbon, Stu McLeod, Jack Fraser, Mellish Lane, “Copie” LeBlanc, and Vince Ferguson.

In summary, “experts” agree that Burns Dunbar was one of the finest baseballers ever to play in Nova Scotia.