Mr. Burns is a retired Canadian Forces Veteran. He sits on the National Board of the Navy League of Canada assisting the Manitoba and Northwest Ontario Division with fundraising projects and media relations. As a professional broadcaster, Mr. Burns has volunteered to serve as master of ceremonies at events for cadets, reserve forces, Remembrance Day and other commemorative activities. He served as a board member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Mr. Burns was the executive director of the "Pillows for Troops" Foundation, which sent 8,000 travel pillows to Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan. In 2006, Mr. Burns was dispatched to Afghanistan where he provided live broadcast reports on the good work Canada’s troops were doing. He was subsequently nominated for the Ross Munroe Media Award from the Canadian Defence Association for his positive broadcasting. Mr. Burns is an active member of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada and is currently the President of the Royal Military Institute of Manitoba. He is also a governor of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, which provides meaningful employment to Veterans. In 2010, Mr. Burns was presented with a Canadian Lifesaving Award for saving a drowning person in Falcon Lake.