101 years, 1 house: London centenarian given heritage award for care of lifelong home

Matthew Trevithick · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A London pistillate who lived successful the aforesaid location successful the city's Carling Heights neighbourhood for 101 years earlier selling it past autumn has been recognized for her agelong stewardship of the property.

Last week, Annie Biddle was presented with a commendation by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Heritage London Foundation during the 2025 London Heritage Awards astatine Museum London.

"Annie Biddle did not acceptable retired to sphere a practice building," the commendation reads, "but successful an epoch erstwhile the mean homeowner stays 5 to 7 years, she cared for a residence that, nether her stewardship, aged into a practice house, which is thing uncommon and extraordinary."

Biddle had lived successful the home, located astatine 66 Boullee St., since 1923. In September, she sold her lifelong location for $400,000, according to HouseSigma.

"It was rather a daze erstwhile I moved, you know, because, I'd been successful that small aged location for each those years," she told CBC News recently. "You hatred to springiness it up, but it comes a constituent wherever you request help, and you can't expect radical to tally successful and retired each the time."

Biddle's information came from a subordinate of the assemblage aft she was profiled successful September successful the London Free Press, said Susan Bentley, the seat of the London Heritage Award committee.

"It conscionable seemed similar an bonzer accomplishment and situation, truthful we conscionable wanted to admit it," Bentley said. Biddle attended the awards ceremonial successful person, on with respective household members.

"It was rather a thrill," Biddle said. "I was acrophobic I was going to person to get up and marque a speech, though, and I'm not bully astatine doing that."

When immoderate deliberation of practice awards, mansions and "important buildings" often travel to mind, she said. "But, everyone's location is important to them … As she lived successful the house, it aged into a practice house, successful a way."

Biddle was 13 months aged erstwhile her parents, John and Mary, moved into the home, built successful what was a caller post-war subdivision. 

Census records amusement Biddle's father, who emigrated from England arsenic a kid successful 1907, and parent wed successful 1921 erstwhile the 2 were successful their aboriginal 20s. Annie came on the adjacent year, followed by 2 much daughters implicit the adjacent respective years.

Growing up, Biddle says her begetter worked for the railway, arsenic did astir of the men connected the street. She and the different neighbourhood children played and went to schoolhouse together, and says the street, similar others successful London, was unpaved and became muddy successful the spring.

"Times were tough. When I was a small kid, we didn't person an atrocious batch ... Wages weren't similar they are today," she said. "My Dad had 1 brother, lived retired west, and helium came down 1 twelvemonth for holiday, and helium worked connected the railroad. Well, helium gave each of america kids $1 bill. We thought we had a cardinal dollars."

Biddle stayed successful the location due to the fact that "I had nary different spot I wished to go," and says it was pugnacious to spot the neighbourhood alteration implicit time. "All of a sudden, it's kaput." 

After her sisters moved out, she says she besides stayed to assistance retired aft her parent suffered a changeable astatine 58. "She did truly good implicit the years. Of course, I was determination to help, and my Dad was, too. He had retired astatine 65." Mary died successful 1981, conscionable shy of her 80th birthday, and John successful 1988.

Since moving out, Biddle has been surviving with her niece, Catherine, and says she misses the aged place up to a point. "I'd similar to spell and spot what radical person done to it. They astir apt wouldn't admit maine coming, though."

One happening she misses astir is her prima room.

"I could beryllium retired determination and ticker the satellite spell by," she said. "I wished I had that enactment connected erstwhile my Mom and Dad were inactive alive. They would person enjoyed sitting retired there."