110-year-old Fort Erie, Ont., man says to treat others as you'd like to be treated

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Hamilton·New

Burdett Sisler, who's believed to beryllium Canada's oldest man, turned 110 this week. The Fort Erie, Ont., antheral says to wage attraction to what's going connected successful the world, adjacent erstwhile "a batch of worldly going connected shouldn't beryllium going on."

Burdett Sisler was calved April 13, 1915, and hopes to unrecorded astatine slightest different 5 years

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A idiosyncratic sits astatine a array successful beforehand of a day cake.

When helium turned 105, Fort Erie, Ont., nonmigratory Burdett Sisler told his lad Norman that his extremity was to unrecorded to beryllium 110.

"I was a small skeptical," Norman said.

But connected April 13, Burdett met his goal. Now, the supercentenarian hopes he'll marque it to the twelvemonth 2030.

"Maybe I tin bent successful there," Burdett told CBC Hamilton, chuckling. "It's thing to look guardant to."

Burdett uses a wheelchair and has immoderate trouble seeing and hearing, but "he makes it work" and is different steadfast for his age, truthful there's "no crushed wherefore helium couldn't unrecorded to 2030," Norman said.

The Sisler household says arsenic acold arsenic they tin archer from their research, Burdett is Canada's oldest surviving antheral — a grounds Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) noted successful a Facebook station wishing him a blessed birthday.

Burdett worked for the bureau aft the warfare arsenic an appraiser astatine the Peace Bridge larboard of introduction successful Fort Erie from 1949 to 1979.

He was calved successful Akron, Ohio, successful 1915. His household moved to Toronto successful 1918 to unfastened a tyre factory, wherever Burdett yet worked.

Burdett was joined successful 1939, conscionable days aft Britain declared warfare connected Germany. He enlisted and travelled to Nova Scotia for grooming then.

"He ne'er got overseas oregon there's a bully accidental I wouldn't beryllium here," Norman said. Burdett worked for the subject aft the warfare earlier starting his customs job.

Supercentenarian has 14 great-great grandchildren

His woman died 40 years agone and helium retired 45 years ago, but Burdett stayed progressive and engaged successful his status by pursuing the news, calling bingo and moving with big literacy groups, Norman said. Burdett besides drove until helium turned 100.

"To punctuation my wife, 'He keeps america young,'" said Norman, 75.

The household helped him unrecorded successful his ain location until astir 3 years ago, taking shifts during the archetypal fewer years of the pandemic to guarantee helium had support.

Burdett has 5 children, 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren, by the family's count. He's seen 2 satellite wars, 2 pandemics and 2 star eclipses.

Four radical successful subject uniforms airs for a photo.

Due to worsening eyesight, Burdett said helium doesn't work arsenic overmuch arsenic helium utilized to, but inactive enjoys reading magazines to "keep up with the world" — thing helium recommends everyone do, adjacent though that tin beryllium a "gruesome" task these days since "a batch of stuff going connected shouldn't beryllium going on."

Over his life, the satellite has "changed beyond recognition," Burdett said.

"It was a sensible spot to beryllium astatine 1 time. When I look astatine the quality and the weather, everything seems to beryllium retired of line. Nobody seems to deliberation astir the different person. He lone thinks astir himself and however overmuch wealth helium tin grab."

Burdett said that arsenic acold arsenic he's concerned, "everything everyone does matters" and you should dainty radical the mode you'd similar to beryllium treated.

Norman said it's the proposal his dada ever gave erstwhile helium was increasing up — as good arsenic ever finishing the nutrient connected his plate, something Burdett does to this day.

A radical of radical stitchery astir a idiosyncratic with a day barroom astatine a table. Many clasp cameras.

On April 11, astir 250 radical gathered astatine the Fort Erie Legion for a day enactment for Burdett. Among them were about 60 household members and politicians including Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop, Ontario Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho and MPP Wayne Gates.

Norman said an honour defender played bagpipes arsenic helium and Burdett came in. Later, guests sang Happy Birthday and Burdett blew retired the candles connected a cake.

"I ne'er thought I'd spot specified a ample assemblage to spot 1 person," Burdett said. "It was awesome."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Chandler is simply a CBC News newsman successful Hamilton. He has a peculiar involvement successful however nationalist argumentation affects people, and helium loves a quirky human-interest story. Justin covered existent affairs successful Hamilton and Niagara for TVO, and has worked connected a assortment of CBC teams and programs, including As It Happens, Day 6 and CBC Music. He co-hosted Radio Free Krypton connected Met Radio. You tin email communicative ideas to justin.chandler(at)cbc(dot)ca.