2 P.E.I. women celebrate their 101st birthdays together

Gwyneth Egan · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 16, 2025 1:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Spirits were precocious astatine Gillis Lodge successful Belfast, P.E.I., connected Saturday arsenic dozens celebrated the 101st birthdays of 2 women. 

Hilda Cannon and Clarabelle Seeley were calved 1 time isolated successful 1924 — Cannon connected March 15 and Seeley connected March 16. 

They celebrated together, with unrecorded music, barroom and plentifulness of friends and household members successful attendance. 

"There's a batch of radical here.… I emotion everybody here," Seeley said. 

The guests of honour besides received 101 day cards from crossed the state and peculiar letters from P.E.I.'s lieutenant-governor and the section MLA.  

Asked whether she feels peculiar connected her day weekend, Seeley said: "I bash now." 

'It was precise special'

Some of Cannon's children attended the party, and said they felt fortunate to walk their mother's day with her. 

"She taught america everything, similar however to judge everybody from the community," said Cathy Dowling, Cannon's daughter. "She's my leader — each of our heroes." 

Cannon was calved successful Saskatchewan and moved to P.E.I. aft gathering her hubby successful Ontario. They had 12 children — six successful Ontario and six successful P.E.I., her lad Alfred Cannon said. 

"We had a bully life, a blessed life. And they had a engaged life. They raised 12, truthful it was truly busy," helium said. 

Her lad said Cannon's neighbours considered her their mother, too.

"It was always, 'Move over, marque country for 1 much astatine the table.' Her doorway was ever open," helium said. 

Cannon has been surviving astatine Gillis Lodge for the past 10 years.

"They instrumentality fantabulous attraction of her present … and we can't accidental capable bully things astir what they bash here," helium said. 

Lois Chandler, Hilda's girl who besides works astatine Gillis Lodge, said the activities directors are amazing. 

"They ever enactment unneurotic truthful galore large activities, and it was precise peculiar to person the 2 ladies stock their birthdays together," Chandler said. 

"We're precise fortunate to person them both." 

The concealed to 101

Before Seeley chopped her day cake, she shared her concealed to surviving to 101. 

"I don't smoke, and I don't portion liquor," she said. "I conscionable devour bully nutrient and devour beauteous good."

In presumption of however she wants to observe the milestone, Seeley said she wants to marque others happy. 

"When I marque idiosyncratic other happy, it makes maine happy, too."