Saturday, July 9 is a big day in Sechelt: it’s Emilie Shaw Day.
Sechelt council passed the proclamation Wednesday night in advance of Mrs. Shaw’s 107th birthday. Mayor Bruce Milne said the proclamation was the first of its kind for Sechelt that he was aware of, but then it’s not every day that a resident turns 107. The text notes that Mrs. Shaw, who lives at Shorncliffe Lodge, is the oldest person in Sechelt and will be marking “this milestone birthday during Sechelt’s anniversary year.”
In fact, Emilie Shaw is believed to be the oldest person living on the Sunshine Coast and one of the oldest in the province.
As we reported last year on the occasion of her 106th birthday, Mrs. Shaw – or The Amazing Emilie as she is known to her large international fan club of family and friends – was born Emilie Bohm in England in 1909, raised in an orphanage and travelled the continent between the two world wars working as a cook and nanny for Canadian millionaires. She married a soldier during the Second World War, had four children, immigrated to Australia in 1956, relocated to Canada in 1987 and moved to Halfmoon Bay with her daughter Fran McGuckin at the age of 100.
Emilie hasn’t had an easy life. In Australia, a country she speaks of with great fondness, her family moved frequently for health and financial reasons. In late 2011, she had a bad fall, spent five months in hospital and was given up for palliative care. Then she surprised everyone by making an amazing overnight recovery.
Her secret to a long life: she didn’t drink, smoke or drive.
“I’ve never driven a car,” she said. “It doesn’t even bother me.”
Considering she was alive before the Titanic went down, Emilie’s birthday is indeed a big deal. Coverage of this extraordinary event will appear in next week’s paper, but we can tell you now that Emilie’s request for her birthday meal was Chinese food. Accordingly, her family will be taking her to Bayview Restaurant in Sechelt on Friday, after Emilie is outfitted with a new hearing aid.
Emilie Shaw is a living example of staying power we can all draw inspiration from.
Happy Birthday Emilie – you are truly amazing.
