GORE BAY – It was a very special 100th birthday for a very special lady!
A 100th birthday drive by parade was held on Wednesday, April 14 for Margaret Montgomery of Gore Bay.
“It was a great day,” stated Heather Patterson of the event held for her mother. She pointed out that Johanna Allison, also of Gore Bay, had organized the event.
Ms. Allison noted that she and Maxine McVey had organized the event and that there were actually two Gore Bay women whose special birthdays were celebrated. “It was such a fun day,” she said, explaining, “I couldn’t count the number of people and vehicles that took part, there were a lot. We actually had a two-for-one parade, as along with Margaret’s 100th birthday, we also celebrated Bessie Honess’s 85th birthday. She lives in the apartment building just down the road and the parade was turning on her street anyway. Heather had asked if we would mind including Bessie in the parade event as well. And of course, everyone knows both Margaret and Bessie.”
“It was a really long parade, there were so many vehicles on hand. It was amazing,” stated Ms. Allison.
“The weather held out pretty well,” said Ms. Patterson. “Piper Dave Beaton led the parade, my cousin in Winnipeg had suggested that I look into getting a piper for the celebration and I got in touch with Dave to see if he would be interested in taking part. He stayed for the whole drive-by and he stood near my mother while she was on a swing afterward and continued to play for her. It was great.”
Ms. Patterson said there was an amazing crowd on hand for the celebration. “I couldn’t get over it. There were loads of people; mother is well known, and it was great to hear the sincere well-wishes that people gave her.”
As part of the many well-wishers and presentations made, Jim Woods, past president, and Leigh Major, branch treasurer of Branch 514 of the Royal Canadian Legion, presented a flower arrangement to Margaret Montgomery on the occasion of her birthday. Margaret’s husband, Mervyn Montgomery was a veteran of World War II.
Ms. Montgomery’s husband, Mervyn Montgomery, had been a veteran of World War II. Legion members Leigh Major and Jim Woods presented Ms. Montgomery with a bouquet of flowers on the special occasion
