Loving life, surrounded by family and friends on 100th birthday

Margaret Hope was looking forward to Feb. 14. Not because it was Valentine’s Day and not because it was her birthday, but because she would be spending it surrounded by the family and friends she adores.
Sure, the day marked a century of life, but anyone meeting her would find it hard to believe she is 100 years old.
To celebrate the occasion, 150 of Margaret’s closest friends and family were invited to a dinner at New Lowell Legion.
The Hope family has been part of the New Lowell community since the mid 1960s when they bought a farm on County Rd. 10. Her husband Norris “Buzz” Hope had retired from the military, ending his final posting in New Brunswick. But they had been at Base Borden for 13 years prior and got to know the area well.
Margaret was a city girl, born in Ottawa and living in Toronto when she met her future husband. She said she wasn’t intimidated by farm life but notes her husband’s retirement marked the beginning of a lot more work.
Right out of school, Margaret went to work at Simpsons department store, first parceling goods and then working in the bindery, making the catalogue. She said, as was customary at the time, she didn’t return to work after she was married in 1940.
She met Buzz through her father. They were both army men, serving in the veterinary corps.
Her father was a horse trainer and Buzz, being from Saskatchewan, had some experience with livestock.
“It was the Depression,” said Margaret, explaining that Buzz’s father had a store where people could buy things on credit but when people couldn’t pay their debts, Buzz was forced to sell his herd to help out his family.
“He wanted to be a veterinarian but the Depression got in the way,” she said.
He joined the veterinary corps with the promise of an education but with the Second World War on the horizon and a change in focus, the veterinary corps was disbanded and Buzz chose to switch to engineering.
Married a year, with a young daughter, Buzz went off to war. He was one of the soldiers who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day and was one of the fortunate ones who came home. The couple went on to have three more children.
When they bought the farm in New Lowell, the two eldest daughters Noreen and Deanna had already left home, but the younger boys Harry and John were teenagers.
Margaret said they were surrounded by many long-time farm families like the Rogers and Lamers who helped them get started.
“We started with a couple of cows and retired with 125 [head of beef cattle],” said Margaret.
Reflecting on her 100 years, Margaret said she has seen many changes. She remembers getting fresh milk and bread delivered to her house. She remembers getting electricity and how electric lights made life much easier. She lights up at the memory of seeing films with sound, and in colour. She remembers heating their Base Borden home with coal. Vehicles and washing machines… all the technology that made life more efficient. She said, things are moving so fast now, it’s hard to keep up.
However, Margaret has no plans to slow down. She continues to be active in her community, socializing and playing cards as always. She doesn’t curl anymore, but she still watches it on television, along with several other sports. Having curled at Base Borden, Margaret was hooked, so after moving to New Lowell she inquired at the Creemore Curling Club. They didn’t have a women’s league so she played with the men, until other women joined. She has many trophies and prizes that speak to her skill on the rink.
Margaret now lives in Wasaga Beach with her daughter Noreen. The large but close family enjoys travelling together in large groups. This spring, a group of family and friends are heading to Florida.