Fort Erie celebrates Canada’s oldest man Burd Sisler on 110th birthday

Fort Erie has many jewels and one of them is a person.

And that’s Burd (Burdett) Sisler, Canada’s oldest man who turns 110 years old on Monday.

On Sunday, close to 300 people gathered at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 71 to celebrate the record-holding Fort Erie resident who is a veteran of the Second World War and a former Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer who retired 45 years ago.

He served as a radar technician in the war and also had a radio repair business for a few years.

The ceremony on Sunday was an emotional one with plenty of stories about Sisler from people who have known and loved him for many years, some decades.

In an interview with Fort Erie Radio before speeches began, Norm Sisler, one of Burd’s five children, said his family was amazed by the outpouring of support ahead of the celebration.

In attendance were local politicians, but also Ontario tourism minister Stan Cho and minister of long-term care Natalia Kusendova-Basthta.

Along with the five children he and his late wife Mae had, Sisler has 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren.

Describing his father, Norm said Burd has all his marbles, and then some.

“His cognitive thinking is fine,” he told Fort Erie Radio.

“There’s no artificial intelligence there,” he quipped.

“He reminds me of stuff I forget,” added Norm before delivering a speech on behalf of the family in front of a crowded room on Sunday.

In his speech, Norm pointed out his father has been retired from CBSA longer than the time he spent working there, which was about 30 years.

Fort Erie Radio also approached Burd after the presentations, along with a lineup of other people waiting to wish him a happy birthday.

“I didn’t expect there’d be this many people,” he said when asked about the massive celebration in his honour.

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates has a special bond with Sisler as he has known him since he was 99 years old. This was when Gates was first elected 11 years ago after they first met at a charity event.

They became friends quickly and Sisler has nominated Gates as the NDP candidate three times since then, starting when he was 102 years old and again a few months ago when he was 109.

Gates said he’s honoured to have had Sisler around for two more nominations after the first occasion.

“I’ll be honest, I thought it would be the last time I’d get the chance for him to nominate me,” he said about the initial nomination.

“Having him nominate me has meant so much to me and my family,” added Gates. “Everyone in Fort Erie loves you.”

Mayor Wayne Redekop brought well wishes on behalf of the municipality and congratulated his family on having someone like Sisler to look up to.

“There’s nothing more important in a family than having an exemplary role model,” said Redekop. “And that’s what Burd Sisler stands for.”

Redekop said the entire town is celebrating him.

“I can assure you our community is very, very proud of Burd Sisler,” he said.

Kusendova-Bashta, Ontario’s minister of long-term care, brought her infant son to the podium with her while making remarks.

“I thought it was very important for me to be here to honour your legacy,” she said.

Sisler was born in Akron, Ohio, before moving to Etobicoke when he was three.

After the war, he moved to Fort Erie and worked with CBSA at the Peace Bridge for close to 30 years.

He first served with the armed forces in 1943 and its legion horse artillery before he moved to the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers unit, which he was discharged from in 1946.

Several premiers from across the country provided congratulations to Sisler through a video and in written form.

Norm told Fort Erie Radio there are six people in Canada older than Burd, all of them women. He also added that his family is thankful to everyone who attended the celebration, to the legion for its hospitality, and to the local Tim Hortons and Starbucks, both having donated free coffee for the event.

Burd currently lives at Garrison Place Retirement Residence. He lived on his own in a house on Edward Street, with family living across the street, until 2022.

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