Fort Erie’s Burd Sisler now Canada’s oldest living person at 110

With Margaret Romans passing away in late October at 113, Fort Erie’s Burdett “Burd” Sisler is now Canada’s oldest living person, and he remains sharp and witty as he nears his 111th birthday.

Sisler, a Second World War veteran and the fifth oldest known veteran of that war in the world, was recognized in the Ontario legislature Wednesday by Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates.

Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1915, Sisler moved to Canada when his father helped start the Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Toronto, back when the ‘New Toronto’ neighbourbood was a small village of fewer than 5,000 people. He married in 1939, three days after Britain declared war on Germany, and enlisted four years later.

“He tried to join the Air Force, but they wouldn’t let him because he had a bad eye,” his son, Norm Sisler, told Fort Erie Radio. “He used to say, ‘They were afraid I’d crash too many of their planes, so they put me in the artillery instead.’”

After training, Sisler was transferred to the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, working on radar systems in Montreal until his discharge in 1946. He later opened a radio and TV repair shop in Fort Erie before joining the Canada Border Services Agency, where he worked for three decades.

Sisler retired from the CBSA in 1979 and has enjoyed over 45 years of retirement in Fort Erie.

Norm said his father’s memory remains sharp.

“Back in April, he met the lady that bought his house in 2001, and the first thing he asked her when he finally realized who it was was, ‘Are the maple trees still in the front yard?’ That was almost 25 years ago.”

Since being named Canada’s oldest living person, the family has been “blown away” with support. Norm said the attention has led to his father sharing stories even his own children had never heard.

“I was sitting in an interview with him, and at one point he said, ‘There was this lady I used to fix a TV for, I think she might’ve wanted more than her TV repaired.’ He’s got a real sense of humor.”

Burd credits his health and longevity to a strong appetite, steady care from family and nurses, and a positive approach to life.

“He says, ‘I don’t feel any different today from yesterday. It’s just a day at a time. Anybody can do this, they just have to stay alive.’”

Burd Sisler will turn 111 in April and, according to his son, already has a new target in mind.

“He told me when he was 105 that he wanted to live to be 110. I was a little skeptical, but here we are. Now he’s got a new goal: to live to the year 2030. And you know what? He just might do it.”

As he approaches another milestone, Sisler continues to be cared for by family and staff at Garrison Place, where he spends his days reading and going outside when he’s able.

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