The first decade of the 20th century was a wild time to be alive.
By 1910 many suburban homes had been wired with power, the telephone was a new hot commodity and automobiles were becoming available and affordable to the masses.
Along with other leaps in technology, 1910 also brought with it the birth of Irene Harrington, Jasper鈥檚 oldest resident. Harrington celebrated her 106th birthday with cake, friends and family on Dec. 29, 2016 at the Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge.
When asked about her secret to living a long and healthy life, Mary Fullerton, Harington鈥檚 daughter, said her mother always attributed a daily glass of red wine to her health.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real joy to be able to celebrate this many birthdays with my mother,鈥� said Fullerton, who also resides in Jasper.
Harrington spent most of her life working as a teacher, accepting her first position at the ripe age of 16 at a one-room rural school in her home province of Saskatchewan. Ten years later, in 1937, she moved to Alberta, where she spent the rest of her career teaching in rural schools across the province.
It wasn鈥檛 until 2012 that Harrington moved to Jasper, taking up residence at the Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge, to be closer to her daughter.
Kayla Byrne
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