Newmarket resident Ella Allison is dancing her way to 100.
In celebration of her milestone birthday on April 3, she gathered with friends and family on April 1 — the party, of course, included dancing.
She met her husband, Jack, at a dance during the war years in Scotland. The couple moved to Canada with their children in the 1960s and lived with her Aunt Margaret for a couple of months before moving to their own home in Toronto, where they stayed for decades.
"It was the best thing we ever did," she said about the move. "We made a nice house. We had a lovely home."
In that home, they would do highland dancing in the basement and one of her daughters, Carolyn, became a championship dancer.
There was a 10-year age gap between her older kids and younger kids and the teenagers would watch the little ones, so Ella and Jack could get out to the Legion on a Saturday night to dance.
As they got older, Jack developed Alzheimer's and 10 years ago the couple moved to Amica Newmarket. They chose Newmarket as Carolyn was already living in town.
"If you open the door, there's always somebody there to talk to even if it's just one of the carers, and they're wonderful here," she said of the retirement residence.
Jack passed away in 2019, shortly after the couple celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.
Allison said she could have moved into a smaller room at Amica since Jack's passing but she can't bring herself to do it.
"I can't leave it because Jack and I danced right here, you know?" she said.
At Amica they do a lot of line dancing, which Ella said has been fun for her. She also walks around the building a lot and when the weather is nice again, she will go for walks outside.
"I think that's the answer," she said about keeping healthy. "There's nothing better."
The walking is part of her secret to living to be 100, but she said she also does puzzles to keep her mind sharp. It appears to have paid off as she walks without any walkers or canes, just recently started using hearing aids, and is in good health.
"People don't believe it. I don't believe it myself. I do not believe it. I was doing the twist downstairs," she said.
Allison has four children, 12 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. She said she is hoping for one more because she doesn't like odd numbers.
She said she was excited to celebrate with all of them and they had done such a great job putting together her party.
