‘I’d probably shoot him’: Marg Harris, 106, from Nova Scotia, likes politics, not Putin
Marg Harris has had it with the Russian president.
“I curse Vladimir Putin,” she said in a phone call from her home in Hants County on Tuesday. “That wretched man, I would like to get my hands on him.”
“I’d probably shoot him.”
Then she laughed.
Marg, 106, still has auburn hair and favors earrings. Her 107th birthday is in July.
Her problem with Putin is the war in Ukraine.
“It’s just terrible, so many people have died. And for what?”
She is a Tory supporter and CPAC enthusiast. The news makes her concerned about the state of the world: inflation out of control, the housing crisis and the war.
“It’s starting to be a pretty sad world,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll regret leaving it.”
She won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, says her son, Greg Harris. He moved home from Grand Prairie, Alta, eight years ago to care for his mother.
“She keeps driving,” he said.
Anyway, Marg thinks she’s the happiest person alive. She has two wonderful children, four adoring grandchildren, and nieces and nephews who regularly drop by to bring flowers.
“I have my own house and I have all the attention I need,” she said. “You can’t do better than that.”
Heart problems have slowed her down a bit in recent years, but she is always busy with crossword puzzles, reading or keeping up to date with local and international affairs. She continued to drive until she was 102 years old. One day she decided to quit herself.
She is Catholic and never misses Sunday Mass. She is a loyal member of the local women’s institute.
She has played competitive double bridge for over 50 years.
What’s her secret to a good, long life?
“Eat well and sleep well, be good to your neighbor and help where you can. I think that would be pretty good.”
She was born in Cape Breton and is the eldest of 14. One of her brothers is the late Gordon Cote, a well-known Cape Breton violinist. Harris was born in Grand Greve, Richmond County. Close to her parents, she had an ideal upbringing.
She still has an affection for her homeland and the memories she formed there. Her father operated the swing bridge in St. Peters when he was not fishing. She remembers how, as a little girl, he watched the bridge open and close as boats steamed through St. Peter’s Canal.
“I remember that so vividly; I must have been five years old,” Harris said. “It’s funny the things you completely lose, but you don’t forget things like that. It was very exciting – my dad was watching me and made sure I didn’t get too close to the edge.
She ran a barber shop from her home for five decades until she was 95 years old. Prior to that, she worked in Halifax as a receptionist and spent time at Imperial Oil.
Marg has always been an adventurous and resilient soul, says her son. On her 100th birthday she climbed on his Harley Davidson, he recalls.
She’s slowing down, he admits. He’s taken over cooking and cleaning duties in recent years, but that doesn’t mean she accepts her limitations
“She’s madder than hell because she can’t do certain things,” Greg said. She keeps checking with her doctors, hoping to regain her old form.
“The specialist says there’s nothing wrong with you,” Greg said. “You’re a 106, that’s what’s wrong with you. She thinks she can go to the doctor and then she will be 40 again.”
The pair have grown closer over their time as roommates. For Greg, he is proud that his mother has remained true to herself after all these years.
“She’s a character,” he said. “She’s been through some pretty tough times and she’s just solid. She’s just a great person, just one of those great people. She’s just someone to be proud of.”
