'I never expected something like this': 100th birthday surprise for Langley, B.C., senior
June 24 marks a milestone birthday for Langley senior John Kromhoff: one century on earth.
“I figure I’ve reached a goal,” he said. “And my next thing is, how long can I last?”
Due to the pandemic, Kromhoff initially wasn’t expecting too much for his 100th birthday celebration, according Katherine Ferguson, general manager of Chartwell Langley Gardens, the retirement home where Kromhoff lives.
“Maybe about a month ago, he came to me and he said he’s come to terms that it’ll be a little bit quieter than what he had hoped for,” she said.
Kromhoff said he knew health restrictions at the time meant his large extended family wouldn’t be able to gather.
“With the pandemic going on, the coronavirus, we couldn’t have certain amounts of people,” he said. “And we’ve got so many that we couldn’t have a party.”
That’s when Kromhoff’s granddaughter reached out on Facebook asking for cards, Ferguson said.
“That just kind of snowballed,” she said. “I believe he’s received over 1,200 cards now from all around the world.”
Kromhoff said he’s heard from people in Japan and Germany, and also received many cards from local schoolchildren, as well as from former clients from his real estate career.
“They’re saying in their cards how they enjoy their place,” he said. “I was 94 when I did my last deal.”
On the big day, staff decked out the retirement home’s lounge in honour of the space enthusiast, complete with stars, planets, and a virtual presentation from the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.
“I remember when Sputnik was up and I actually heard it on the radio, the signal,” he said. “They’ve done so much in the past few years with learning more and more about space travel, and they’re seeing way farther right now than they did even, say, a couple years ago.”
Outside, a parade of visitors came to wish Kromhoff well, including first responders.
“All the police here, I got a kick out of that,” he laughed. “I never expected something like this, but I appreciate it very much.”
He does have advice for longevity, but it’s not something he typically shares.
“I don’t tell anybody, because they don't receive help, because it annoys them more than anything,” he said. “So I have to just be quiet.”
He did reveal it involves healthy eating.
He’s also considering exploring a new frontier: Facebook.
“It’s a good way of getting around,” he said. “I’m going to join, I think, too.”
Best of all, with the most recent lifting of restrictions on June 15, Kromhoff is now looking forward to a family gathering in a couple of days, the first one in a long while.
“We haven’t had anything going for so long, it was getting pretty monotonous, I’ll tell you,” he said. “But it’s good now.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.