A party on Pender and soiree in Sidney marked 100 years of world-travel and community giving for one Norgarden resident.
Marjorie Bailey celebrated a century on June 13.
“I think living on Pender, where I had a very big garden, grew a lot of vegetables and kept busy [that] kept me healthy,” she explained.
Born in the Okanagan, she spent much of her life working as a teacher to the teens of Vancouver before retiring to Pender Island.
“I fell in love with it and when I retired I decided to move over there,” she said. In between she also saw the world, visiting places from Africa to New Zealand and around Europe. She didn’t stop travelling until 1999, but she was well settled as an active community member of North Pender. She was instrumental in bringing a library to the island. “I couldn’t live without a library,” she explained. Bailey worked on the monthly paper, judged in the fall fair and worked with the garden club.
After 30 years on the island, Bailey lost her drivers’ license at 95 and made the move to Norgarden in Sidney.
“I knew I had to move somewhere and I didn’t even look around,” she said.
“She is an amazing person who still is a very active member of our community,” said Kathleen Harapnuk, director of leisure services at Norgarden.
Though arthritis has taken her knitting from her, she’s taken to crochet, though a little slower. Bailey created the Norgarden Knitters, a group that knits, crochets and sews garments, blankets and other necessaries to be sent overseas by Canada Comfort.
“I thought it was a good project for people in a place like this,” Bailey said.
In three years they’ve sent 6,000 items.
“I am proud of it. The ladies work so hard, and they make lovely things,” she said.
Bailey celebrated her 100th birthday with a Pender Island-sized party and an evening dinner with four-generations of family in Sidney.