Many people dream of retirement being a relaxing period of life, filled with travel, reading, spending time with family and friends, and maybe taking up new hobbies.
But for others, slowing down just isn't part of their personality – even if they have the means to do so. Take Canadian political legend Hazel McCallion, nicknamed "Hurricane Hazel." At the age of 101, McCallion recently agreed to a continuation of her role as a director of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority. The extension is for three years, which would make McCallion 104 years old at its conclusion. And that's not her only job. She holds a number of academic and advisory positions, most notably as a special advisor to the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Public service has always been part of life for Hazel McCallion. Until she retired in 2014 at the age of 93, she was the mayor of Mississauga for 36 years, and saw it grow from a collection of towns and villages into Canada's sixth-largest municipality. Mississauga is home to Toronto Pearson International Airport, the largest airport in Canada.
Before her political career, McCallion was a professional women's hockey player, co-founder of The Streetsville Booster newspaper, president of the Anglican Young People's Association of Canada, and a district commissioner for the Girl Guides of Canada.
Long live longevity:
- As of April 2022, the world's oldest person is Kane Tanaka, a 119-year-old Japanese woman. Born in 1903, Tanaka is the second oldest verified person ever.
- French supercentenarian Jeanne Calment, the oldest verified person in history, died at the age of 122 years and 164 days in 1997.
- Queen Elizabeth II, who recently turned 96, will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in June, becoming the first British monarch to spend 70 years on the throne.
