Coronavirus: Saskatoon woman celebrates 101st birthday from Preston Park II balcony

A resident of a Saskatoon retirement home celebrated a milestone birthday with her family on Sunday — while still maintaining social distance.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is the not first that Clara Arnason, who turned 101 on March 29, has lived through.

Arnason was born in Stockholm, Sask., in 1919, during the Spanish flu pandemic.

She went on to have seven children, two of whom live in Saskatoon. Both of those daughters and their families were able to give her some birthday cheer from the parking lot of the Preston Park II Retirement Residence.

They showed up to the facility with colourful posters and cards and sang Happy Birthday to Arnason, who watched from her balcony.

The birthday celebration was captured in a video, which was later shared to the residence’s Facebook page.

Arnason’s daughter, Daphne Arnason, said her mother’s birthday parties are always a special gathering for the family, especially for the grandchildren who like to do the planning.

“Things were not going to be any different, but this year we had to be a little more innovative given the quarantine restrictions,” Daphne Arnason told Global News.

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Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

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