A Holocaust survivor from Côte Saint-Luc is celebrating a major milestone: on Tuesday, Elizabeth Blau turned 100 years old.
The novel coronavirus crisis turned her family’s plans to hold a big party upside down, but that hasn’t stopped the newly-minted centenarian from celebrating.
Instead, family popped a special champagne bottle and held a Zoom party.
“I think that it’s not me to whom it’s happening,” said Blau, the joyous birthday girl.
About 20 family members got together to celebrate virtually, including her two sons, four grandchildren and one great grandson.
They all wanted to make the day very special for their hero and role model, someone who they say takes on life’s adversities with a smile.
“Every day I think we strive to be like her,” said her niece Kathy Halmi.
At 100 years young, Blau is described as sharp and a great cook and storyteller.
“She would tell us about all the suitors that would come to her doorstep and she just had these wonderful stories,” said Jillian Caplan, her grandniece.
She even attends weekly card games and is said to be very competitive.
“Oh yeah, she would always beat us at Rummi-Q,” said her great-grandniece Haley Caplan. “She’d never let us win, even the first time we played.”
Blau is enjoying the best life has to offer now but it wasn’t always that way.
She and her 97-year-old sister are Holocaust survivors. She says they gave each other the strength to live.
“And we succeeded and we came back and luckily even now, we are still together,” Blau said.
Blau joins a growing club of centenarians in Quebec.
According to the Quebec Statistic institute, in 2019, Quebec was home to a record 2,559 centenarians.
Only 360 of them are men.
By 2066, that number is expected to dramatically increase to 45,000.
As for Mrs. Blau, she has one wish on her milestone birthday.
“I wish I should have the power to stay a little bit longer,” she said.