Everyone Has A Story To Tell

East Ender celebrates a century in style

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another day.”

Those were the words of Frank Arnold on Feb. 3 as he celebrated his 100th birthday with a large group of friends and family in his building on Coatsworth Crescent.

Arnold was born in Toronto on Feb. 3, 1912 and spent most of his childhood on Ivy Avenue near Greenwood and Gerrard. He attended Leslie Street School and Danforth Tech.

At the age of 22 his family moved to Woodbine Avenue near Gerrard. At that time, Arnold was already employed at Canadian General Electric where he worked for 43 years.

In 1948 he married Dorothy Lennox, who passed in 2002.

His only son, Jim Arnold, remembers his father being a “typical dad of the fifties.”

During the fifties and sixties Arnold was a supporter of the 52nd Toronto Wolf Cub Pack at Balmy Beach where his son was a Cub.

From 1939 to 1945 he served in the Royal Canadian Navy on corvettes and engaged in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. He continued to be on the Royal Canadian Navy Reserves until the early sixties.

Arnold has been living at 11 Coatsworth Cres. for about 10 years and finds it very enjoyable.

“The people here are very nice to me,” he said.

Although he can’t attribute his longevity to any particular source, he admits that he enjoys orange juice and oatmeal everyday for breakfast. His exercising doesn’t go beyond his normal walks.

“Although he’s a bit frail physically, my dad is still very sharp mentally,” said his son Jim.

He remains active and often goes to Casino Rama on organized outings by the building community. Up until last year, he would often go on his own by taking a bus from Gerrard Square.

Arnold’s parents were both from Leichestershire, England and emigrated to Canada in the 1890s. His father Alfred John Arnold was a First World War veteran, and his mother Emma Arnold lived to be 101. He also has one granddaughter, Sheena Arnold.

The ceremony was put together by Neighbourhood Link with the Rotary Club of Toronto donating the cake.

Everyone Has A Story To Tell is a new regular feature, which will spotlight East End residents with an interesting story to tell, whether it’s an achievement, a hobby or just a great tale to tell. Email editor@beachmetro.com to suggest local residents or tell your story.

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