Sundre-area resident Jack Morgan got the royal treatment after he showed up at the Mountain View County building last Wednesday to pay his property taxes.Council's policies and priorities committee stopped its meeting in progress and Morgan was ushered into the council chamber for an impromptu presentation to mark his 100th birthday earlier this year.ìWe're here to honour Jack Morgan,î Reeve Paddy Munro said, presenting the centenarian with a cut-glass statuette commemorating the milestone. ìHe's just a pillar in the Sundre area.îVisibly pleased, Morgan accepted the gift and delivered a quip on the subject of 100-year-olds paying their taxes: ìThere's not too many of them that have much money left.îAsked by the Gazette whether people should not have to pay taxes after they turn 100, Morgan considered the question.ìI would have second thoughts about that,î he said. ìIf I'm in a position to pay taxes, I should pay taxes ñ because I know many people who don't have enough money to pay taxes.îMunro called that remark ìclassic Jack Morgan.îMorgan confided that he hadn't expected to live to see 100.ìI have gifted most of my wealth to my heirs who are still alive, which is much better than to keep the money in my own hands and give half to the government.îIf not for that gesture, he added, ìsome of my heirs wouldn't be where they are today.îMorgan's 100th birthday was on March 18, 2011. A lifelong resident of the Sundre area, among his many accomplishments Morgan founded the Sundre Lumber Company (now Sundre Forest Products) and Sundre Contracting Company. He was 94 when he finally retired from farming.In an interview in the Sundre Round Up last March, he told reporter Jared Siemens: ìThe only reason I think I'm here today is I was interested in people and my surroundings.î
