Your family physician might not agree, but Sundre centenarian John Whitesell Sr. says he knows the secret to long life ó chewing tobacco.
"This is the key to living to 100," he said while pulling out a small puck-like canister filled with chewing tobacco during an interview with the Round Up at the Sundre Museum and World of Wildlife's office.
"A box will last me a week."
But perhaps the actual source of his longevity is his penchant for sauerkraut, which he mentioned right away when asked about whether his diet might be a factor.
Either way, the local pioneer has endeavoured to make the most of every minute he's had ó all 52.5 million or so of them! ó by investing almost half of his century on Earth right here.
"As the old saying goes, you haven't lived until you've lived in Sundre!" he said enthusiastically from his wheelchair.
Born April 2, 1917, Whitesell was surrounded by dozens of friends, family and well-wishers from the community on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at the Sundre Museum and World of Wildlife, which he over the years laboured tirelessly to help establish.
"John has put endless hours into the making of this magnificent museum," manager Tami Parkinson told the crowd during a welcoming address.
"So it was the perfect place to hold the celebration of his birthday."
Married for more than 56 years to his lifelong love Louise, who passed away in 2005, Whitesell had one son, John Whitesell Jr. Himself one of five children, Whitesell described his ancestry as a "United Nations" blend of mixed European roots, primarily from Sweden.
He originally arrived in Sundre in 1970 after accepting a position as a machine operator for a road construction crew, working for Sundre Contracting over a span of about 15 years.
Modestly describing himself as a "little" active in the community, Whitesell served in the mid- to late-'70s on the municipal council and also spent years working to secure the existing grounds for the museum. Following a past flood, the grounds were condemned for future residential development, and so began the plans to obtain the property, which has involved plenty of paperwork and correspondence with layers of government bureaucracy, he said.
Along the way, the thought of relocating, let alone to a city, never even crossed his mind.
"I don't want to be in the city ó you can have that, I don't want it. I'd rather be out here with the moose (in nature)!"
The centenarian said he enjoys living in a community with ordinary people who are simply trying to make a living, and was grateful to be able to celebrate his birthday with so many friends and family.
Addressing the crowd, Mae Bateman, one of three caregivers who help Whitesell, said he still lives in his own home, with some additional assistance from several volunteers who pitch in with household maintenance chores.
"We all enjoy our time with John. He's just delightful to be with. And once you've been with John, you want to spend more time with him," she said.
"John's sense of humour, his intelligence and his knowledge of politics both worldwide and here in our community make John tick. It's what he loves."
Myron Thompson, himself a longtime Sundre resident of 50 years as well as a municipal councillor with past political experience on the national stage, revered Whitesell as a friend and mentor who offered sage counsel.
"I remember when I first ran for council, he was one of the first fellows to come and give me some advice. That was my first trip to the political table. I learned quite a bit from John," said Thompson.
"One of the first things he said to me (was), ëWhen you get on any kind of political team, you got to know the difference between smart spending and waste!'"
Always enjoying the opportunity to chat with Whitesell, Thompson found himself on the same page on essentially all issues...save perhaps for one.
"He knew what he was talking about. I couldn't pick a fight with him because I agreed every time. There was only one time I did not agree with John. And that's when he brought out this little can, tapped it three times and said, ëIf you want to live a long time, you better use this.'"
Following laughter from the crowd, Thompson continued his tale, occasionally looking over at Whitesell in acknowledgement.
"I tried to explain to John, ëI tried that once in my life. I was on a beaver dam fishing, and I was a smoker and I run out of cigarettes, but my friend was there and he had some of this stuff in this can. Now the path on that dam was about this wide," he said, illustrating with his arms a space roughly a couple of feet wide.
Recounting his rough encounter with chew after placing a pinch of tobacco under his lip, Thompson went on.
"Within three minutes, I was on my back on that little narrow path and the whole world was going this way," he said, waving his arms in a spinning motion.
"I said, ëJohn, I had that experience once ó I can't believe you survived!'"
Once the ensuing laughter subsided, Thompson presented Whitesell with a congratulatory certificate on behalf of Sundre's council.
"I'll never forget you John. And when I hit 100, I expect you to be here to give me some kind of certificate, 'cause I'm sure if you keep chewing that stuff you're going to live a long time!"
