Lucile Ellins of Severn Township celebrated her 106th birthday last week, enjoying time with her family near the lake and property that have helped shape her life.
Ellins has had nearly a lifelong love affair with Lake Couchiching, dating to a few years after her birth in 1918.
Growing up in Toronto, she vividly recalls being a young girl, eagerly anticipating the end of the school week as that's when she and her family travelled to the cottage in Severn — what was then a very remote community.
In Toronto, her father was a civil engineer for the city, but she felt most at home here; she couldn’t wait to spend the summer on Lake Couchiching.
From water skiing and diving, to horseback riding and observing the developments over the years, Ellins always enjoyed her active lifestyle "up north."
“I love it up here ... it’s a great place to water ski ... and it’s peaceful,” she said of the cottage that has become her home.
She believes she would have been around the age of seven when she first visited Lake Couchiching. Now, almost 100 years later, she still speaks fondly of the place. Though less pleased with the traffic, Ellins still relishes the warm summer weather and waterfront activities.
The land is quite different now in appearance than when Ellins first spent her summers in Severn. She remembers being able to ride horses between neighbouring properties and reminisced about playing many outdoor sports.
“I think we were the fourth to build ... there was nothing here,” recalled Ellins of the humble origins of the family property.
“They didn’t have a highway. I think it was cow trails or something,” she said with a chuckle of the property that has now been in the family for generations.
She described how horses were once used to pull the diving board out of the water before winter and how the whole family participated in water sports.
“It was the back dive that I liked,” she said, noting she was a fearless youth and remains so. She water skied until she was 80.
Though uncertain of how long ago it has been now, she calls to mind the day when they received a piano at the cottage, “to keep the music going,” she said.
When she was about eight, Ellins fell in love with playing the piano. At 21 she went on to study music at The Juilliard School in New York and fondly remembers the nine-hour days of study at the renowned music school.
However, nothing tops her favourite memory of playing with her sister, Muriel.
“What happened to you on the second page?” Ellins remembers her sister asking after a particular concert. A series of cordial jabs ensued, to keep each other on point, as they both considered it was the other who made the mistake.
Danse Macabre was on their list of duets for concerts, exhibitions and competitions. The symphony premiered in 1875, by the French composer Camille Saint-Saens. Ellins describes it as having a spooky tone to its melody.
The Minute Waltz by Chopin, which is considered an early advanced piece that requires precise pedal and scale techniques, is one Ellins still plays today.
The sisters each played on their separate piano and family members recall them often leaving whatever competition they entered with awards.
Ellins asserted that many hours of practice were spent alone. Yet, she always loved playing duets with her sister, expressing that there is nothing comparable to it.
Piano lessons were a big part of growing up in her family, something she eventually passed on to younger generations.
Her grandson, Matt Philip, reminisced about piano practice with 'Nana Ellins,' who was his instructor. Much to his alarm, she would remark from another room: “That was supposed to be a B Flat, dear.”
The Eaton Auditorium is one place Ellins remembers performing concert piano. With its vast space and acoustic resonance, she smiles about the memory.
Another musical memory Ellins shares is of performing live for a CBC radio broadcast in Montreal. She describes it as being a unique experience.
After more than a century of experience, Ellins has maintained her ear for music.
“I feel lucky,” she said of her longevity.
She is grateful for the daily support she receives from her family and the limited health issues she has encountered, acknowledging the possibilities of ailments that afflict us as we age.
To celebrate with her family, Ellins went to the Mandarin restaurant for lunch, just another way of enjoying the spice of life, she said.
