MOOSE JAW — Surrounded by family, bridge friends, and memories stretching back more than a century, longtime Moose Jaw resident Mickey Gower celebrated her 106th birthday on July 26 with a private gathering at the Grant Hall Hotel.
“She’s our hero,” said Gregg Gower, her son. “She’s a very wonderful, amazing, kind, athletic, generous, social person — and we’re all so proud of her.”
More than two dozen guests joined Mickey in the Thorn Room at Grant Hall for a buffet-style dinner and surprise presentation from hotel staff.
“They framed a large collage of Grant Hall photos going back to the early 1900s — even back to when Mom was born in 1919,” Gregg said. “All the staff signed around the border and presented it to her with flowers and a complimentary meal. It was very thoughtful.”
As Mickey later reflected on the evening, she wished to share a few words of thanks.
“I had a wonderful celebration with my family last night, and I had … my bridge friends there,” she said. “The meal was excellent.”
Born during the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic, Mickey’s life has spanned world wars, social movements, and more than a century of change in Moose Jaw. She trained as a nurse at the former Union Hospital and later made her mark in Saskatchewan’s sports scene as both an athlete and sports builder.
“She was a golfer, a curler, a tennis player, a speed skater — if they’d introduced pickleball sooner, she probably would have played that too,” her daughter Jackie Beattie said. “She had a hole-in-one in golf and an eight-ender in curling, which is about the best you can do in both.”
In 2012, Mickey was inducted into the CURLSASK Legends Honour Roll and has also been recognized by the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame for her mentorship and contributions to sport.
Her competitive spirit hasn’t waned, either.
“She was glad the Roughriders won the other night,” Gregg said with a laugh. “Go Riders!”
When asked if they had a message to share, Jackie didn’t hesitate: “Happy Birthday, Mom. Lots of love from all your family — and many more.”
