List of Canadian supercentenarians

Julie Winnefred Bertrand

Julie Winnefred Bertrand (16 September 1891 – 18 January 2007) was the oldest woman and the second-oldest living person in the world behind Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico at the time of her death.^[35]

Bertrand was born in the Quebec mill town of Coaticook to her parents Napoleon Bertrand and Julia Mullins, and was the eldest out of six siblings.^[35] She spent her working career as a clothes buyer and saleswoman in her hometown. And although Bertrand never married, it was speculated that she was fairly close with Louis St. Laurent, who would eventually become the 12th prime minister of Canada.^[36]

She resided at a longterm care facility in Montreal throughout the last 35 years of her life. And upon being announced as the world's oldest woman after the death of Elizabeth Bolden of the United States on 11 December 2006, she wasn't hesitant with declining interviews about her new record.^[35]

Bertrand died in her sleep on 18 January 2007, after her death, Emma Tillman of the United States succeeded her as the world's oldest woman.^[36]

James McCoubrey

James Foster McCoubrey (13 September 1901 – 5 July 2013) was a Canadian-born American supercentenarian.^[37] Along with being the oldest living Canadian man at the time of his death, he was also the second-oldest known living man in both the United States and the rest of the world behind 112-year-old Spanish-born Salustiano Sánchez.^[38]

McCoubrey was born in St. John's, Newfoundland to his parents George Andrew McCoubrey and Jennie Isabel Foster. His father died from tuberculosis when he was just a toddler, and as a result, he moved into the house of his aunt Mary Foster who resided in Halifax, Nova Scotia. McCoubrey eventually moved houses for a second time at the age of 8, but this time to the United States in Cambridge, Massachusetts so he could reside with his mother again. He soon became an American citizen after his mother married his stepfather of James Hicks.^[39]

Throughout his adulthood, McCoubrey worked with various insurance companies and later started an insurance business of his own that worked in the motorcycle industry. He met his future wife Rose Helga Aurora Nordbeck at a canoe club on the Charles River in Boston in 1923 and went to marry her not that long after.^[39] Their only child, Patricia, was born in 1929 and the couple were married for nearly 70 years before Nordbeck's death in 1992 at the age of 90. After becoming widowed, he moved to his daughter and son-in-law's home in Walnut Creek, California, where he would reside for the remaining 20 years of his life.^[40]

Shortly after the passing of his wife, McCoubrey purchased his first computer at the age of 93, where he would often talk with other seniors over chat rooms. He continued to use the computer well into his centenarian years, and regularly responded to emails until a few years before his death. At the time of his 111th birthday in 2012, he was still in remarkably good shape for his age, being able to walk around his home unassisted and helping out with household chores. His advanced age came as a surprise to those who met him, as his mostly wrinkle-free skin and good health gave him the appearance of someone many decades younger.^[39]

McCoubrey was thought to have gained the world's oldest man title after the death of Jiroemon Kimura of Japan on 12 June 2013, who lived on to become the oldest verified man to ever live.^[37] He held the record until his death from pneumonia on 5 July 2013; however, the validation of Salustiano Sánchez meant McCoubrey never got the oldest living man title but still holds the record of being the oldest validated man ever born in Canada.^[38]

Reuben Sinclair

Reuben "Rube"^[41] Sinclair (5 December 1911 – 27 August 2023)^[22] was the oldest known living man in Canada, and oldest known living veteran of World War II.^[42][43]

Sinclair was born on the outskirts of Lipton, Saskatchewan to Yitzok (né Sandler) and Fraida (née Dubrovinsky) Sinclair – Ukrainian Jews that immigrated to Canada in 1905. His two older brothers, Samuel and Sol, were born in Ukraine, while his older sister Clara and younger brother Joe were born in Canada.^[41] His family's land was provided by the Jewish Colonisation Association. He worked on their farm.^[41]

Sinclair joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942^[44] and was stationed at North Battleford. According to his daughter, he "couldn't stand by and do nothing while people were dying in Europe".^[45] He taught pilots how to take off and land during blackouts, before radar was commonplace. Once it became standard, he worked in equipping aircraft with transmitters and receivers.^[44] His younger brother Joe served in the army, and after the war they moved to Richmond, British Columbia and started Sinclair Bros. Garage and Auto Wrecking.^[41][43][45]

He married a woman named Ida and they had three children: Nadine Lipetz, Karen and Len. In 1964, they moved to California; Sinclair suffered from migraines due to the war and his wife suggested they move to California to escape the cold weather and live closer to her siblings.^[41] His brother-in-law offered him a job in a furniture store in Anaheim. Ida suffered a stroke in 1994 and the Sinclairs moved back to British Columbia the same year. She died in 1996.^[41] Reuben resided in Richmond.

Sinclair was vaccinated against COVID-19 in March 2021, one of the oldest people to do so.^[46] Following the death of 109-year-old Tom Lumby on 19 June 2021,^[47] Sinclair was believed to have become Canada's oldest veteran.^[42] He became the oldest Canadian-born man upon the death of 110-year-old Arnold Hawkins on 18 September 2021.^[42][48] In November 2021, he had six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.^[45] His family spanned five generations at the time of his death.^[43]

Following the death of 111-year-old American Ezra Hill on 4 October 2022,^[49] Sinclair was believed to have been the oldest World War II veteran in the world.^[42]