My Elderly Space

If you're not familiar with local Canadian politics, you may not know Hazel McCallion. She's the current mayor of Mississauga and has been for 30 years. Mississauga is the 6th largest city in Canada, so her responsibilities are not exactly trivial. She is affectionately known as Hurricane Hazel, for her outspoken style of no-nonsense politics.

At the age of 87, you may think she's taking things slowly. But she has no intention of doing so. In her most recent election victory (in which she won by a landslide margin) McCallion said there was definitely room for improvement, and plans to focus on public transit and solving the problem of gridlock on the roads, among other issues.

Watch this video and you'll see why she's so popular with voters.

Here's an old, but great story. Clarence Brazier was awarded a Canada Post literacy award in 2006. Unable to read until he was 93, he decided to learn after his wife of 64 years passed away. She had read everything to him.

He has used his new found fame to promote literacy at schools and senior homes.

Jump here to read the full story.

Catherine Hagel, at 113 years, is America's fourth oldest person. Like most super-centenarians, Hagel never held much with doctoring, takes no medications and comes from a long-lived family.

"When Mom was about 80 we tried to get her to move after the house burned down, but she refused," her daughter said. "She camped out on a cot in the garage, then in an old trailer house till we rebuilt the farmhouse."

Learn more about her super-centenarian secrets here.