Animal Advocates Watchdog
It's a Wonderful Life
Full house gathers to help well-loved activist celebrate 90 years
Marcel Tetrault
Comox Valley Echo
Friday, May 21, 2010
A hunting bear and rabbit, an RCMP arrest and a row of politicians eager to extol Ruth Masters' virtues were all featured at the local activist's 90th birthday party.
A full house at the Upper Filberg feted the aging but still feisty environmentalist and two-time Comox Valley Citizen of the Year on Tuesday. She was recognized for her many hard fought battles to preserve plots of land as well as some of her handy but unusual skills, such as the ability to build an outdoor biffy wherever and whenever one was required.
"You have contributed so much to this Valley, particularly with respect to your interest in making sure the history is not forgotten," said Courtenay Coun. Ronna Rae Leonard.
"I personally think you should be the citizen of the year every year."
In all, according to a book on Master's life called Us Dames Have Come a Long Way, the dynamic lady is involved with 23 animal rights groups, 27 environmental causes and between 35 to 40 organizations concerned with women's rights, peace and the third world.
The always modest but never shy Masters said the birthday party was "the biggest surprise in my entire life."
"I'm a bit unclear about all this that I'm supposed to have done," she said, seated in front of the sign "Senior Sh*t Disturber," which she insisted be placed on the back of her chair. "I'm just flattered all to hell with the attention.
"I'm hoping to ride it out."
Masters often notes that, despite participating in dozens of protests and blockades, she has never been arrested. On Tuesday, the streak finally came to a sort of end when Wayne White, dressed in the mountie's red serge, performed a mock arrest before escorting her to the front of the stage.
Masters' first order of business was to make sure the story was set straight with respect to how she keeps her skin so supple.
Crisco.
According to Masters, a friend of her former employer lived in New York City and used to watch as barrels of grease were delivered to the Crisco plant while identical barrels went to the face cream plant across the street.
"It's the same grease," she said. "From that day on, I have never bought a single ounce of face cream. It must have saved me hundreds of dollars.
"I have right now a can of Crisco that I paid $7.29 for. I've had it a year. People look at me in shock and horror. I tell them that it's the same grease.
"So that straightens out that little misconception."
Masters said that every protest and blockade she had ever participated in was worth the energy. Efforts to protect Strathcona Park alone, she said, saved many hundreds of acres that were going to be "logged, mined, burned, dammed, flooded, molested, paved, looted, polluted and stolen."
Her characteristic determination was on display when she invited everybody to return for her 100th birthday celebration.
Local politicians weren't the only ones to praise Masters for her work over the years -- a letter of good wishes from Premier Gordon Campbell was also read.
© Comox Valley Echo 2010
http://www2.canada.com/comoxvalleyecho/news/story.html?id=83cad23b-8d6a-4630-a135-1ce1ac261ea3
CREDIT:
After failing to be arrested at dozens of protests and blockades over the last few decades, Ruth Masters is finally 'arrested' by 'mountie' Wayne White at her 90th birthday party.
