Military couple looks back on 70 years of marriage to mark anniversary
A Barrie couple who found love in the military is celebrating a significant wedding milestone.
Peter And Helen Cooper celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this week. The dynamic duo are both in their mid 90's and say the secret to their successful marriage is simple.
"I think it's just smiling at each other and just getting along," said Peter Cooper. "I think it's a lot of patience and love and having the best children in the world," Added Helen Cooper.
On Saturday, the Cooper clan gathered for a celebration at the family home in Barrie. The two lovers met while serving as Corporals in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Less than a year later, they tied the knot.
Four children and five grandchildren later, with a great-grandchild on the way, Peter and Helen continue to have fun and enjoy life even though they have different interests.
"I play sports, and he doesn't. He gardens," Helen said. "I spend time in the garden, Helen is an active sports person, golf and things like that. I sit in the background and watch," Peter said.
Helen said she always has Peters back. Like when he tried to ride an oversized bicycle on the driveway just a couple of years ago. A photo from that day shows Helen holding onto her husband for dear life.
Rob Cooper is one of Peter and Helen's children. He remembers the day the picture was taken. "It was fun, but I was terrified that day," Cooper said. "I was thinking, don't let go, don't let him go."
Rob's sister Carolyn Cooper said she hopes others use her parent's story as inspiration. "What I really hope is that other couples will take a look at it and really think twice and try real hard to try and keep their marriages going."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.