MONTREAL — Pioneering garment industry labour leader Maurice Silcoff celebrated his 100th birthday this month surrounded by family and friends at a party held at the Montefiore Club.
Maurice Silcoff blows out the candles on his 100th birthday cake in the shape of a man’s fedora and inscribed “Union Made.” Helping him are grandson Elliott, holding great-grandson Noam, and son Joel Silcoff.
The Irish-born Silcoff, a hatter by trade, fought for social justice and workers’ rights throughout his life for he had known desperate times himself as a youngster.
Born in Dublin on Sept. 26, 1908, Silcoff emigrated with his family to Montreal when he was three years old. He was orphaned soon after, and went to work at 10 at the Acme Hat Company, bringing his little brother with him to the factory.
Around 1935, Silcoff founded the first local union in Canada for workers in the millinery industry. He went on to become the Canadian president of both the United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers Union and the International Leather Goods, Plastics and Novelty Workers Union, positions that he occupied without interruption until his retirement in 1988 at 80.
In 1948, Silcoff led a Canadian government-sponsored mission to the displaced persons camps in Europe. Through his efforts approximately 600 victims of the atrocities of World War II were relocated to Canada to work in the millinery industry, along with their families. Many thousands of Jews living in Canada today are descendants of those refugees.
One of them is the accomplished Montreal musician Harry Berkins, whose wife’s family was among the rescued group. He played the accordion at Silcoff’s party, tears streaming down his face.
Through the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, Silcoff headed several missions to Israel to participate in the founding and operation of trade schools in Beit Shean and elsewhere in the state. He was honoured on a number of occasions by the Histadrut, Amal and other Israeli organizations for his tireless efforts on behalf of the young State of Israel.
Since his wife Beatrice passed away in 2004, Silcoff has been living at Manoir Montefiore, a seniors’ residence in Côte St. Luc. He continues to enjoy sound health for his age (his major physical complaint is an ingrown toenail) and is sharp as a tack mentally.
In 1997, he embraced the new technology and learned how to use a computer, taught by Alana Klein, the granddaughter of poet and old Silcoff friend A.M. Klein, a onetime candidate of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, forerunner of the New Democratic Party. The following year, at 90, Silcoff reluctantly gave up his driver’s license.
Well into his 90s, Silcoff began writing short humorous observations, under the pseudonym “The Montefiore Observer.” Last year, these vignettes were published as the collection Scenes From a Home for the Elderly, which was distributed to hundreds of new fans of Silcoff’s writings.
A second edition was printed for his birthday.
Four generations of the Silcoff family gathered for his birthday party including his two great-grandchildren from Israel, Noam, 3, and Maya, six months. He was busy afterward e-mailing letters of thanks to everyone who attended.
Silcoff is the father and father-in-law of Quebec Superior Court Judge Joel and Alison Silcoff, an event producer, most notably of the Daffodil Ball, benefitting the Canadian Cancer Society. Also present were their children Elliott Silcoff, an organic chemist living in Tel Aviv, and author and journalist Mireille Silcoff of Montreal.
Congratulatory messages were received from Queen Elizabeth II and Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean.
When asked if he had any wisdom to impart from the vantage point of his years, Maurice Silcoff replied: “The good care of body and mind is essential. Love is essential. Good deeds, both towards oneself and towards mankind, are absolutely essential. And, as sadness occurs in life, always look at the bright side of life.”
His son said his father is to this day a source of inspiration and encouragement in both his personal and professional life.
“His unquestioned values, his sense of fair play and justice, and his commitment to achieving his goals have served as a role model to me and as well, I believe, to all those who have been privileged to share his love and affection.”
