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Barbara Barbara
In Memory of
Barbara "Sylvia"
Canning
1921 - 2017
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Obituary for Barbara "Sylvia" Canning

Barbara "Sylvia"  Canning
Barbara Sylvia Canning Obituary March 17, 2017

Barbara “Sylvia” Canning’s dream was to win millions playing 649. She bought her ticket every week, rain or shine. But to those who knew and loved her, she had already hit the jackpot living into her 96th year. A life worthy of the history books. On March 17th, “Nanny” passed away peacefully at Bay Haven nursing home in Collingwood, Ontario surrounded by her devoted daughter and son, Beverly McMaster and Gordon Canning.

The Sylvia Canning story begins on April 19, 1921 in London, England. She was born to parents Herbert “Bertie” and Alice Mabel Ainger. Bertie was a butler who served 8 British prime ministers, including Winston Churchill, making him privy to top secret war time talk. Sylvia had 4 siblings, Joan (deceased), Gordon (deceased), Ken and Janet. WWII would profoundly shape the family’s life and Sylvia’s in so many ways. At 15 she went to work in a government factory building bombs. Soon after, the war would bring her a handsome Canadian soldier named Frederick Canning who caught her eye at the Hammersmith Palais de Danse. Sylvia loved to dance and that would be her last as a single woman. On June 13th, 1942 Sylvia and Fred married and baby Gordon came along the following year. At the end of the war, the brave young mother packed up her family and headed to a foreign land, Canada. Sylvia stated, “I was in love and love can do anything to you – in my case it swayed my mind into going with my new love to the new world, this great country Canada!”

She was one of thousands of British-Canadian war brides and their children who traveled across the Atlantic aboard Cunard Line’s Britannic in 1945. Sylvia, Fred, Gord - and then baby Bev - settled in Cornwall, Ontario. Sylvia worked as a motivator for Weight Watchers giving many an inspiring lecture.

Adjectives to describe Sylvia: feisty, funny, quick, and warm. She loved Shepherd’s pie and Apple Crisp (baked only in a large aluminum baking pan), afternoon tea, singing The White Cliffs of Dover, knitting, painting, socializing and Bible Studies at the Church of Christ, the Royals, Churchill and of course her family. She credits the war for a long life: “Getting through the war made me feel that I can get through anything…” and did she ever. Sylvia Canning is a national treasure who will go down in the history books and in our hearts.

Sylvia leaves behind Bev, Gord (Lee), five grandchildren, Jeff (Sandra), Luke (Tracy), Jonathon (Heather) and Rob McMaster (Laura) and Andrea Canning (Tony) - who all affectionately call her Nanny and 12 great-grandchildren Nash, Nolan, Logan, Hudson, Liam, Marlowe and Paige McMaster and Anna, Charlie, Kiki, Georgia and Elle Bancroft.

Cheerio to an incredible lady...Sylvia "Nanny" Canning.
in the Georgian Bay Room, Village Conference Centre at Blue Mountain Resort on Sunday July 9 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations to the Bras Drug Development Program www.thepmcf.ca/bras at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre would be appreciated.

The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the kind staff at Bay Haven Nursing Home, Dr. Ghandi, Marilyn McEachern for her friendship and loving support and Right at Home. We also greatly appreciate our friends’ support, kindness and many condolences.

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