(2021, 63 minutes)
When we first meet Dr. Mary Anne Cooper she is 104 and her hometown of Port Moody, BC is the same age. The Spirit of Port Moody tells the city’s story in tandem with a recounting of Mary Anne’s eventful life. This thoughtfully crafted documentary follows Port Moody as it grows from a small coastal lumber town to a rail terminus and develops into the modern urban and industrial centre it is today, closely tied to nearby Vancouver by recently built rapid transit. The film offers a variety of perspectives including indigenous history. It conveys the impact of historical decisions on today’s natural and man-made environments. Mary Anne, who has lived through two world wars and two pandemics, is the feisty senior darling of her west coast community of Port Moody. This extraordinary woman is active on social media and fights relentlessly at public meetings for local heritage preservation and environmental protection. She is gifted with a great sense of humour and is never at a loss for words. A social activist, she is proof that old age is no deterrent to living purposefully and productively.