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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Dettah elder Michel Paper was treating his 99th birthday last Thursday like any other day when he made his daily stop into Kentucky Fried Chicken for a one-piece chicken thigh dinner with fries and a cup of coffee.

Michel Paper turned 99 last Thursday and was treated to a surprise birthday party by Kentucky Fried Chicken staff. Paper, who has been coming to the restaurant almost every day for many, many years, said last week the secret to his longevity is to eat his fried chicken in moderation and to avoid drinking and smoking. Here he is joined by manager Whitney Jason. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

He wasn't expecting the party awaiting him.

"We surprised him and we had planned and are still going to have another one on his 100th," said KFC manager Whitney Jason, who put the event together including the purchase of a cake. "We had some balloons and some cake and we all sang Happy Birthday to him."

The Jason family has owned the restaurant since it opened in 1968. Yellowknifer was unable to pin down an exact year when Paper began coming to the restaurant but he has been eating there pretty much every day - almost for "forever," by Jason's estimation. Paper seemed pleased with the birthday greeting he received from the five staff members who showed their appreciation for his business by marking his birthday this year.

"Oh yeah, everybody did good for me," said Paper, when asked if he had a good time. "But next year is going to be 100 years. It's going to be a big one."

Paper, whose previous claim to fame was his $1 million win in the Set For Life lottery in 2010, was quick to point out that he has all kinds of stories about the history of the Yellowknife area based on what he has seen since being born in 1913. One thing he noted while looking out the KFC window thoughtfully on Monday was that people seem less active than they used to be.

"Nobody does nothing now," he exclaimed. "People have gotten lazy, you know? Before, in my young days, everybody did something from morning to night. Before, we would do fishing, or feed the dogs, or go trapping - we would do something all the time."

He said he "feels better all the time" and that the secret to his longevity is eating his fried chicken meal in moderation, as he usually only gets the one piece. He also said it is important to avoid smoking and drinking.

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