Out on the snowmobile trails at 101 years old
February 17, 2026, 10:55 am
Stephanie Zoer
Basil John Holyer has had a full life, and he still enjoys the things he loves with his daughter Chris White. He moved in with Chris a year ago and now lives at White Bear First Nation.
Holyer was born in Weyburn on January 9, 1925, and he just turned 101 years old. He farmed four quarters of land in grain all his life and raised his three daughters Judy Holyer, Joy Holyer and Chris White after he was divorced.
Chris is the youngest and she has close connections with her dad and has many fond memories of being on the farm. She said her dad would take them sledding down the Souris River to Nickle Lake or to a gravel pit that was located near Weyburn. Back in the day there were no trails and they made do with what they had.
Holyer kept his daughters entertained not only with work on the farm but with go carting and minibikes. There was always fun to be had on the farm after the work was done.
In the summer months the land work was taken care of first and with four quarters it kept Holyer busy, but once the work was completed it was time to have some fun. In the winter months equipment was prepared for the following season, and the snowmobiles came out for winter fun.
Holyer stayed on the farm until he was around 86 years old. He moved to Weyburn. Every weekend Chris picked up her dad and took him to her home in White Bear. A year ago, Chris and Holyer decided to have Holyer move in with Chris. Up until last year Holyer lived on his own.
Chris is very close to her father, so this transition was easy for her. Chris said her dad is still very good at 101 years of age.
When Holyer found out that Chris had bought a new-to-her 800 snowmobile, he was very excited. It had been a while since he had been on one, but he had to try out the machine.
They geared up and set out on the trails for a short ride. They also went out on White Bear Lake. Chris said he loved it, and it was a great birthday gift.
He plans to do the same thing for his 102nd birthday next year.
In Holyer’s spare time he does puzzles and loves watching the Toronto Blue Jays baseball and does not miss a game. He was pretty disappointed when they lost in the world series, but he remained positive with his motto “There is always next year.”
Holyer believes that his clean living has contributed to his long and fulfilled life. He looks forward to another season of Blue Jays baseball and doing puzzles. But next winter he is excited about taking another rip on Chris’s snowmobile to celebrate another year of life.
