An expert says there are six ways you can approach life after work. We found examples right here.
by Tom Maloney // Photography by Roger Klein
His back aching, his voice betraying exhaustion, his fingers freezing, Jean-Marc Page had just spent another day scavenging beer cans and wine bottles from bins. Sad story? Had a 76-year-old man, after spending 38 years in the pension industry, failed to plan adequately for retirement?
Quite the opposite. Jean-Marc and other volunteers regularly collect the donated bottles and cans from dedicated apple bins in Thornbury, cash them in at The Beer Store in Meaford, and deliver the proceeds to Beaver Valley Outreach (BVO), a Thornbury-based social services organization.
After relocating from Toronto to Thornbury in 2005, Jean-Marc faced the same question that challenges the legions of retirees presently flocking to Georgian Bay: Now what? How do you replace the time, energy and brain function previously gobbled up by the workplace?
In his book, When Can I Retire, Allen Allentuck argues that, in addition to financial resources, a successful transition into retirement requires motive and meaning. Otherwise, he warns, “those who got their identities from work may find it tough to go out into the world.”
“You can’t stay home doing nothing,” says Jean-Marc, his accent reflecting his East Montreal upbringing. “If you stay active, you don’t get old so quickly.”
Fortunately, when it comes to how you approach retirement, there are options. Nancy Schlossberg, a widely-recognized expert on retirement and the author of Retire Smart, Retire Happy, has determined six categories of retirees: the Retreater, Continuer, Adventurer, Easy Glider, Searcher and Involved Spectator. Look around and you probably know a few of these types—or fit into one yourself. On the Bay caught up to some local examples.
THE ADVENTURER
The Adventurer is a retiree who dives into an entirely new field. In 2017, David Baker and his wife Kim, an ongoing high school principal in the GTA, bought 10 acres of farmland near the intersection of Grey Road 40 and Beaver Valley Road. David, 60, formerly vice-president of marketing with the family company that published Today’s Bride and ParentsCanada magazines, left that position to launch the Grey & Gold Cider Company in the Town of the Blue Mountains.
In summer, he delights in wearing his brand’s T-shirt over jeans, moving between picnic tables on a grassy area outside a charming, if dilapidated, barn.
“For sure, I wanted to get out from behind the desk,” he says. “It doesn’t feel non-stop because you’re constantly switching roles. On the days the bottle shop is open, that’s pretty much all I do. Then I shift into agriculture mode or production mode. And I can still get in a bike ride or a sail during the week.”
Previously the chief marketing officer for the law firm Bennett Jones, she moved from Toronto to her home near Walters Falls and now only regrets not having done it sooner.
THE CONTINUER
The Continuer leverages career background and education by jumping into a similar role as a volunteer, part-timer, or a refreshing new full-time endeavour.
Barb Sheperd, 62, leveraged her career background in marketing into a similar role with Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding Centre. She is the development officer for the Markdale-based charity, which helps individuals with intellectual, physical, or social/emotional challenges.
Previously the chief marketing officer for the law firm Bennett Jones, she moved from Toronto to her home near Walters Falls and now only regrets not having done it sooner. She’s experiencing a “re-enlivenment.”
“I’m grateful to combine my business experience with my lifelong love of horses and equine-based programs,” she says. “I’m privileged to witness the remarkable growth of riders with disabilities and diverse needs, and this drives my passion for fundraising.”
THE RETREATER
The Retreater is one who steps away for a while, as Norm Edwards Baratto is doing after a 45-year career in broadcasting.
When Baratto—known by his stage name Norm Edwards—signed off from his popular program on Zoomer Radio/AM 740 last October, he approached his next chapter with a near-empty canvas.
His lone-stated goal was to enjoy more time with his grown children Meghan and Brad, his Sheltie Max, and a 30-foot Doral Prestancia powerboat slipped at the Driftwood Cove Marine Resort in Port Severn.
If the Retreater stays disengaged forever, there is peril as cocktail hour creeps earlier and earlier. But Schlossberg found that it can be healthy to step away from the routine temporarily to plan for what comes next—especially after a demanding job like Baratto’s.
“Because of the job I was in, one might think I have a need for attention, or a desire to perform,” he says. “But personally, I don’t need that connection anymore. Maybe down the road, I might crave that again.”
THE EASY GLIDER
The Easy Glider retiree dives into each day willing to take on whatever it might bring.
Ron Westlake of Collingwood raced competitively as a teenager with the budding Crazy Canucks, Steve Podborski and Ken Read, but his father’s fatal heart attack at age 50 left him without the financial means to continue. He would go on to a 30-year career at Blue Mountain, first as ski school director, then leading the Kids at Blue and Jozo Weider programs.
After being laid off in a cost-cutting sweep, Ron went to school at age 55 and became a certified home inspector for nine and a half years. Now he devotes retirement to his health—walking, hiking, fishing, skiing, kayaking, sailing, dirt biking, and golfing. He dropped 20 pounds last summer.
“For some, the joy of having no agenda and no pressure makes for a relaxed and rewarding life,” Schlossberg writes of Easy Gliders, of which Ron is the perfect example.
“The way I look at it now, my goal is to invest in me, to make sure I’m in better shape,” he says. “I look at the calendar and it’s fully booked doing nothing. But I’m always doing something.”
THE SEARCHER
The Searcher is willing to endure trial and error while looking for a transition into retirement.
Joanne Burton worked for 37 years at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), lastly as manager of corporate wellness, then three more as a wellness consultant for Sun Life. Having volunteered with Dress for Success and Habitat for Humanity, she seeks similar opportunities.
“I think I’ll be searching until I die,” says Joanne, who splits time between the Beach in Toronto and a condo on the Bay near Collingwood. “I don’t know if I’ll ever fully retire. I see not only a rapid aging process but people dying younger than they should due to physical and social inactivity.”
THE INVOLVED SPECTATOR
The final retirement path identified by Schlossberg describes a lot of retirees: The Involved Spectator.
Take George Czerny-Holownia, 76, former publisher of the Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin. Some 26 years after retiring from newspapers, he still speaks passionately about the business, and also about the social issues he used to cover as a journalist.
In fact, he continues writing about them. His 2019 book Kiss The Ground You Walk On, Canada takes on voter apathy, and the drinking-water crisis in First Nations communities.
Which admittedly makes him more than just an Involved Spectator—defined by Schlossberg as one who derives satisfaction from following his or her former field of work without actually participating.
“As I got older, my health started to change, and I realized my time frame for doing things is shrinking,” says George. What hasn’t changed is his overall approach: “As my own boss, I went and did things I wanted to do. And I still only do things I want to do.”
As for Jean-Marc, he’d begun volunteering soon after retiring from a bank and, in that sense, is a Continuer in Thornbury. His wife Ann Dyer, vice-chair of the BVO, kiddingly dubbed him the Bin Boy.
“We’re $85 short of $20,000,” Jean-Marc said back in early November. “Tomorrow we are going to reach our goal for the year!” In fact, his small volunteer group would redeem 165,000 bottles and cans by year-end, returning more than $24,000 to the BVO.
Come January, he decided to oversee the volunteers and step away from the actual can-harvesting duties.
Whatever type of retiree you end up to be, continue to approach life with a sense of purpose, he advises.
”It’s satisfying to know you’re helping other people, and at the same time, health-wise, it’s good to keep busy. I feel sorry for people who just retire and stay home and do nothing. It’s a loss to them and to society.”
How to plan for a successful retirement
As they say, “Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.” As COO and Chief Policy Officer at the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), Bill VanGorder has researched and presented extensively on successful retirement. Here’s his advice.
1. THINK AHEAD: Before you retire, think about what will occupy your time in retirement. Plan some activities (in addition to travelling or fixing things around the house).
2. STAY BUSY: If most of your friends and activities revolve around work, branch out to other pursuits. Join a service club, start or renew a hobby. Volunteer for a charity. Involve yourself in a local volunteer theatre or other arts group.
3. BE PATIENT: Don’t make plans before you retire that you cannot easily change later. You really don’t know what you will want to do until later. Further to that, wait three to six months before you make any major changes to your lifestyle.
4. PLAN WITH YOUR SPOUSE: Your spouse may have married you for better or for worse, but not necessarily for lunch.
5. MENTOR: Give your expertise to younger people. Your knowledge can have huge value. If you are interested in business mentoring, contact small business enterprise centres to see if they are looking for mentors.
6. THINK ABOUT WORKING AGAIN: Remember, why would you want to spend the last quarter of your life doing nothing? Financial considerations are not always the prime motive for so-called un-retirees to work. Recent studies found that only 37 percent of women and 41 percent of men said that financial considerations were a factor in their decision to go back to work after “retiring.”
By the numbers
According to CARP, nearly one million people retire in Canada every year.* Here’s how the numbers look according to those who answered “yes” to the statements below.
“Retirement happened to me in the past 12 months.”
— 45+ (all respondents) – 980,000
— 45-54 – 93,000
— 55-64 – 407,000
— 65+ – 480,000
“I expect retirement to happen to me in the coming 12 months.”
— 45+ (all respondents) – 756,000
— 45-54 – 148,000
— 55-64 – 400,000
— 65+ – 208,000
*Source: Vividata Fall 2021
