From the Editor Suzanne Boyd
we got from you regarding our decision to feature Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the cover of our 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (“The Running Man”), the most frequently asked question was why, given that he is not yet 50. But apart from our internal jargon that Zoomer is targeted at Canadians 45 and up, as that was the age of the youngest baby boomer when the magazine was founded a decade ago (the prime minster is 46), the more profound insight of the Zoomer Philosophy we established is the one I mentioned during the interview with the PM and his Minister of Seniors Filomena Tassi – that aging is not a ghetto. The effects of aging radiate out from the individual, to the family and into society, and just because someone isn’t technically older doesn’t mean they are not relevant to our mandate – to change the attitudes in the public square so that the later age and stage of life is a positive one. Policy is fundamental to this goal and, as the sitting prime minister who has power of the platform, there is no one more integral to the issues most important to you. And Mr. Trudeau’s attitude to aging is important to know whether you agree or disagree with his politics as it informs his approach to the issues we addressed in the interview.
As we head into next year’s federal election, with Prime Minister’s hat already in the ring, his responses to our questions on pension reform, seniors’ costs of living, RRIF withdrawals, caregiving, pharmacare and more will be an indispensable barometer for promises broken, promises kept.