HAVING TOO MUCH FUN TO RETIRE
These 70+ seniors still love to work
While many older adults are happy to spend their time volunteering and doing other activities, some still enjoy heading out for a job and a paycheque.
Mary Hutton, 72, is a registered nurse who works at the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team clinic in Vanier.
She has been working with the Inuit community in the city for over 20 years. “Initially, I was hired to provide pre- and post-natal programming for the Inuit Family Resource Centre, and when the clinic opened in 2011, I was hired in my capacity as an RN,” said Mary. “I love the Inuit community and hope to continue to be connected with the Inuit when I retire — ‘Freedom 85’ is my motto!”
While Mary loves her work, she recently decided to work a four-day week because she finds the weekends “far too short.”
“I do not have a pension and while I do have some modest savings, I am not ready for the financial free-fall that comes with retirement, and so that is my compromise,” she said. “As well, I have a connection with the people who come to the clinic, sometimes over 20 years, and am not ready to cut ties with them.”
Her adult children “are doing beautifully,” she said. “I could not be more proud of them. We are empty nesters but seem to have no difficulty filling time. I like to exercise: running, paddling, biking and doing some craft work in my spare time.”
Another hard worker, Manny Agulnik, turned 75 recently with no thoughts about retiring. A longtime real estate broker with the Regional Group, Manny is also a cycling devotee and president of OK Cycling and Adventure Tours. He recently opened a fully-licensed travel agency office at 616 Kirkwood Rd. in Westboro.
His wife Paula describes her husband as working “two full-time jobs and only 28 hours in a day!”
A runner for many decades, about 20 years ago Manny recognized that he’d better protect his knees and took up cycling as well. After a brief cycling adventure to the Netherlands and another from Ottawa to Kennebunkport, Maine with a group of friends, he discovered his passion for creating adventure tours. Taking the name from his Ottawa-Kennebunkport route, OK Cycling and Adventure Tours was born.
Since that time, Agulnik has both led and created cycling/adventure tours for others, including singles, couples, families and groups. Recently, he helped a group of seven siblings spend a week on a barge/cycle trip in the Netherlands where their parents lived, using both hybrid and e-bikes, making it convenient for all ages. One of the few travel agencies in Canada concentrating on cycling and adventure tours, he has had inquiries from as far away as South Africa and Israel.
“Manny is totally dedicated to having fun and sharing his passion of cycling with others,” said his wife. “He recognizes that retirement is not for him. I had a wonderful full-time career and now keep quite busy, but I do prefer retirement myself. However, I also benefit from Manny’s pursuit as we both enjoy European cycling tours, and we get to meet such interesting people.”
Also still on the job is Ted Hoganson, 79.
For 17 years, the resident of South Keys has been employed at the Canadian Tire Centre in guest services, working over 40 hockey games and all the other events, too. “For all the hockey games I’m in the guest services booth,” he said. “If the staff don’t know something, I have the resources to give the answer.”
And the former tax auditor for Revenue Canada has a second job as well. He does Quebec tax returns for Canadian Payroll and Tax Services, primarily in February, March and April, and sporadically into June.
“From my point of view, I have a government pension and financially I don’t need to work,” said Ted, who also likes to golf and attend theatre in both Ottawa and Toronto. “But what I enjoy about the two jobs is that I don’t have to get involved in the politics. I just see the positives of everything. Working keeps me abreast of things, and there is a great staff and supervisors.”
He said that when his wife, who passed away nine years ago, retired, he had mentioned to her that she could get some part-time work. “I didn’t retire to go to work,” she told him.
But for Ted, it’s different. “I’m now serving the public, and the client comes first. It’s quite a switch from tax audits.”
I love the Inuit community and hope to continue to be connected with the Inuit when I retire — ‘Freedom 85’ is my motto! MARY HUTTON, 72