Grey power roars

Today is National Seniors Day. And, with the Okanagan being such a popular retirement destination, we have much to thank the older generation for.

Thank you for the prosperity you helped bring to our valley; for the experience and wisdom you have put to good use helping shape our nation. And for the volunteerism that helps make our communities better places.

As you read this, seniors will gather today at Sparkling Hill Resort for a conference celebrating their grey power.

Indeed, getting old is not what it used to be. Canadians are living longer, healthier lives, and many seniors continue productive careers.

Others are taking life easy after a lifetime of hard work, but their economic activity and spending clout still have a big influence on our local economy. Today’s seniors are lucky, indeed. A recent Maclean’s article describes them as perhaps the wealthiest generation in history.

Partly by dumb luck, partly by a thrifty nature reinforced by living through tough times, many seniors today enjoy a lifestyle their children and grandchildren may never achieve.

Far from the frail elderly on fixed incomes of popular imagination, many seniors lead a retirement lifestyle that benefitted from the longest sustained period of economic growth the world has ever seen. Put that together with a generational mindset that put saving first, and an explosion in property values, and today they are reaping the rewards. Good for them. But that doesn’t mean a generational assault is necessary to level the playing field. There are still plenty of seniors living more modest lives.

And, unless you want to take in mom or dad as they grow old, they’ll need a hefty chunk of cash to pay for their own care.

The great equalizer will come later. That is what inheritance is for.