Sara Shadbolt cuts some wood in her yard in Mount Lehman, B.C.Jimmy Jeong/The Globe and Mail
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In Tales from the Golden Age, retirees talk about their spending, savings and whether life after work is what they expected.
Sara Shadbolt, 82, Mount Lehman, B.C.
I retired at age 66 after a long career with the Correctional Service of Canada. I held several positions, starting as a secretary, briefly as a guard, and then different administrative and project management roles. It was an interesting career.
An advisor in the correctional service told me I need to have the ‘magic 85′ to retire with a full pension, which is a combination of your age and years of service. So, when I hit my magic 85, I said, ‘that’s it.’ But It wasn’t just about the math. I had a skiing accident about 20 years earlier that damaged my spine and knee. My knee got better, but my spine got worse, and I wasn’t very happy sitting at a desk all day.
Around my retirement date, I tripped and ruptured a disc in my back, which made it worse. I was already planning on getting back surgery, but this moved that date up several weeks. While recuperating on my back porch in the spring, I hired someone to pull the weeds out of my garden because I couldn’t bend over. Unfortunately, they pulled out half of my plants along the way. I couldn’t believe it. Didn’t they know the difference? Then I realized there must be a niche here, experienced gardeners who can help seniors or anyone with limited mobility. So, I started my own little gardening business. It’s more like a hobby but makes a bit of money.
I love working outdoors with my hands in the earth and helping older people stay in the houses they love just a bit longer. Plus, I enjoy mentoring young people and teaching them about plants. And since I don’t rely on the company for a living, I can afford to pay decent wages.
I’ve also become more active in the community since I retired. I’ve been a board member of the Mount Lehman Community Association for 17 years. I was also a mountain host at Mount Baker, including guest services, orientation and outdoor emergency care. I don’t do that anymore, but I still ski regularly in the winter.
I’ve never been that interested in the money side of retirement, except to have enough to live off. However, one of my gardening clients told me about an advisor she had in Victoria, and she’s done a marvellous job with my investments. Last year was a bad year, but it was for most people. I’m not a nervous investor; I like to own growth stocks and don’t worry too much about them going up and down. I guess that’s partly because I have a pension that I can also rely on. Having financial independence is important to me.
My advice for other retirees is to do whatever you can to stay active. Don’t let yourself go to pot. Also, try to stay connected to younger people. I have four children and seven grandchildren, and they keep me energized.
As told to Brenda Bouw.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Are you a Canadian retiree interested in discussing what life is like now that you’ve stopped working? The Globe is looking for people to participate in its Tales from the Golden Age feature, which examines the personal and financial realities of retirement. If you’re interested in being interviewed for this feature, and agree to use your full name and have a photo taken, please e-mail us at: goldenageglobe@gmail.com Please include a few details about how you saved and invested for retirement and what your life is like now.
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