Lorraine and Neil Gregory bought a small home in Fort Erie, Ont. as part of their retirement plan. 'We grow various fruits and vegetables to eat fresh and preserve over the winter,' Mr. Gregory says.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Neil Gregory, 79, Fort Erie, Ont.
I retired in 2017 after a career that included working as an Anglican priest, a hospital chaplain and an addictions counsellor. For the last 14 years of my career, I was a part-time teacher at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. My wife Lorraine was a math teacher at the same university and retired a year after me.
We moved to the U.S. in 1991 – first to Maryland, then Pittsburgh, then Michigan – and knew we wanted to retire in Canada. My wife and I were both born and raised in Saskatchewan and, in our view, the U.S. is not a place to be old, sick or poor. We have a daughter who lives nearby in Niagara Falls, Ont. and a son in Pennsylvania.
As part of our retirement plan, we bought a small home in Fort Erie, Ont. We did a lot of renovations on the place before we moved there in 2020, including replacing a hazardous walkway and steps with a small deck, and tearing out a weed patch to plant a flower and herb garden. We grow various fruits and vegetables to eat fresh and preserve over the winter. Not only do we enjoy gardening, but it also helps us control the cost of food. We buy our meat only when it’s on sale and rarely eat out unless it’s a special occasion, like a birthday. We feel we can make better food at home – and for a much lower cost. I can also make perfectly acceptable wine for about $3 a bottle and good beer for about $1 a bottle.
We saved for retirement for many years and live quite comfortably with our various pensions. Our Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security cheques can meet almost all of our monthly living expenses. Our American pensions, which are worth about 30 per cent more when converted into Canadian dollars, are just icing on the cake. We also downsized from a 1,500-square-foot, two-storey house in Michigan to a 900-square-foot, one-storey bungalow here in Fort Erie, which has also helped us save money. So far, we have not had to worry about finances, but that doesn’t mean we can spend or waste money foolishly.
I keep busy in retirement. I enjoy gardening and cooking from scratch with my wife, and I’ve found an oil painting group and will be doing more of that this winter. My wife is a member of a knitting club. I’m also interested in genealogy and have traced some of our ancestors back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1. I’m also writing about the history of my hometown, Theodore, Sask.
'I enjoy gardening and cooking from scratch with my wife,' says Neil Gregory, pictured with his wife, Lorraine.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Retirement has been pretty much what we expected it to be. My advice for others heading into retirement is to downsize if you can. Not only will you save money, but there will be less space for you to clean and maintain in retirement. There will also be less stuff for your children to deal with later.
Also, if you’re moving to a new town or city in retirement, try to find new friends and stay socially active. I’ve discovered senior citizens centres, and a lot is happening. You have to find what interests you and get involved. The trick is to keep your mind busy. You might not be able to keep your body as busy as you age, and gravity takes its toll, but keep your mind sharp.
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.