Michael Drebot outside his Winnipeg home.Shannon VanRaes/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.
Michael Drebot, 65, Winnipeg
I retired in the spring of 2022, a few weeks before my 64th birthday, after working for more than 30 years in infectious disease research and public-health microbiology. My last position was as acting director-general at Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML). I was also an associate professor within the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Department at the University of Manitoba.
The biggest challenge for me was adapting to a less demanding and hectic lifestyle after dealing with outbreak responses ranging from West Nile virus, Zika, H1N1 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. I sometimes miss the excitement of dealing with these public-health concerns, but I felt it was time to move on to a more leisurely lifestyle. I also wanted to retire while I was still in good health and able to be an active retiree.
I purposely retired in the spring to enjoy more outdoor activities such as golf, biking and gardening. It was great to relax and focus on activities such as reading, writing and cooking for my girlfriend and our friends. I have a list of things to do in retirement including volunteering, relearning how to play the piano, some non-science writing and travel.
My shift to retirement wasn’t dramatic. I had some work to help me wind down including writing book chapters and research papers and helping graduate students from the university. After about a year into retirement, NML asked me to take on some part-time contracts. It helps me keep a toe in public-health microbiology activities and infectious disease science. And since the work is part-time, it hasn’t affected my retirement schedule, including the number of golf games I sign up for!
I was financially prepared for retirement with a pension and my own personal investments. I also have a “rainy day” fund and am mortgage-free. I decided to take my Canada Pension Plan benefits at 65, even though the payments would be higher if I waited longer. I wanted to enjoy the money sooner rather than later and have a solid foundation of savings and investments to draw from in retirement.
I’m not too worried about money in retirement despite rising inflation and the market’s ups and downs. I do look more carefully at the weekly sales flyers for deals on groceries and other household items I may need. I used to tease my dad about doing this when he retired, and now I’m doing the same thing.
My advice for others heading into retirement is to plan for the change of pace and lifestyle. Also, consider the different phases of retirement. You may not be as physically fit as you age, or your health could change. You may also need to manage expectations for yourself and others.
Some friends were surprised when I decided to retire. They couldn’t envisage me not working as a “lab rat” and being challenged by the next emerging infectious disease. However, I have adjusted well and look forward to learning and doing new things to supplement my current interests and hobbies.
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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