Michael Patterson, former Anglican minister who retired in late 2022 at the age of 67, at his home in Oakville, Ontario, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Nick Iwanyshyn/The Globe and Mail)Nick Iwanyshyn/The Globe and Mail
In Tales from the Golden Age, retirees talk about their spending, savings and whether life after work is what they expected. For more articles in this series, click here.
Michael Patterson, 70, Oakville, Ont.
I retired in November 2022 at age 67 after a career as an Anglican minister. I started thinking about retiring at age 63 and began slowing down a bit, working on a half-time basis and subsequently hired an associate who helped with the workload.
I had planned to retire at 65, but COVID-19 hit and I didn’t think it was an appropriate time to call it quits. I had a parish in Oakville, and transitions take time and energy. I also didn’t want the community to have to deal with that change on top of the pandemic.
Once I retired, I told my wife – who’s still working – that I wouldn’t make any plans or decide which direction I might take for the first six months. I wanted to get a sense of what retirement felt like. That was a mistake. After two or three months, I was irritable and found myself floundering a bit. I quickly got involved in volunteering, made plans to travel and became far more proactive about determining my priorities.
I now volunteer at our local hospital, for a school breakfast program and am training to be a victim services volunteer with the local regional police service. All of these activities have given me a different kind of purpose.
I’ve also tried a few new things, including scuba lessons and pickleball. They weren’t really for me. I bought an electric bike, which is a great form of transportation and loads of fun.
My wife and I go to the gym regularly, and our dog gets us out and moving, too. Podcasts, politics and audiobooks keep my mind active.
My wife and I also travel at least once a year and spend a great deal of time at our cottage with our kids, other family and friends. One of the great joys has been reconnecting with old friends we haven’t been in touch with for many years.
I don’t worry about finances in retirement, but I am very aware of reduced income and the need to tighten the belt somewhat. I’m also fortunate to have a good pension through the church and have had success working with a financial advisor throughout my working life.
My first financial advisor was Michael Lee-Chin, who sold me my first investment in the 1970s. I wonder what ever happened to him? Haha. He’s also the one who encouraged me to maximize my RRSPs from the start of my career. I then found another advisor, who has helped us keep our investments on track for many years.
Retirement was more difficult than I expected at first. Much of what I did in life was reactive and administrative. There was a very clear template for my role and how I went about my day-to-day work and personal life.
In retirement, there was really nothing to react to and it quickly became clear that I needed to be proactive and create a new template for how my life would unfold.
If I had to start retirement over again, I would seek out others who have retired for a while, talk to them about their experiences, get advice and perhaps speak to a counsellor or a retirement expert.
Planning is important. Don’t leave it to chance as I did. Financial planning seems to be the main thing we pay attention to, but that’s the easy part.
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 seeking participants for 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.