Ambassadors: Featured Posts

The U.S. issued an Executive Order imposing a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports, except a 10% tariff on Canadian oil, electricity, and natural gas. This is effective on Tuesday, February 4th. The Prime Minister announced on Feb. 1st a 25% tariff on $155 billion of US goods. As of Tuesday, the first tranche will apply to $30 billion of US goods. Canada will be challenged economically, households will be hurt financially, and the landscape will likely change forever. However, while we can’t change what has happened, we can change how we respond.

After reflecting, I would say “yes” without hesitation if you asked me if I thought I was happy. I found happiness in the fleeting moments after presentations, conversing with a colleague, or in the process of simplifying a concept. I have realized happiness has often come from external experiences or achievements. Joy, on the other hand, comes from inner fulfillment, gratitude, or even spiritual depth. It is personal, can be profound, and sometimes offers contentment amidst struggles.

The “golden triangle of happiness” is genuine and, according to a new survey by HomeEquity Bank, achievable. The “Golden Triangle of Happiness” is a concept developed by researchers at Deakin University and Australian Unity. The golden triangle focuses on the factors that make people happy – financial control, relationships and connection, and purpose. The balance and intersection of these three elements can lead to a genuinely fulfilling retirement.
The golden triangle of happiness is, in many ways, the golden opportunity for our golden years—and your golden years are right now, regardless of age.

These days, what I enjoy is staying home with my husband. We joke that we became accustomed to staying home with only each other for company during COVID and never really overcame the pleasure of making a fine dinner meal and then settling in together to watch a movie on television. This might sound dull or ordinary, but let me assure you, it is not. The security of home, friendly relations with neighbours and a plethora of social events and close connections are really what a good retirement is all about.

I can’t think of better book to read right now than How Canada Works: The People Who Make Our Nation Thrive by Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch. As one of Canada’s most respected journalists, Mansbridge served as the chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of The National for more than 30 years. During this tumultuous time of threatened tariffs by President Donald Trump and the concurrent Canadian federal election, reading How Canada Works is a soft-landing after days and nights of political turbulence.

My history with books and with banks is why I’m so excited about HomeEquity Bank’s new initiative to support Canadian books and authors, the By Canadian Book Club. It couldn’t come at a better time. Today, the majority of best-selling books in Canada are written by U.S. writers and published by foreign-owned presses. To help us through these difficult, and might I add scary times, I’m delighted to announce that “Home EquityBank is throwing its CHIPS in: free books to customers written by notable Canadian authors.”

When HomeEquity Bank approached me four years ago to be their spokesperson, I did a lot of research into the company. My reputation and personal integrity are important to me. I didn’t just want to be a face and a name. I wanted to believe in what I was endorsing.

Kurt Browning, a Canadian figure skater and the celebrity spokesperson for HomeEquity Bank, partners with his dog to describe the benefits of a CHIP Reverse Mortgage and how it can help you retire in the home you love.

Kurt Browning, a Canadian figure skater and the celebrity spokesperson for HomeEquity Bank returns to tell you more about the CHIP Reverse Mortgage.

The Ironman is regarded as one of the world’s toughest endurance races, and fewer than .01% of the world’s population have completed one. To earn a finisher’s medal you need to complete the swim, bike and run, , with no breaks and completed under 17 hours. The race will push your body and mind to the limit taking you way out of your comfort zone and keeping you there for the duration. Can a 70-year-old like me do it – you betcha but you need some strong WHYs to make it to the finish line .

When I look in the mirror I don’t see a 70 year old man but rather a person who feels about twenty years younger. What I see is someone who has taken ownership of his life and changed himself in the process. What I see is a bad-ass retirement rebel, a person who has ripped up the old rule book on aging and retirement. I’ve decided that I wanted to do retirement differently, and not the traditional way society says it should be lived.

One thing I look forward to during the holidays is watching one of my favorite movies, A Christmas Carol. I love the last lines in the movie “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. Watching the movie this time got me thinking about making some positive changes in my own life. At age 70 I’ve decided to set a new BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) to be as happy as Scrooge on Christmas day and live the best life possible with the time I have left.