Ambassadors: Featured Posts

As the years march by, it isn’t surprising that tax season has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute, it is the start of a new year, and the next, we are gathering slips and wondering where the time and, in some cases, the money went. But I’ve always believed this time of year offers something more than just a deadline. It’s a chance to pause, take stock, and set yourself up for what comes next.

For many Canadians, a cottage isn’t just a property. It is a place where family stories are told, where the grandchildren learn to swim. Where adult children return for weekends that feel different from the rest of the year. And yet, behind every beautiful waterfront sunset is a financial reality most families don’t talk about openly. Cottages don’t just run on nostalgia. They run on maintenance.

If the doorbell rings and you weren’t expecting anyone, and your first instinct is hesitation, trust it.
That’s not paranoia. That’s prudence. In fact, 82% of older Canadians report feeling apprehensive when someone unexpected shows up at their door. One in three Canadians over 55 won’t answer at all, a rate 70% higher than that of younger adults.

As we draw closer to the end of the year, I find myself thinking more often about the future. Not in a far-off, abstract way, but in the very practical sense that comes with aging: How long can I stay in my home? What will it take to manage well, to feel safe, and to continue living in a place that brings me comfort? These questions drift through my mind more frequently now, surfacing whenever I’m out walking or even just making tea.

As we draw closer to the end of the year, I find myself thinking more often about the future. Not in a far-off, abstract way, but in the very practical sense that comes with aging: How long can I stay in my home? What will it take to manage well, to feel safe, and to continue living in a place that brings me comfort? These questions drift through my mind more frequently now, surfacing whenever I’m out walking or even just making tea.

We met in our twenties, when the world was still new and full of promise. It was 1970, and I had just moved to Ottawa to attend Carleton University. Back then, we were hungry for change, arguing about politics, literature, and justice until closing time at Chinese restaurants on Somerset Street in Ottawa. We believed our generation could fix the world. Now, more than fifty years later, the world looks very different—but the six of us are still here, still talking, still laughing, still believing, in our own quieter way.

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.

Training for an Ironman at age 70 was hard, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But it was also one of the greatest things I’ve ever done because it was life changing.

It was a transformative journey that went way beyond the realms of physical fitness. It required me to get healthy again, push beyond self-imposed age limitations, discover untapped potential, and gain profound insights about what is possible.

What do you want your 80-year-old future self to be doing in 10 years’ time? What do you want your 80-year-old future self to look like? What purpose and meaning do you want to have in your life? I’m in the process of transforming from an over-weight 70-year-old into an active, ageless athlete.

Not long ago, scientists, doctors, and elite runners thought it was impossible for a human being to break the 4-minute-mile barrier. Until a dreamer by the name of Roger Bannister came along one day. He trained hard and succeeded in breaking through the 4-minute barrier. People have been conditioned to believe that when they reach age 65 or 70, life is over, and they need to retire and rest for the rest of their lives. An artificial age barrier was created and accepted by everyone until some Retirement Rebels showed up. Like Bannister, they weren’t willing to accept the existence of this artificial age barrier and decided to challenge it.