trillium - quarter century club
TRANSCRIPT
ontario25.ca
WINTER 2015 Volume 16, Number 4
Publ
icat
ion
Mai
l Reg
istr
atio
n N
umbe
r: 42
3630
12
TRILLIUM
December 21, 20151pm – 3pm, Ontario Room
Macdonald Block
Planning Transition
to Retirement
QCC YULETIDE
Travelling During the Holiday Season…
Canadians spend significant periods of time south of the border during the winter months. It’s not a getaway but, rather, it has become a lifestyle. So what are the top ten destinations during this annual migration? Florida heads the list followed by Costa Rica, Panama, Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, Thailand, California, Arizona and Nicaragua.
Still there are those who embrace the joys of winter, and prefer to plan a trip around winter activities, such as skiing. The most popular destinations for ski trips in Europe are France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
No matter what you decide to do over the holidays and winter months this year, please plan ahead so that your trip is as care free and enjoyable as can be.
For more information on MEDOC® Travel Insurance call 1.800.461.4597 or visit www.johnson.ca/medoc
A few points to keep in mind…
Know how long you can stay out of Province; Know how long you can visit another country; Verify your passport’s expiry date (should always be valid for more than 6 months); Investigate if a visa is requested for your destination; Know the limits of your Provincial healthcare plan; Choose the right travel health insurance plan; Keep your travel assistance company’s information on you at all times; Organize your finances; Plan for home security and maintenance.
If you have travel coverage through MEDOC®, please ensure that you take your new AXA Travel Assistance Provider card with you.
Reminder
Pressing “0” for an operator is not always an option!
Please note that if you are travelling outside of North America, you may require assistance placing a collect call.
To find out what number to use to reach an operator in the country you are travelling to, please call AXA ahead of your trip.
MEDOC® is a registered trademark of Johnson Inc. ("Johnson"). MEDOC® is underwritten by SSQ Insurance Company Inc. ("SSQ") and is administered by Johnson.
WINTER 2015 / VOLUME 16 / NO. 4
QCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT: Nick PereraVICE PRESIDENT: StePhaNie tremeer-mccleaveSECRETARY TREASURER: BriaN miki
DIRECTORS:Jim adamS caNdyS BallaNger-michauded cliNtoN art daNielSharriett graNt Peter hoy FraNk kehoe elizaBeth mckNightdeBra tackaBerry StePheN Wright
GENERAl MANAGER: gleNN SemPle
GENERAl INQUIRIES
oPS Quarter century club2 carlton Street, Suite 620toronto, ontario, m7a 0B7 Phone 416.325.1333 or 1.800.561.8657Fax 416.325.1449 [email protected]
CUSTOM PUBlIShING BY:
PUBlIShER: BrightoN commuNicatioNS iNc.ART DIRECTOR: eleNa PaNkovaOFFICE MANAGER: ciNdy tSai
PuBliSher’S mail agreemeNt: 42363012 QCC Trillium magazine is published 4 times per year by the oPS Quarter ceNtury cluB. all opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any person or organization associated with the magazine. letters, submissions, comments and suggested topics are welcome, and should be sent to [email protected]
rePriNt iNFormatioN: reproduction or photocopying is prohibited without the publisher’s prior written consent. high quality reprints of articles and additional copies of the magazine are available through [email protected]
Privacy Policy: We do not sell our mailing list or share any confidential information on our subscribers.
QCC NEWs |
04Letter from the editor
05-06QCC events and reCaps
07president’s Corner
08in memoriam
fEaTUREs |
10transition pLanning – how to prepare YourseLf for retirement
11QCC 70th anniversarY event thunder BaY
12Let Your voiCe Be heard – managing Your finanCiaL affairs when You Cannot speak for YourseLf
14deadLine for 2014 heaLth and dentaL CLaims
QCC / WINTER 2015 3
ON ThE COVER |
ontario25.ca
WINTER 2015 Volume 16, Number 4
Publ
icat
ion
Mai
l Reg
istr
atio
n N
umbe
r: 42
3630
12
TRILLIUM
December 21, 20151pm – 3pm, Ontario Room
Macdonald Block
Planning Transition
to Retirement
QCC YULETIDE
www.ontario25.ca
DEpaRTMENTs |
09memories of the opsfeatures new and old photos of Ops employees and events
11take the triLLiumfeatures photos of QCC members on their travels with the Trillium magazine
14CaLendara listing of important upcoming dates for QCC Events and deadlines
Travelling During the Holiday Season…
Canadians spend significant periods of time south of the border during the winter months. It’s not a getaway but, rather, it has become a lifestyle. So what are the top ten destinations during this annual migration? Florida heads the list followed by Costa Rica, Panama, Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, Thailand, California, Arizona and Nicaragua.
Still there are those who embrace the joys of winter, and prefer to plan a trip around winter activities, such as skiing. The most popular destinations for ski trips in Europe are France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
No matter what you decide to do over the holidays and winter months this year, please plan ahead so that your trip is as care free and enjoyable as can be.
For more information on MEDOC® Travel Insurance call 1.800.461.4597 or visit www.johnson.ca/medoc
A few points to keep in mind…
Know how long you can stay out of Province; Know how long you can visit another country; Verify your passport’s expiry date (should always be valid for more than 6 months); Investigate if a visa is requested for your destination; Know the limits of your Provincial healthcare plan; Choose the right travel health insurance plan; Keep your travel assistance company’s information on you at all times; Organize your finances; Plan for home security and maintenance.
If you have travel coverage through MEDOC®, please ensure that you take your new AXA Travel Assistance Provider card with you.
Reminder
Pressing “0” for an operator is not always an option!
Please note that if you are travelling outside of North America, you may require assistance placing a collect call.
To find out what number to use to reach an operator in the country you are travelling to, please call AXA ahead of your trip.
MEDOC® is a registered trademark of Johnson Inc. ("Johnson"). MEDOC® is underwritten by SSQ Insurance Company Inc. ("SSQ") and is administered by Johnson.
4 QCC / WINTER 2015 www.ontario25.ca
And it’s meant to be discovered.
Call us at 1-800-268-3492 to book your fall holiday. Be sure to mention that you are a QCC or OPB member and you will receive a $50 Visa gift voucher from the QCC office when you return from your tour. We look forward to the pleasure of your company soon.
While we may have changed our name (formerly Senior Tours Canada) we’re still the same tour company and most trusted Canadian operator of escorted group tours for the mature traveller that you know.
As the days wane, the nights close in and the trees don their vibrant hues, and the chill that creeps into the air is the first hint that winter isn’t far behind. To many of us this signals time to start thinking about our winter vacation. Those in search of winter sun may wish to consider our new stay-put holiday in sunny Panama “often referred to as “the Crossroads of the Americas”. On this delightful tour we will stay in Panama City – a dynamic combination of a modern city and a resort paradise featuring beautiful beaches surrounded by tropical rainforests. For something a bit further afield how does 16 days in the tropical paradise of Bali sound? Bali is without a doubt the jewel at the heart of Indonesia. Our explorations on the island will showcase the country’s wondrous landscape, fascinating village temples and artisan towns specializing in gold and silver jewellery. A highlight of the tour will be a visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary which reflects Bali’s tireless conservation efforts and take a magical walk through vast rice fields.
Our third new offering is a 12 day trailblazing tour of Texas, and, as the saying goes “everything is bigger in Texas” and since the state is close to the size of Europe….they just might have a point. Our trail begins on the spectacular island of Galveston which stretches gently across the southeast coast of Texas on the sunny Gulf of Mexico. We then proceed to San Antonio which boasts a fascinating history and flourishing culture. From the stones of the Alamo to the famous Tower of the Americas and picturesque River Walk, it is a perfect blend of old and new. Then it is on to Forth Worth, “the City of Cowboys and Culture” to try our hand at bull riding or bronco bustling?? Lastly we will visit Dallas, made famous by the 1980’s TV show of the same name. This is a city of fascinating landmarks and excellent tax free shopping – a perfect finale to this exciting tour of the Lone Star State!
As travel professionals our experience is invaluable to you. All of the destinations we offer have been visited by our staff, so whatever questions you have, whether about flights, hotels, the activ-ity level of one of our tours we are able to provide you with first-hand counselling and advice. We invite you to call and ask about any of our tours, we are sure there is one that is perfect for you!
The world is beautiful.
Welcome to our winter edition of the Trillium. As I write this section, the remnants of Hur-ricane Patricia have just made its way through central Ontario with heavy rain and high winds. It makes you mindful of the power of nature. And like most storms in life that will eventually pass, it is important to be moving
forward. At this time of year, we know that our readers have demand-ing work schedules, family commitments, projects and a variety of activities that keep them busy. We appreciate you taking time to read our Trillium. So we wish you well as you and your families approach the seasonal observances of lights and traditional celebrations that remind us to be thankful and to have the spirit of giving.
In this edition, we are pleased to bring you a number of articles which we hope will be of interest. We know that many members are thinking about retirement and some who are having to think about it sooner than they expected. In addition to financial planning for this important decision, be sure to read our article on Transition Planning on page 10. This will be the first of a series of articles in the Trillium, in addition to information we will post on our website at Ontario25.ca. We call upon you to share your knowledge and stories that may help others going through this stage of their career in the OPS.
If you have something you would like to share or you want to let us know what you are doing after retirement, we would love to hear from you, ie. share your stories of travel, learning, volunteering or personal enterprise. We welcome any pictures or articles by public servants from the past and present that we can share. We know that it will inspire our active members and retirees alike.
Over the past few months we have been working with the Pro-vincial Interministerial Councils to host recognition events for OPS employees with 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service. The excitement at these events shows how much we appreciate being recognized for our long service. This commitment to serve both in our day to day jobs as well as in our communities was shared by both active and
retired QCC members. This spirit of giving and contributing is inspiring and it demonstrates our contribution and potential to make a differ-ence in the lives of Ontarians. You will find pictures and highlights on page 5 of those reaching significant milestones in the workplace.
The QCC is a not-for-profit corporation who’s vision is to honour and recognize long service and excellence of the men and women in the Ontario Public Service (OPS). To celebrate our 70th anniversary, the Board of Directors organized a “Meet and Greet” in Thunder Bay on September 21st . Our invited members took part in four interesting workshops and mixed and mingled with guests for the evening. Please see an article and pictures on page 11.
As many of you know, QCC introduced an e-version of the Trillium this Fall and emailed it to over 2,000 members who requested it for convenience or conservation. If you would like to join the movement to an electronic version that you can take with you on your mobile device or read at your computer and save some trees in the process, please call our office for details. If you are on Facebook, you need to LIKE our page! We are updating lots of information and pictures about events and activities that are interesting and fun! Just find us at OPS Quarter Century Club!
Thinking ahead to the realities of life no matter how well planned we think we are, we can still overlook obvious priorities such as estate planning and writing a will. Find some helpful information on this topic on page 12 for your consideration.
Last but not least, we want to welcome our newest Affinity Partners: Acorn Stairlifts, Close to Home and Safe Tracks. These companies have specialized products and services need by individuals and families who want to stay in their homes as long as possible with needed assistance and accessibility. Please seek them out by going to our website and registering to access the QCC member exclusive rates and best service.
Keep connected…Stay healthy and enjoy the Winter!
Glenn Semple, General Manager
Letter from the editor
QCC / WINTER 2015 5
QCC EVENTS
www.ontario25.ca
PIC Events
The QCC and the Provincial Inter-ministerial Councils (PIC) have partnered up again to organize the 2015 long service recogni-
tion events which honour and recognize valued OPS employees in their 25th, 30th, 35th and 40+ years of service in 2015.
As always, the five events were divided up regionally to give active and retired OPS employees in different regions an op-portunity to attend one of the events that have become so popular over the years.
The Northern region had two events which were held in Thunder Bay on Sep-tember 21st at Fort William Historical Park and North Bay on September 29th at
1 North Bay Milestone Recipients
2 Thunder Bay PIC attendees
3 Thunder Bay retirees
4 Ajax attendees participating in a group exercise
5 QCC Board of Directors and PIC event organizers
6 North Bay PIC event organizers
7 QCC General Manager, Glenn Semple
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the Clarion Resort Pinewood Park.The Eastern region event was held in
Kingston on October 28th at the Italo-Cana-dian Club.
The Central region event was held in Ajax on September 17th at the Ajax Convention Centre.
The Western region event was held in Lon-don on November 10th at the Hellenic Com-munity Centre.
This year’s events were a success as the organization done by PIC advisors, PIC Local Council Chairs and volunteer committee members was very well thought out and ex-ecuted.
Each PIC event celebrated and honoured
each recipient with a luncheon and a custom made aluminum trillium sculpture. The re-cipients enjoyed the keynote speaker, Meg Soper, who is a premier stand-up comic that has experience in health care and motiva-tional & inspirational speaking. Meg had the recipients laughing along with each other and was a great addition to their special day. The QCC president, Nick Perera was also in attendance at each event and the QCC’s own GM, Glenn Semple, spoke to the recipients about Transition Planning.
On behalf of PIC and QCC we would like to congratulate all the recipients who reached their milestones in 2015 and to all the retirees who joined us for the events.
6 QCC / WINTER 2015 www.ontario25.ca
QCC EVENTS
QCC/WiG Book Club
8th Annual Children’s Christmas Party
OPS Choir Dates
Have an idea for the Trillium? Want to share a story or an event? In our continuous effort to improve the Trillium, the QCC is always encouraging our members to submit articles,
photos, stories or ideas they have to make The Trillium magazine more enjoyable.If you have something you would like to share, please contact the QCC Communica-
tions Administrator, Kevin Man via email at [email protected] or by phone at 416.325.1333 ext 2005 to discuss your submission.
Please be advised that the OPS Choir will perform this year in the Grand Foyer of the Legislative Building and at another location like in all previous years. There will be multiple dates, times and locations for performances, however, this info will not be confirmed until late November.
Please be sure to like us on Facebook or visit our website for up to date info on this year’s choir performance information once it has been confirmed.
www.facebook.com/qcclub25www.ontario25.ca
The first meeting for the QCC-Women In Government (WiG) Book Club took place on September 30 from 4:30 to 6:00pm. Members met to discuss the book Passion Capital by Paul Alofs, the President of the Princess Mar-garet Cancer Foundation. Lucky for all those who attended, Paul made an appearance for 15 minutes to start off a great discussion and to sign copies of his book.
The next Book Club meeting will take place sometime in early January, within the downtown Toronto area. If you would like to join, please contact the QCC office at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can follow our virtual book club meeting on our website to start your own club with friends, with some book suggestions and discussion questions.
The 8th Annual OPS Children’s Christmas Party is scheduled for Sunday, Decem-ber 13, 2015, from 2:00 to 4:30 pm. Join
us at West Ferris Arena Community Centre, 42 Gertrude Street E, North Bay, Ontario for a skate from 2:00-2:50 with crafts and Santa to follow. Government employees, past and present, are welcome to register their children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews for the party. For more infor-mation and to obtain a registration form, please contact Melissa Rodgers, MTO, at 705-497-5468 or by email at [email protected]. Let’s make this another successful event for all ages!
Having introduced the gift book en-titled In the Service of Ontario to 25 year milestone recipients beginning in 2013, we are continuing our commit-ment to improve the long service rec-ognition items issued from QCC.
For this exciting project, the QCC teamed up with Archives of Ontario to provide a framed work of Art depicting a selection from the Government of On-tario Art collection and nominated by the Curator according to agreed upon specifications and themes. These paint-ings are representative of the 2,600 original works of art that are part of the publicly funded art collection. Many of these works can be found in Ontario’s Legislative Buildings in Toronto and in ministries and government
Once the art work selection process has been completed QCC will be contact-ing 20 year recipients, who are reaching their milestone in 2016, to introduce the recognition gifts. Recipients will be able to able to personally choose from a selection of limited framed artwork pieces via the QCC website.
We will be bringing you more details as we get closer to the launch in 2016. To stay informed on this project, be sure to register on the QCC website and visit our Facebook page for more details.
Recognition Artwork for 20 year Members
QCC Book Club members with author of Passion Capital, Paul Alofs
Call to Action!
QCC / WINTER 2015 7www.ontario25.ca
Recently, the QCC introduced social media via Facebook so that our members can get timely updates and info regarding the QCC, recognition and important info. Our page has been growing and we encourage all our members to take advantage of our new page so that you can stay informed
As we approach the end of an-other year, we are mindful of the valuable contributions that public servants make in this province and their commitment to long service. QCC has been honouring your long service for 70 years and we continue to have contact with a large number of retirees who have served the Province. Overall, our membership of 86,000 have a wide range of needs and QCC is working hard to respond.
Since the summer, the QCC Board members have been working on a strategic planning process that is highlighting our key areas including: Marketing and Commu-nications, Programs and Stakeholder Relations, Governance and Hu-man Resources and Affinity Partnerships. I am pleased that the Board is moving from the planning stages to the implementation phase over the winter months. Here are some of the priorities that are emerging:•Toprovidemeaningfullongservicerecognitionforyearsofservice•Torespondtothegrowingneedfortransitionplanningtoolsthat
will assist those considering retirement prior to January 2017•Toengageourmembersthroughcommunicationplatformsthat
include print and e-versions and to utilize social media in a collegial manner to promote networking pre- and post- retirement
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
QCC FACEBOOk PAGE
•Tomobilizeourmemberstovolunteerismintheircommunitiesandabroad
•Toofferprogramsandservicestoactiveandretiredmembersthatpromote ongoing learning and development and that enhance our capacity to serve others
•Toprovideproductsandservicesofvaluetothemembership.Wewant to target more regional based promotions and discounts.….
•Toseekwaystoshareourskillsandabilitiesthroughmentorshipsand knowledge transfer.
I look forward to bringing you more updates on our progress and I invite you to contact me at [email protected] with any ideas or suggestions.
Thank you to all the members who came to the 70th Anniversary Meet and Greet in Thunder Bay in September. The Board is hoping to add more events like this in 2016.
I encourage you to join QCC on Facebook and LinkedIn to share and network with other members. Together we can connect as colleagues. In addition to the Trillium and our website, we will be using these net-works to inform you of a broad range of events and networking oppor-tunities to support ongoing learning opportunities for QCC members.
All the very best to you and your loved ones over the holiday sea-son and we wish you a happy and prosperous new year.
Nick Perera, QCC President
1 Log in to Facebook or sign up for a Facebook account
2 Look for OPS Quarter Century Club page (www.facebook.com/qcclub25) and LIKE our page
3 You can then choose to get notifica-tions when we post stories, news, updates, contests and lifestyle articles
4 You also have access to photos and event dates to keep you informed and up to date
8 QCC / WINTER 2015www.ontario25.ca
ADAMS, FrAnk – passed away December 25, 2013. Survived by his wife Myrna, son Craig and daughter Karen. Frank began with the DHO in 1968, and retired in 1996. He then went to work for Cook Engineering until his passing.
CALDWELL, JAMES – passed away suddenly on April 21, 2015. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Jim worked for the Ministry of Transportation for over 30 years and retired in 1990. Beloved husband of Doris Tallon also re-tired from the MTO. Dear father of Maureen Mackay (Ian) and Duncan Caldwell (Alison) and missed by his grandchildren Shelby and Tom and Doris’s family.
COOPEr, JOhn EDWArD (OPP Badge #1286) – passed away on July 30th, 2015. John served at Perth District Headquarters, Pembroke Detachment and Central Records at OPP General Headquarters before retiring as a Staff Ser-geant from Barrie DHQ Identification Unit on May 31st, 1988. John is survived by his wife, Dawn and children Lyle, Jan, Traci and Kate.
DALEY, SiDnEY (SiD) (OPP Badge #944) – passed away on October 15th, 2015 at the age of 103. Sid served at Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Port Arthur and Haileybury Detachments before retiring as Sergeant, Detachment Com-mander, from Lucan Detachment on August 31st, 1977. Sid was predeceased by his wife Hilda and survived by his children Brian and Denise.
DOnnELLY, EttA DAnE (nee YOUNG) – passed away peacefully at Exten-dicare Guildwood on Tuesday, June 2, 2015 in her 93rd year. Beloved wife of the late Frank Donnelly (MNR Aviation Services Toronto). Sadly missed by her family and many friends.
hOLDSWOrth, JOhn MOntrOSE – passed away peacefully at Wood-stock Hospital on Wednesday May 28, 2014 in his 77th year. Beloved husband and best friend of Elizabeth “Elsa” Holdsworth. Dear father of Brenda (Scott) Atchison, James (Mary) Holdsworth and Chris (Kari) Holdsworth. John began his career with the Ministry of Transportation where he worked for over 30 years ending with his position in the London District upon his retirement. John was a wonderful husband, loving father and grandfather and he is deep-ly missed by his family and friends.
LEWiS, riChArD (DiCk) (OPP Badge #1670) – passed away on June 14th, 2015. Dick served at Belleville and Sault Ste. Marie Detachments and Sault Ste. Marie District Headquarters before retiring as a Sergeant from Brockville De-tachment on February 28th, 1991. Dick was predeceased by his wife Irene and is survived by his brother, Thomas.
MACLEOD, nEiL (OPP Badge #3322) – passed away on April 23rd, 2015. Neil served at Guelph Detachment before retiring as a Senior Constable from Elora Detachment on December 31st, 1995. Neil is survived by his wife, Gerda and children, Susan and Wesley.
MOOLgAOkAr, ELSiE – passed away July 9, 2015. Survived by Sats, her husband of 50 years. She was born in the Isle of Man & moved to Canada in 1968. She had a long & successful career in the OPS, primarily at Management Board Secretariat. Elsie was always very upbeat, positive & an inspiration to all who knew her. She made lifelong friends wherever she went & will be greatly missed by Sats, her family & her many friends.
MULVAnEY, MiChAEL E – Passed away suddenly November 22, 2012. Michael worked at the Ministry of Revenue and is mourned by family and friends. His ashes rest under a tree in the cemetery of St John Norway near the Beaches in Toronto.
IN MEMORIAM
The QCC would like To send our deepesT CondolenCes To all of our members who have losT loved ones. if you have an obiTuary for a QCC member ThaT you would like published in our QuarTerly Trillium magazine, please send The obiTuary To: [email protected]. alTernaTively, you Can send iT To The QCC offiCe aT: 2 CarlTon sTreeT, suiTe 620, ToronTo, onTario, m7a 0b7
PEgg, rObErt (bOb) (OPP Badge #2522) – passed away on October 16th. 2015. Bob served at Bond Lake, Oak Ridges, and St. Thomas Detachments, Central Records & Communications, Anti-Rackets and Special Investigation Branches before retiring as a Staff Sergeant from Glencoe Detachment on May 27th, 1994. Bob was predeceased by his wife Judy and survived by his chil-dren Beverly, Deborah, Daniel, Susan and Jason.
POUtAnEn, rALPh – passed away September 24, 2014 at the age of 82. In 1963, he joined the Dept. of Mines as Mining Claims Inspector and later as Mining Recorder. He then transitioned into the role of Public Lands Ad-ministrator into the newly formed Ministry of Natural Resources. He retired in 1993. He is survived by his wife Marion and sons Paul, Allen and Neil and their families.
riDEr, riChArD (DiCk) (OPP Badge #2426) – passed away on September 29th, 2015. Dick served at Brockville and Essex Detachments before retiring as a Sergeant from Belle River Detachment on April 30th, 2015. Dick is sur-vived by his wife Joan and children, Stephen and Shelley.
rObErtSOn, JAMES ALExAnDEr (ALEx) – passed away on August 20, 2015. Alex started working for the Department of Lands and Forests, then later worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources. He worked as Conserva-tion Officer in the Lindsay area, Park Superintendent at Darlington Provincial Park and Earl Rowe Provincial Park, and finished his career as Senior Forest Technician in the Simcoe County area. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Muriel, in 2012. He is survived by his children, Connie Dunlop, Janice Swaile, Don Robertson, Karen Nicholson, Leta Elsner, Laura Horan, also 14 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
rOMAnSkY, ALExAnDEr g. – passed away on May 28, 2014. Alex re-tired from the Ministry of Government Services in 1993, which he joined after a career in real estate and service in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Loving father of Marianne and her husband Brian White, and John and his partner Joseph Bennett. Cherished grandfather of Julia and Nathalie White. Alex was an active volunteer with Toastmasters Queens Park, the Air Cadets 618 Squadron, Knights of Columbus, church choir and par-ticipated in several seniors community and sports organizations. He is missed by all who knew him.
tAM, ChAn-Sing – passed away on December 29, 2014. He was the be-loved husband of Rita and father of Stephanie, Monica and Justin. Initially, Chan-Sing worked for the federal government for several years in Taxation and then transitioned into a long career working for the Ontario provincial government. He worked mainly with the Ministry of Transportation and Finance. He last worked as Project Leader for the Ministry of Finance. He will be sadly missed by family, friends and co-workers.
VYE, ALbErt (OPP Badge #1458) – passed away on July 17th, 2015. Albert served at London District Headquarters, Petrolia, Tillsonburg and Port Stanley Detachments before retiring as a Constable from Downsview Detachment on June 30th, 1987. Albert is survived by his wife Barbara and children Deborah, Richard and Graham.
WOODbECk, DAViD rUSSELL (rUSS) (OPP Badge #1967) – passed away on September 7th, 2015. Russ served at Peterborough DHQ, Millbrook, Mark-dale and Walkerton Detachments before retiring as a Detective Sergeant from Peterborough DHQ Crime Unit on March 31st, 1989. Russ was predeceased by his wife Mary and survived by his children Jo-anne and David.
QCC / WINTER 2015 9www.ontario25.ca
Congratulations – 7,262 QCC Members reach long service milestones during 2015!
2016 Corolla LE
Gary Brown, with almost 38 years of TOYOTA experience, is your Ontario dealer coordinator. He has pledged courteous knowledgeable service to all QCC members. * some vehicles are outside of this program.
[email protected] www.whitbytoyota.com
2016 Camry LE
1025 Dundas Street West Whitby, Ontario L1P 1Z1 905-668-4792
See what Gary’s customers are saying about him. www.dealerrater.ca/sales/Gary-Brown-review-215562/
Whitby Toyota – Scion, an award winning Ontario TOYOTA Dealership, has been selected as the only TOYOTA dealer to provide QCC members with special pricing with elevated levels of service on new & pre-owned TOYOTA vehicles. All new vehicle* prices are pre-negotiated providing you with a comfortable “no hassle, no haggle” experience with corporate savings.
An appointment is required. Please call Gary Brown before you visit.
THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR
BETTER HEARING
Book your FREE Hearing Test!We believe everyone over the age of 60 should get a FREE baseline hearing test. You can join us by simply booking YOUR test today and encouraging your friends to join you. It only takes 60 minutes and there are more than 175 participating locations across Canada!
In addition, we’re donating $2.00 for every test we perform in order to provide hearing aids for those who can’t afford them. Our goal is to raise over $100,000 for hearing aids this year – So book your test, bring your friends, and together, we can make a difference!
VISIT CampaignForBetterHearing.org/QCC OR CALL
1-888-484-7670
ST. VITAL HEARING CENTREST. VITAL HEARING CENTRE ST. VITAL HEARING CENTREST. VITAL HEARING CENTRE
MAG-CFBH-QCC
In this issue, we have featured a picture that was submitted by Mike Hollingworth who is a retired QCC member formerly of the Ministry of
Government Services.This photo was taken in 1978 and
shows the Ontario Ministry of Govern-ment Services, Queen’s Park Com-puting Branch (QPCB), that became Computer and Telecommunications Services (CTS), Management Board Secretariat.
This is a photo of the OPS employees who provided computer and technical support, processing many of the pro-vincial government ministry programs as well as the Ministry of Government Service IPPEB’s later known as CORPAY payroll system.
Thank you for sharing your photo, the QCC will be sending you a gift card.
MEMORIES OF ThE OPS
If you have photos you would like to share, send your pics via email to [email protected] or via mail to Quarter Century Club, 2 Carlton
Street, Suite 620, Toronto, ON, M5B 1J3. If your picture is published, you will receive a gift card!
This year the QCC welcomed 1829 members with twenty-five years of service. These members will receive their QCC pin, “In the Service of Ontario” recognition book and a recognition certificate from the Premier.
The QCC is also pleased to welcome 2,787 new
members with fifteen years of service.In addition, the QCC sent congratulations to 736
members with twenty years of service, 1,423 with thirty, 415 with thirty-five, 63 with forty and 9 with forty-five.
10 QCC / WINTER 2015www.ontario25.ca
transition Planningwe like To hear from our QCC members aT all sTages of Their work, as well as afTer Their reTiremenT.
Speaking about retirement, we often hear concerns from those who are approaching retirement and even those who have recently retired regarding the challenges this transition is hav-ing in their lives. Sure, we tend to hear “Retirement is great”
or “I should have done this years ago” but we also hear “I really don’t know what to do with my time” and “I wish I had been better pre-pared”. It is becoming clear that preparing for this important transition in our lives is important and should not be left to the last minute.
And we are also aware that come January 1, 2017 the Government intends to make changes to the retirement eligibility requirements as well as the introduction of benefits premium cost sharing.
So we have been talking about transitional planning with long service recipients at the QCC/PIC long service recognition events and we hope this overview will be helpful and meaningful to you.
Let’s first take a look at the bigger picture and what is happening with our demographic as it approaches the retirement stage. A trend has been building and it shows no sign of slowing - our population is aging. In Canada, life expectancy went up by five years on aver-age, with men born in 2012 expected to live to an average age of 80 and women expected to reach 84 years old. The average Canadian retirement age in Canada is between 62 & 63. Research shows that 7.8% of Canadians who are 65 and older are currently in the work-force and 75% of well-off working Canadians who are 45 years plus expect to work after retirement. Sound retirement planning consists of both mental and financial preparation and should begin as early as 10 years before your official last day of work. Realize that after employment in the OPS, you could have 30+ years of enjoyable retirement ahead of you!
For the most part, Canadian retirees are satisfied with how their retirement is working out, says Benefits Canada’s 2014 Retiree/Pre-retiree Research.•Mosthaveagoodstandardoflivingandarehappywiththeirdeci-
sion to retire when they did. The vast majority say that retirement has turned out pretty much as they expected.
•Thesituationforpre-retireesisn’tasrosy.Theyworrymoreaboutfinancial security in retirement, expect less income from their employer-sponsored plans, anticipate hefty healthcare costs and aren’t getting a lot of support around the retirement transition.
•Pre-retireesdon’tfeelpreparedforlosingtouchwithco-workers(33%), having a lot of free time (28%) and changing their everyday habits (26%).
While that is a very positive forecast, there are a number of consider-ations and plans that need to be in place unless you want to approach retirement like a thirty year “long weekend”.
Here are some important considerations to think about. Part of having a successful transition to retirement depends on your abil-ity to have your personal needs met and that means understanding
your personal needs, goals and ambitions for now and in the future. Remember that your retirement date is not a FINISH LINE, in many cases it is just another BEGINNING. You should take time to review your expectations for quality of life and how your needs will be met in retirement
this requires that you take a clear look at •Whyareyouretiring?•Whatisitthatyouwillmissmostaboutyourjob?•Howwillyoureplacethethingsthatyoulikedmostaboutyour
work?•Whatareyoulookingforwardtothemostaboutyourretirement?•Whatareasofyourretirementlifeneedaplan?•Whataretheopportunitiesthatyouseeinyourretirement?
here are some specific areas that might be part of your future planning.•Areyougoingtostay,sell,renovateordownsizeyourhometohelp
financeyourtransition/retirement?•Willyoustartanewhobby?•Willyouvolunteer?•Willyouworkpart-time?•Willyoustartasecondcareer?•Willyoufurtheryourpostsecondaryorgraduateeducation?•Willyouchangeyourtransportationneeds(1or2cars)?•Howmuchtraveldoyouexpecttodo?•Doyouwanttohelpyourchildrenorgrandchildrenwiththecost
ofeducationand/orweddings?•Doyouwanttobuy/rentavacationproperty,mobilehome?•Doyouplantocarrydebtintoretirement?
If your definition of retirement is simply doing anything but “work”, that’s fine, but keep in mind that feeling like you have a sense of purpose in life -- no matter how old you are now -- may help you live longer, new Canadian research suggests. Research has suggested that finding a direc-tion for life and setting goals for what you want to achieve can help you actually live longer. It may not matter when in life someone finds their purpose in life, although the earlier you find that purpose, the better. Be-ing purposeful was particularly helpful to older adults.
For a list of key steps to successful retirement which you can start right now, please go to ontario25.ca. In the meantime, please let us know your experiences with transitioning to retirement as the QCC would like to share your stories with other members.
BY gLenn sempLe, QCC general manager
FEATuRE
QCC / WINTER 2015 11www.ontario25.ca
TAkE ThE TRIllIuM
As the colder months are ap-proaching, we hope that we will continue to receive photos from our members who have vacations
planned soon. This section continues to be very popular and we are very glad that mem-bers have been taking the time to share their travels with us.
In this issue, we have featured a photo from Jacinta Fernandes who is a recently retired employee of the Ministry of Educa-
tion. She is pictured here in front of her River Cruise ship in beautiful Venice, Italy.
The next picture we have is from Margaret Jones who currently works in the Ministry of Community Safety. Margaret took her Trillium to Cayo Largo on a recent trip with her hus-band and can be seen pictured here in front of a clear blue ocean and beautiful blue skies from her balcony.
Lastly, we received a picture from Richard Morasch who is a retired QCC member and former employee in the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Richard snapped a photo during his trip to the Jewel Paradise Cove
resort in Runaway Bay, Ocho Rios, Jamaica.Thank you all for sharing your photos with
us and including the QCC Trillium magazine in your travels. We will be sending a gift card out to all of you for your submissions. If you would like to send in a submission for this section, simply snap a picture of yourself with the QCC Trillium magazine on your travels, tell us where you are in the picture and send it in. If we publish your picture in a future issue, the QCC will send you a gift card! Send your pics via email to [email protected] or via mail to Quarter Century Club, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 620, Toronto, ON, M5B 1J3.
Margaret Jones Richard Morasch
Jacinta Fernandes
QCC 70th anniversarY event thunder BaY
The QCC is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and travelled to Thunder Bay to host an event for our northern regional members to par-ticipate in. Members were invited to the Valhalla Inn on September 21, 2015 to enjoy an evening of networking with the QCC Board of Directors and QCC members. They were also invited to attend one of two available seminars that evening with guest speakers presenting the topics.
One of the seminars offered was “Learn Social Networking and How to protect yourself from Scammers”. The focus of this seminar was to learn the basics, as well as tips and tricks on how to use Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail to their fullest potential. Participants were also taught how to spot scams when answering the phone, surfing the web and shopping online in order to protect your identity and avoid falling prey to fraudulent vendors and scammers.
The other seminar that was offered was “Healthy Living and Estate Plan-ning”. The focus was to enhance knowledge on healthy eating and active living to promote heathy mind and body. Participants were advised on what contributes to living their life to the fullest and what experts say are the keys to successful retirement. They also learned what is involved in estate planning, the importance of having a Power of Attorney and a Will.
Both seminars were very successful and all the participants enjoyed their evening. The QCC would like to thank all those that came out to join us and we look forward to hosting more events like these for our members in the near future.
QCC Board of Directors
70th Anniversary Event Attendees
12 QCC / WINTER 2015 www.ontario25.ca
Communicating on social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, blogging) has grown exponentially with people sharing information ranging from
pictures of what they are about to eat to cyber rallying aimed at mobilizing and empowering people. One common factor is the need for us to have a voice and to be heard.
Why then do few people give a second thought to communicating their wishes as to how their assets will be distributed when they die or how their affairs will be managed in the event that they become mentally inca-pacitated?Whiletalkingtoyourfamilyaboutyour wishes is one step, putting it in writing is extremely important. Here are some impor-tant things to consider:
A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that gives someone the right to act on your behalf. For example, if you are a ‘snowbird’ and spend a portion of the win-ter months out of the country, you may give a trusted reliable person POA to act for you on financial matters, until your return. You may appoint anyone (or multiple persons) to act as your POA for property as long as they are over the age of 18 and have the necessary level of mental capacity. Your POA, must account to you for all actions taken on your behalf and must take direc-tions from you.
What happens if you become mentally inca-pable by way of an illness or accident and can nolongergivedirectionstoyourPOA?Howwillyourvoicebeheard?
suBmitted BY maureen Chin and tanYa weBer-kinCh
lEt Your VoiCE BE HEarD
incapacityA person is considered incapable if they cannot understand information about their finances, or is unable to appreciate the results of making certain decisions about these issues. Your spouse, parent or sibling may not have the authority to make certain decisions on your behalf if you become incapable. An ordinary or Non-Continuing Power of Attorney for Property ceases to be valid if you become mentally incapable. By contrast, a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property (CPOAP) remains valid even after an incapacity finding, allowing the Attorney to continue to make financial decisions on the incapable person’s behalf.
On your death, a CPOAP becomes invalid and the person you named as your CPOAP cannot use the document to make decisions on behalf of your estate.
If you don’t have a valid CPOAP and be-come unable to manage your own affairs, the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee may act as your guardian of property if there is no one else willing, able and suitable to take on this role.
A Power of Attorney for Personal Care (POAPC) is a legal document that gives someone the right to make personal care (e.g. housing, food, hygiene, safety) decisions on your behalf if you become incapable.
A Living Will is a document for you to communicate your wishes about treatment and personal care plans. For example, you may document that you do not want to be
kept alive on artificial life support if you have no hope of recovery.
Note that each province has its own regula-tions and your POA and Living Will docu-ments may not be valid outside of Ontario.
estate planningTo communicate how you want your assets distributed when you die, and to avoid delays and expenses to your estate, you must plan ahead:1. Prepare a Last Will and Testament. •Thisdocumentoutlinesthedistributionof
your assets and only takes effect upon your death. The Estate Trustee (Executor) is re-sponsible for carrying out your wishes.
•AWillisautomaticallyrevokedbymarriage,unless specifically made in contemplation of that marriage.
•Ifyoudiewithnowill(intestate),theSuc-cession Law Reform Act dictates how your money will be distributed. In general, if you are married, your spouse inherits the first $200K of your estate. If you are living common law, your partner has no auto-matic rights under the SLRA but may have rights on a dependent’s relief claim or on a constructive trust. An estranged spouse who you have not divorced may have some rights to your estate, if there is no separation agreement and no will.
•Intheraresituationthatyouhavenowilland no living relatives, the net value of your estate (after taxes and payments of debts) will go to the provincial government. If you
managing your finanCial affairs when you CannoT speak for yourself
FEATuRE
QCC / WINTER 2015 13www.ontario25.ca
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wanted to leave some funds for a long-time friend but didn’t prepare a will with those instructions, that friend will be out of luck.
2. Organize your records •Does your Estate Trustee know that you
have named them to act for you and are they willingtotakeonthatrole?Dotheyknowwhere your will, life insurance, tax returns andotherdocumentsarelocated?Dotheyknow the location of your Safety Deposit Boxkeyandstorageunit(s)?
•Doyouhaveoriginalsorcertifiedtruecop-ies of real estate title documents including foreign owned real estate, bank accounts andinvestments?
•Whataboutbirthcertificates,deathcertifi-catesanddivorcepapers?Itmaybefrustrat-ing, time consuming and expensive if your family or Estate Trustee has to obtain these documents, especially if they need to obtain them from a foreign country.
3. Ensure your records are accurate•Has your family dynamic changed since
youlastpreparedalastwillandtestament?Are there new grandchildren, divorces, marriages, re-marriages, blended families, adoptions, or same sex unions in your fam-ily that you would like to honour, but that
arenotreflectedinyourcurrentwill?•Ifyoupaidoffthemortgageontheprop-
erty, has the mortgage been removed as anencumbrancefromthetitle?
•Doyouhaveanaccuratevaluationofcol-lectiblessuchasantiquesandjewelry?
4. Consider family members’ special needs. •Ifoneofyourbeneficiariesisunderalegal
disability and receives government ben-efits, receiving an inheritance could affect their benefit entitlements. An Estate lawyer who is knowledgeable about the Ontario Disability Support Program can advise you about the options that exist for sheltering inheritance funds so that government ben-efits will not be adversely affected (such as a Registered Disability Savings Plan).
5. Check your retirement accounts (RRSPs, RRIFS etc.) and life insurance policies to confirm the named beneficiary.
•Insurance companies and banking in-stitutions may honour the beneficiaries designated on these documents regardless of what is said in a will or your current marital status.
6. Consider a prepaid or pre-planned funeral.
•Funeralhomesrequireasignatureonafuneral contract. The person whose sig-nature is on the contract is responsible for the funeral cost although your ben-eficiaries may believe that your Estate is responsible for the cost.
7. Estate Planning•EstatePlanningisanongoingprocessand
should be visited periodically to account for changes in your finances or family situation.
For additional information about Power of Attorney, Living wills and Incapacity, please visit: https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/pgt/default.asp
Let your voice be heard! Prepare, plan and document your wishes now in the event that you are not able to speak for yourself.
The material provided in this article is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice. © 2015 Public Guardian and Trustee.
Weber-Kinch is currently the Director of the Client Services Branch with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, Ministry of the Attorney General.
14 QCC / WINTER 2015
CAlENDAR
December 13
8th Annual OPS Children’s Christmas Party
December 21
QCC Yuletide Reception
January 2016
QCC/WiG Book Club Meeting
The deadline for submitting your 2014 health and dental claims is 4:30 p.m., Thursday, December 31, 2015, the last working day of the year. All 2014 claims must be received by the insurance carrier – not just mailed – on or
before 4:30 p.m. on this date. Claims mailed before the deadline but received in the New Year will not be accepted.
You are encouraged to submit claims on a regular basis – for exam-ple, every three months or when the total claim exceeds $25, to ensure that receipts are not misplaced, or that claim deadlines are not missed.
heaLth Care spending aCCount CLaim suBmission deadLine - For active, non-bargaining employees onlyYour deadline for submission of 2015 eligible expenses for coverage under the Health Care Spending Account is March 31, 2016.
Effective January 1, 2015 the employer-funded Health Care Spend-ing Account (HCSA) was implemented, providing $750 annually, per employee to cover eligible medical expenses for yourself and your eligible dependents as defined in the Income Tax Act.
Important: Claims against the HCSA for eligible expenses incurred in 2015 must be received by the insurer within 90 days of December 31, 2015, to qualify for payment. This means that the insurer must receive the claims by March 31, 2016.
Unused credits remaining at the end of 2015 will be carried over into the 2016 calendar year. These carry-over credits will be used first in 2016, to cover claims submitted in that year. Please note any carry-over credits remaining at the end of 2016 will be forfeited.
CLaim suBmission tips:Some of the difficulties insurance companies may encounter in process-ing your claims can be avoided if you remember the following points: •Includeyourreceiptwithyourclaimform.
•Makesureyou,astheinsuredperson,entertherequiredinformation(i.e. name, address, ID #).
•Signanddatetheform.•Keep your respective pension board or OSS informed of any
changes to your address or dependents. •Ensureyouarefamiliarwiththetimelimits,annualcapsandde-
ductibles for the applicable services (e.g. vision/hearing, dental, paramedical).
•Use eClaims, where possible. Recently, eClaims services wereintroduced to assist with expediting claims processing. These user-friendly services enable you to check the status of your most recent insurance claims, sign up for direct deposit, and receive email notifications of payment. You can also view your claims history, download claims forms and even submit claims on-line. Plan mem-ber Registration is also optional. Please go to your insurance carrier’s web site for more information.
insuranCe Carrier ContaCt information:Retirees:Great-West Life at 1-800-874-5899 or visit their website at www.greatwestlife.com
Active employees: OPSEU Members:Manulife Financial at 1-888-877-4434 or www.manulife.ca (Health)Great-West Life at 1-800-874-5899 or www.greatwestlife.com (Dental)
All Other Employee Groups:Great-West Life at 1-800-874-5899 or www.greatwestlife.com (all insured plans)
DECEmBEr 31, 2015
OPtrust Pay Dates 2016•January26,2016•February26,2016•March25,2016•April26,2016•May26,2016•June24,2016•July26,2016•August26,2016•September26,2016•October26,2016•November25,2016•December20,2016
OPb Pay Dates 2016•January22,2016•February22,2016•March22,2016•April22,2016•May20,2016•June22,2016•July22,2016•August22,2016•September22,2016•October21,2016•November22,2016•December22,2016
– deadline for 2014 healTh and denTal Claims
to all QCC Members and their families from the QCC Board of Directors and Office Staff!
all QCC members, both active and retired, are welcome to attend and meet with the QCC executive.
sing along and enjoy light refreshments, seasonal music and door prizes.
date: monday december 21st, 2015time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pmplace: ontario room, 2nd floor, macdonald block, 900 bay st, Queen’s park, Toronto.
please bring your QCC membership card for entry.
QCC Annual Yuletide Reception & 70th Anniversary CelebrationMark your Calendar!