Thriving in Retirement
May 22-24, 2024
Hosted by the University of Waterloo Retirees Association
Waterloo, Ontario
Conference Theme
The University of Waterloo Retirees Association was the proud host of the College and University Retiree Associations of Canada/ Associations de Retraités des Universités et Collèges du Canada (CURAC/ARUCC) annual conference at the University of Waterloo, May 22-24, 2024. The three-day conference attracted 120 participants, many travelling from universities and colleges outside Ontario.
The theme of the 2024 CURAC conference was Thriving in Retirement. The conference program was designed to inform and inspire on topics of importance to older adults, including health and wellness, recreation and leisure, housing options, services for seniors, finance and safety and security. Participants heard from experts from the University of Waterloo, the UW-Schlegel Research Institute on Aging (RIA) and from professionals in the local community. They also had the opportunity for conversation, fun, and meeting new and old friends.
We are thankful for the generous support of our sponsors, especially the University of Waterloo and Schlegel Villages, UW Conference Services and our many volunteers. We hope that participants departed inspired and transformed by what they learned, shared and experienced at the conference. Retirement should be a time to thrive!
Conference Co-chairs: Ron Champion and Jim Frank
Check out this list of video recordings.
Programme
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Thriving in Retirement opened with an evening reception hosted by Schlegel Villages, one of the conference’s platinum sponsors. The event was held at Village at University Gates, situated on the north campus of the University of Waterloo. The Village at University Gates is also home to the Research Institute for Aging, another conference sponsor.
Thursday, May 23
Thursday and Friday events were held at Federation Hall on the University of Waterloo campus. Thursday presented plenaries and breakout sessions morning and afternoon, as well as afternoon lightning tables, and the CURAC Awards banquet in the evening. The schedule allowed plenty of time for the most important activities—meeting, socializing, and networking with friends old and new.
Morning plenary
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Designing Your Retirement: Thriving in Life’s Next Chapter
Howard M. Armitage, PhD, FCPA, FCMA
Thriving in retirement is more than just passing the time; it's about finding fulfillment, purpose, and a profound sense of well-being during the post-employment phase of life. It involves actively engaging in activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional health, allowing individuals to lead enriching and satisfying lives beyond their careers. Howard Armitage's plenary highlighted the latest research that illuminates the path to a longer, healthier, and more gratifying retirement. His observations established a foundation for this year’s CURAC conference, which explored “thriving” topics of interest to retirees in greater depth, empowering individuals to unlock the full potential of their retirement years.
Morning breakout sessions
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Four sessions were offered concurrently, with registrants selecting their session in advance.
Aging Well with Artificial Intelligence: Possibility or Pipe Dream?
Jesse Hoey, PhD, Professor, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo
Enjoying Retirement with Minimal Back Pain
Stuart McGill, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
Embracing the Challenge: Building Habits for Lifelong Physical Activity
Caryl Russell, MSc, Instructor and Clinical Programs Director, Director – UW Fitness, Program Director - Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence (CCCARE)
Health Enabling Through Walking and Neighbouring
Troy Glover, PhD, Chair – Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network, University of Waterloo
Lunch Plenary
Dr. Ken Shonk
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Over lunch, participants enjoyed an informative and humorous presentation by Dr. Ken Shonk : Jest For The Health of It: The Science of Laughter in a Mirthful Message with a Chuckles Checkup Included.
Citing recent research on laughter and play, including the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and classification of humour, Dr. Shonk revealed how this information can bring more laughter, play, and joy into our lives. His presentation was sprinkled with examples of humour and its applications to improve communication and social interactions. Appropriately, given the audience and the presenter, Dr. Shonk devoted special attention to using humour to cope with the foibles of aging.
Afternoon breakout sessions
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Four sessions were offered concurrently, with registrants selecting their session in advance.
YourCare+: A Self-Referral and Social Prescribing Platform for Navigating Home and Community Care
Sydney Jones, BSc, Project Manager – YourCare+
Eating for Vitality: Nutrient-dense Diets to Promote Physical and Cognitive Wellbeing as We Age
Heather Keller, PhD, Professor – Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Schlegel Research Chair in Nutrition and Aging, University of Waterloo.
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Deceptive Realities: The Growing Threat of Fraud and Scams in the Era of Deep Fake Technology
Mike Payne, BA, Detective Constable – Waterloo Regional Police Service, Chair – Waterloo-Wellington Elder Abuse Prevention Council, Vice-chairperson – Law Enforcement Agencies and Partners Protecting Seniors, Member – Ontario Securities Commission: Seniors Expert Advisory Committe.
Managing Knee/Hip Pain and Arthritis
Ryan Wark, MPT, Clinical Director, SOS Physiotherapy
Lightning Tables
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Lightning tables offered the opportunity for a quick exchange on a variety of topics, each with a host, e.g. investing and finance, nutrition, travel, tech troubleshooting, pickleball, coping with loss, etc. Participants spent 10-15 minutes at a table and then moved on to sample another interest: just enough time to glean some information and a contact.
CURAC Awards Banquet
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Thursday was capped by the CURAC Awards evening, featuring great food, conversation, and inspiring award winners from across Canada. Sue Fraser, a long-time UWRA Board member and past President, and Dr. Donald Meichenbaum, an internationally renown clinical psychologist and University of Waterloo Distinguished Professor Emeritus, were among those honoured.
Congratulations to Sue, Don and other award winners from across Canada!
Ron and Jim accept the CURAC Association Award for the UWRA. 
Friday, May 24
Friday morning presented a plenary, followed by roundtable discussions and ended with lunch. Optional tours and excursions were available in the afternoon, plus some options for the weekend.
Morning plenary
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Resilience in Retirement
(Handout available here. )
Donald Meichenbaum, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Psychology, University of Waterloo
Resilience is the ability to bounce back following trauma and loss – and the ability to deal with ongoing adversities. Following trauma, 25% of individuals develop adjustment disorders and psychopathology, while 75% of individuals evidence resilience. Dr. Meichenbaum’s presentation examined how these two groups differ and what implications there are for psychological adjustment. A second focus of the presentation was how to manage the transition to retirement and how to bolster resilience in the elderly.
Dr. Meichenbaum joined via Zoom.
Roundtable Discussion
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
(Roundtable discussions summary available here. .)
Roundtable discussions invited participants to share ideas to guide us as individuals and organizations as we work to apply the principles of Thriving in Retirement. Thriving in Retirement, the CURAC 2024 national conference, ended with lunch.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors:
Gold Sponsors:
Silver Sponsors:
- Raymond James, BLA Private Wealth
- Krista Jonker, Broker, Royal Lepage/Wolle Realty
- RIA Research Institute for Aging (Schlegel-UWaterloo-Conestoga)
- SOS Physiotherapy
Bronze Sponsors
Accommodation
Conference participants were offered accommodation at MacKenzie King and Ron Eydt Villages on campus, as well as several hotels near the St Jacob’s Market: Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn & Suites and Homewood Suites. Shuttle service was offered from the off-campus hotels to the University of Waterloo.
CURAC/ARUCC
CURAC/ARUCC is the College and University Retiree Associations of Canada, Associations de retraités des universités et collèges du Canada, a not-for-profit federation of retiree organizations at colleges and universities across Canada. CURAC’s objectives are
- to coordinate activities that promote communication among member associations,
- to share information about activities of member organizations,
- to provide mutual assistance, and
- to speak publicly on issues of concern to the over fifteen thousand individual college and university retirees across Canada.
The UWRA is a member of CURAC/ARUCC along with more than 35 retiree associations across Canada
The CURAC/ARUCC Board of Directors and association delegates convened at the conference to conduct CURAC/ARUCC business.
The 2025 CURAC/ARUCC Annual Conference will be held in Montreal, at McGill University, May 21-23.
Conference Videos
The following videos are on YouTube.
- Opening Remarks
- Howard Armitage
- Jesse Hoey
- Ken Shonk
- Heather Keller
- CURAC Awards
- Sue Fraser and UWRA Awards
- Door Prizes
- Announcing 2025 Annual Conference Location
- Donald Meichenbaum (Handout available here.)
