Estate plans are key when trying to figure out how to keep non-farming children involved in the family operation
Farmers with children who will eventually inherit the farm but do not necessarily want to farm it may consider transferring the land to those individuals. This can be done in a couple of ways. In Saskatchewan, for instance, land can be held by multiple individuals in two ways: as joint tenants or as tenants in […] Read moreAuthor Archives
Keeping the mineral rights right
If there isn’t an oil well on the back 40, mineral rights may be something you never even think about, but maybe you should. “Often the family is not even aware of their existence until they are discovered during a routine title search in the administration of a deceased family member’s estate,” says Humboldt, Sask., […] Read more
When grey divorce meets estate planning
When practicing matrimonial law, the first thing Wynyard, Sask., lawyer Bill Klebeck asked farmers seeking a divorce was, “how many kids do you have and what do they do?” “If they’ve got grown children who are farming with them or who are taking over the farm, then you take a different approach, rather than saying, […] Read more
Some people divorce and some people don’t
Not all of Clive Tolley’s clients want a divorce. Some just want some space. “I’ve had several clients that have got to a time in their life where they just wanted to have some independence and do some things they wanted to do and didn’t get a chance to do. They kind of still love […] Read more
Luxury retirement homes offer comfort and choice
Luxury retirement homes are a fairly new phenomenon, their popularity attributed to the desires or sheer numbers of the boomer generation. Canada may be poised for a seniors’ retirement home construction boom to accommodate the number of aging baby boomers, and like most of the things the big wave of post-war babies has done, they […] Read more
Could mediation replace litigation in divorce?
Moose Jaw mediator Clive Tolley says that about 50 percent of his work is with couples seeking divorce or separation. Some of these couples are part of the so-called boomer generation and some are older. Some contact him on their own, some are referred by their lawyers and some are ordered by the court to […] Read more
House sitting can be good opportunity for retirees
Thinking out of the box, or off the farm, can help seniors find a variety of different ways to travel without breaking the bank or the budget
When her sister-in-law told her about a house-sitting opportunity, Emily Penman, recently widowed and reluctant to spend the winter at her somewhat isolated farm house, packed up herself and her dog and moved to the city for the winter. Once moved in, she assumed the duties of the homeowner. She kept the house clean, shovelled […] Read more
Life coach helps set clear vision
One of the most important life lessons Wayne Gibson learned in becoming a life coach is the value of a powerful question. “We need the right questions, the right perspective on how to look at something so we can see it a little bit more clearly than we did before,” says the Regina-based life coach. […] Read more
When is it time to decide to hang up the car keys?
Since 2010, senior drivers, that is folks age 65 and older, have been having the most automobile collisions in Canada. They are driving into more collisions than any other age group. No one knows exactly why this is happening. It was not always this way. From 2000 to 2007, seniors ranked third, fourth or fifth […] Read more
Farming smarter can often mean farming later
A farm couple from Saskatchewan say they have no plans to retire, at least not in the way that it’s been traditionally done
They have worked hard for many years, they have overcome challenges and age-wise they might qualify; nevertheless, Marj and Ernest Swehla have no intention of retiring now — or ever. At least not in the conventional way. “Our retirement just means doing things differently,” says Ernest at their dining room table in their farm home […] Read more
