The Adventure Isn't Over Yet

 A poem as a change of pace.

The finest stories are seldom planned;
They bloom where no one understands.
Not from the paths we've always known,
But seeds of wonder newly sown.

Do not cling to what you know,
the well-worn road, the settled way.
The seeds of wonder only grow
when you step into the unknown gray.

Turn your back on safe and sure,
the clichés worn so smooth and plain.
Brave the darkness, find the cure
for staleness in the heart's domain

Step past the familiar, safe, and sure,
For every dream needs something more.
Leave yesterday with grateful grace,
And greet tomorrow face to face.

When life grows quiet, pause and hear
The whispered hopes still waiting near.
In moments calm, new visions start.
A spark of courage in the heart.

Act as if the path is clear,
as if the vision is your own.
The words will come, the light appear,
illuminating what you've known.

For you were summoned long ago
to this adventure, this new start.
The stories that you've yet to show
have always lived within your heart.

It's never too late to begin
to take the brush, to learn, to start.
The artist waits just there within.
The story waits to be your art.

Try the painting, write the song,
Take the trail you've skipped so long.
Learn a dance, explore a place,
Smile at every new embrace.

Each fresh adventure, large or small,
Reminds us we can still stand tall.
A curious mind will always find
New treasures waiting just behind.

Raise your pen or lace your shoes,
There's still so much for you to choose.
The words, the dreams, the hidden light
Have waited patiently in sight.

Age is not a closing door;
It's an invitation to explore.
Each sunrise offers one more chance
To join life's unexpected dance.

So, write a chapter bold and true,
Filled with things you've longed to do.
Your greatest story may yet be
The one that sets your spirit free.

For life is richest when we dare
To meet the unknown waiting there.
The future isn't written through
It's waiting to be dreamed by you.

 

How to Find Your Lost Pension (Before It's Too Late)

 In my last post, I talked about the staggering number of Canadians who have lost track of pension benefits they earned over their careers. Nearly 200,000 people in Ontario alone are considered "missing" by their pension plans, leaving behind $3.6 billion in unclaimed entitlements.

But here is the good news: that money is still there. It belongs to you. And you can claim it.

The challenge is that it takes effort to find. Pension plans are not going to hunt you down. The responsibility is on you to track them down.

I decided to take my own advice. I contacted the BC Unclaimed Property Society and searched for my name and my wife's name. We didn't find anything. My children didn't find anything either. It was reassuring to know that we had not left any money behind, but I also know that not everyone will be so lucky.

The search is free and takes just a few minutes. You can do it online at bcunclaimed.ca/search. If the system finds a possible match, you will be contacted by mail. Then you just need to verify your identity and claim what is yours.

If you suspect you might have a lost pension, here is a step-by-step approach.

Step 1: Start with your own memory.

Make a list of every job you have ever had. Write down the employer name, the city or province, and the years you worked there. Do not worry if you cannot remember all the details, just write down what you can.

Step 2: Contact former employers.

This is the most direct approach. Call or email the human resources department of every employer on your list. Ask if they have a pension plan and whether you have any entitlement. Be prepared to provide your full name, date of birth, and Social Insurance Number (or the equivalent at the time).

If the company no longer exists or has been bought out, you may need to do additional research. The pension plan may have been transferred to another administrator.

Step 3: Search online databases.

In British Columbia, the BC Unclaimed Property Society maintains a free searchable online database at bcunclaimed.ca/search.[reference:20] The Society holds more than $222 million in unclaimed funds, including pensions, payroll cheques, and other financial assets.

If the database finds a possible match, BC Unclaimed will contact you by mail. You will need to provide identification and documentation to verify that you are the rightful owner.

Step 4: Check with pension regulators.

Each province has a pension regulator that oversees pension plans. In British Columbia, the BC Financial Services Authority regulates pension plans. In Ontario, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) oversees pension plans and provides information about missing members.

Step 5: Look for federal pensions.

If you ever worked for the federal government, the Canadian Armed Forces, or the RCMP, you may have a federal pension. Contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre at 1-800-277-9914.

Canada is not alone in facing this issue. Other countries have created systems to help people find their lost pensions.

In the United Kingdom, the government operates a free Pension Tracing Service. You can search online at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details or call 0800 731 0193. In 2025 alone, 834,000 people used this service to locate lost pension savings.

In the United States, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation maintains an Unclaimed Pensions List on its website. You can search for your name at pbgc.gov. There is also the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits, which is free to search.

In Australia, you can check for lost superannuation by logging into ATO online services through MyGov. The Australian Tax Office has reunited or paid out approximately 3.1 million unclaimed super accounts valued at nearly $5.5 billion since 2022.

Every year you wait, the money stays unclaimed. It does not grow in your pocket; it grows in someone else's. And if you never claim it, it may eventually be transferred to a government fund or donated to charity.

In British Columbia, BC Unclaimed has donated over $80.4 million to the Vancouver Foundation since 2004. That is wonderful for the community, but it also means that money never reached the people who earned it.

If you have a lost pension, it is yours. It is not a gift. It is not a handout. It is money you earned through years of work.

And if you do not claim it, you may never get it.

Retirement is expensive. Every dollar counts. A pension you earned decades ago could make a meaningful difference in your quality of life, whether it pays for a vacation, helps cover unexpected expenses, or simply gives you a little more breathing room each month.

Do not leave that money on the table. Take the time to search. Contact your former employers. Check the online databases.

The money is there. It belongs to you. And it is waiting for you to claim it.

The Pension You Earned but Haven't Claimed

Let's start with a question: How many jobs have you worked over your lifetime?

If you are like most people, the number is higher than you probably remember. Research shows that a typical Canadian will work about 15 different jobs over the course of their career. That is a lot of employers, a lot of payroll departments, and, if you were lucky, a lot of pension contributions.

But here is the problem. Every time you left a job, you may have left something behind. Not just a coffee mug or a pair of safety boots. You may have left a pension.

And if you are like the nearly 200,000 Canadians who are considered "missing" by their pension plans, you may have no idea that money is even there.

Penisons get lost more easily than you might think.

You work for five or ten years at a company and contribute to a pension plan. When you leave, you might not be eligible to receive the benefit for years, sometimes decades. You move to a new city. You change your phone number. You get married and change your name. The pension plan administrator sends statements to your old address. They come back undelivered. The administrator marks you as "missing."

The plan continues to hold your money. But without your current contact information, they cannot reach you. And because you have forgotten about that old job, you do not know to reach out to them.

The National Institute on Ageing released a landmark report in December 2024 called Missing Pension Plan Members in Canada. The findings are startling. In Ontario alone, nearly 200,000 pension plan members are considered missing, representing an estimated $3.6 billion in unclaimed pension entitlements. That is not a typo. Billion with a "B."

Nationwide, the numbers are even larger. Across Canada, there could be between $5 billion and $6 billion in unclaimed assets sitting in pension plans, bank accounts, and other financial instruments.

If you are approaching retirement, you have likely already started thinking about how much income you will have. You have probably checked your Canada Pension Plan statement. You have probably reviewed your RRSPs and TFSAs. But have you checked every pension plan you ever contributed to?

A pension from a job you held 20 or 30 years ago might not be huge. But it could be significant, especially when combined with other sources of retirement income. Even a modest pension of $100 or $200 a month adds up to thousands of dollars over the course of a retirement that could last 20 or 30 years.

That is money you earned. It is money to which you are entitled. And it could make a real difference in your quality of life.

Canada is not alone in facing this problem.

In the United Kingdom, the value of unclaimed pension pots has surged from £19.4 billion in 2018 to £31.1 billion in 2024. In 2025 alone, 834,000 people used the UK government's Pension Tracing Service to locate lost pension savings.

In the United States, approximately a quarter of all 401(k) plan assets are left behind when employees leave their positions. A bipartisan bill called the Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan was introduced in Congress in September 2025 to help reunite workers with lost retirement funds.

In Australia, there is still almost $19 billion in lost and unclaimed superannuation (the Australian equivalent of a pension) waiting to be found. Since 2022, the Australian Tax Office has reunited or paid out approximately 3.1 million unclaimed super accounts valued at nearly $5.5 billion.

In the Netherlands, the three biggest pension funds had a total of €350 million in unclaimed pensions about half a decade ago.

Different countries have taken different approaches to this problem:

In the United Kingdom tghe government operates a free Pension Tracing Service (gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details) to help individuals locate lost pensions. A Pensions Dashboard Programme is currently under development to allow individuals to access multiple pension accounts in one place.

The Australian Tax Office maintains a Lost Members Register. All superannuation funds are required to provide details of members with whom they have lost contact. The ATO also proactively consolidates superannuation accounts to protect them from fee erosion

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation of the United States works to locate lost participants of terminated pension plans. The Department of Labor provides services for plans it regulates, and there are online databases such as the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits.

Canada does not have a unified national approach. Each province has its own regulations. However, several provinces have created protocols and databases to track unclaimed benefits.

If you are approaching retirement, now is the time to act.

1. Make a list of every job you have ever held. Write down the employer names, the years you worked there, and the city or province where you worked.
2. Contact former employers. Ask if they have a pension plan and whether you have any entitlement. Be persistent. Sometimes you need to speak to the human resources department or the pension plan administrator.
3. Search online databases. In British Columbia, you can search the BC Unclaimed Property Society database at bcunclaimed.ca/search. This nonprofit holds over $222 million in unclaimed money, including pension funds, and is actively searching for rightful owners.
4. Check with pension regulators. Each province has a pension regulator that may be able to help you locate a lost pension.
5. Don't assume it is too small to matter. Even a small pension could make a difference in your retirement. And if you don't claim it, you are leaving money on the table.

Grow yourf world Online Support Groups to Explore

 Online Support Groups to Explore

Canadian Resources:

• Inspire – A supportive online community for people living with chronic conditions.
• Wellness Together Canada – Free mental health and substance use support available 24/7.
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – Offers resources, support groups, and online programs.
• CanAge – A national seniors' advocacy organization with resources and community connections.
• Seniors First BC – Offers free legal advice and support for seniors.

American Resources:

• AARP Community – Discussion forums and groups for seniors on a wide range of topics.
• The Mighty – A supportive online community for people living with chronic conditions and disabilities.
• Seniors Online – Online support groups and discussion forums for seniors.
• National Council on Aging (NCOA) – Resources, programs, and community connections for older adults.

The person who wrote the original post ended with this:

"Life is good even when we can't leave home."

That is not denial. That is resilience. It is the recognition that life does not stop when your world grows smaller. It just changes shape.

Your world may be shrinking, but it does not have to be empty. You can fill it with connection, creativity, and purpose. You can find new ways to reach out. You can discover new passions. You can remember that you are still here, still capable, still worthy of joy.

And when the loneliness comes, and it will, you can remind yourself, as one person did, that the feeling is temporary and will pass. That you are not helpless. That you can read or listen to a book or focus on your breathing to get through the moment.

You are still here. And that is enough.

What is one small thing you could do today to make your world feel a little bigger? A phone call? A creative project? A walk to the end of the street? It does not have to be huge. It just has to be a beginning.