Dan Walton
Oliver Chronicle

Local baby boomer David Badger is noticing that a lot of people around his age – particularly the fellas – are often bored.

Many are retirees with skill sets that took a lifetime to hone, and Badger feels like there’s an appetite to tap some of that potential.

“I notice, particularly in this town where well over half of the population is in excess of 55-60 years of age, there’s a lot of leisure time people kicking about,” he says.

The evidence for Oliver’s underutilized workforce of retirees can be seen around the local establishments – places like Tim Horton’s, Medici’s, Crucetti’s, the Cock ’n’ Bull, curling rink and A&W – where groups of men will habitually spend over an hour “hanging around and shooting the bull.”

“Their dress code or garb tends to reflect the nature of the careers and lives they lead. The blue-jean baseball cap crowd, the causal middle to upscale former office guys, etc.”

If there was a network that could connect people with extra time on their hands to take on causal work, odd jobs and volunteer opportunities – Badger feels like it would provide two major benefits. He said some older citizens want more ways to keep busy and feel productive, and others would greatly benefit from a bit of extra income.

“Out of any group of men, let’s say a foursome, at least one of them needs to work and one or two more may really want to because they’re bored out of their minds,” he said, adding that the unemployment rate is very low in the region.

“It’s painful to casually appear that you don’t really need to earn some extra dough when you are amongst a group of your friends and peers who literally don’t need to. Keeping-up-with-the-Jones is a harsh realm when you don’t have enough fuel in the tank.”

Many retirees might be used to working in jobs that are only available in big cities – positions like software development or management for HR departments. But in a town with a population around 5,000, Badger said the work that needs to be done around Oliver will rarely require such technical skills.

“Nonetheless, activity is activity,” he says.

“Some of these idly retired folks you’ll find working across winery counters. Congenial, friendly and often getting abused by younger, snotty customers who’ve been stricken by the entitlement virus.”

Badger wants to see if there is enough interest to form a group and hold an information session.

If a network emerges connecting retirees with work opportunities, he feels like it would mostly service men, as he finds women of retirement age seem to be better at keeping busy.

“They are all over socializing and engaging in activities that look pleasing and fulfilling. They’re so much better at it than guys.”

Any employers or potential workers who want to explore the idea can contact Badger by email at [email protected].