Speaker Time Start Time Finish Dialogue Roz Elliot 0:00 "Welcome to Huron County's Life on the Coast with our second podcast series focused on workforce recruitment and retention locally. I'm your host, Roz Elliott. This is the fourth episode in our series. We last sat down with Gen Zed or is a Gen Zee. I'm not sure which it is Canada after all. And I was elevated by their enthusiasm and commitment to coming home to Huron County to begin their careers." Roz Elliot Today we swing the pendulum 180 degrees and visit with the other end of the spectrum. Those who have retired from the workforce and reentered it. What beckoned them back? What is their siren call to Huron County? We will find that out in usually just a little bit more juice. We'll see where that conversation leads. Roz Elliot 1:23 "As we have these conversations, we're reminded of the deep wisdom and careful discussions that the first peoples of our area shared as they worked together to sustain these lands. We strive to follow their thoughtful example as we hear yet another generational view today. Well, let's meet our retirees first. Wanda Harvey." Wanda Harvey 1:24 1:24 Thank you. Roz Elliot 1:24 1:25 "And of course, Mary DeCarlo as well." Mary DeCarlo 1:25 1:25 Thank you. Roz Elliot 1:25 1:33 "Well, it's wonderful that you both drove here together because you both are neighbors and live just north of Goderich in the bluffs." Wanda Harvey 1:33 1:33 Yes. Roz Elliot 1:33 1:35 That's Right. While retirement is form new bonds Mary DeCarlo 1:35 1:37 "Yes, it has. " Roz Elliot 1:40 1:49 "New friendships, wonderful. Well, wanted to start with you a little history. You came here from Guelph and you were a public transit bus driver. " Wanda Harvey 1:49 1:50 That's correct. Roz Elliot 1:50 1:51 Lots of stories. Wanda Harvey 1:52 1:52 Lots. Roz Elliot 1:52 1:54 Do you miss it? Wanda Harvey 1:54 1:58 Very much. I miss the people the most. Roz Elliot 1:58 2:01 I bet you don't miss those crazy ice storms. Wanda Harvey 2:01 2:09 "Not at all. The ice storms, the traffic jams. The. The construction " Roz Elliot 2:09 2:11 "Oh, when is there not construction in a city." Wanda Harvey 2:11 2:13 There's only two seasons. Winter and construction. Roz Elliot 2:13 2:20 "You nailed it. Yeah. Well, congratulations on escaping construction season. Happy to have you." Wanda Harvey 2:20 2:22 Thanks. I'm happy to be here. Roz Elliot 2:22 2:28 "And Mary, for you. You came from Brampton, where you were an educator and a principal." Mary DeCarlo 2:28 2:57 "Yes. Yes. I lived in Brampton for 35 years. And education has been my my life from when I was young, I knew what I wanted to do. So it's, I miss it tremendously. I miss the kids, in elementary school. Tremendously. But I don't regret the changes that I've made. It's all for good reasons. And coming up to the bluffs was this the best thing decision I've made personally." Roz Elliot 2:57 3:09 "I'm going to ask you both. I'm going to start with you, Wanda. What was sort of that signature? That said, I'm ready to leave the workforce." Wanda Harvey 3:10 "For me, it wasn't that way. It was my husband that had the bright idea. The wonderful idea. He dragged me up to the bluffs. I wasn't ready for this, but my first sunset and coming over or driving, you know, down in the gully over the Maitland River. And the leaves were turning and the sun was setting. It was absolutely stunning." Wanda Harvey 3:57 "The whole area, all of Huron County is beautiful and after we went to the bluffs and we chose our house, it was a no brainer. I was ready to leave it all behind, just sitting there looking at it. Lake Huron." Roz Elliot 3:57 4:06 "That's how we get you. It's. That's how we get you. That's for sure. And, Mary, how did you sort of put closure on your career that long career?" Mary DeCarlo 4:06 "I was becoming a, a grandmother for the first time, and that was seven, seven years ago. And it was just I'd reached my point in education where, things had changed tremendously from when I first began teaching. And, they do continue to change. However, I knew that was a point where I needed something new to something different." Mary DeCarlo "And, for me, I had met someone online and, over time, over the course of the year, we began dating in that we wanted to move, together and we looking and we found this information about the bluffs. And we drove out here on a Thanksgiving weekend, three years ago, and went to the clubhouse. I saw Lake Huron, and that's what did me." Mary DeCarlo 5:19 "And it was just I needed to be by the water. I've always been. I've always loved the water. And I that's that's where I wanted to be. So it was, it was not a difficult, decision. It was hard leaving a home that you'd had for 35 years with your child. But as adults and moms, we have to do the things we have to do for ourselves sometimes. So yeah." Roz Elliot 5:20 5:23 I didn't know this was going to be a love story. This is terrific. Mary DeCarlo 5:22 5:25 We just got married. We got married on June 1st. Roz Elliot 5:25 "Well, congratulations. This is really a wonderful story. Well, welcome to Huron County, to you both and to this chapter of your life. A long book. And I'm really happy for you both. Can you remember for me? I'm going to I'm going to step into your shoes for a second. When I retired from my lifelong career, that first day was such a glorious day." Roz Elliot 6:04 "I played golf and I did not get up early. It was like a 10 a.m. tee time on a Monday, and I thought, this is what people do. This is great. What did you do on your first day? Wanda, anything special?" Wanda Harvey 6:04 6:30 "I didn't do anything special. I was just so excited to wake up and stay in my pajamas till nine and have that second cup of coffee. But after, as the days went on, my house was cleaned and I had my second cup of coffee. I was dressed and showered by 7 a.m., tapping my fingers saying, okay, now what do I do?" Roz Elliot 6:30 6:40 So you were set up for the next thing. We'll get there and Mary for you. Do you remember that first day of release? Mary DeCarlo 6:40 "Well, for me it's a little bit different because the summer it was, I retired at the end of June and we had summer holidays. But for me, actually, that, first Labor Day weekend when I went for a walk and walked past the elementary school in the area, I broke in and cried because I thought, I'm going to miss the little kids in the kindergarten room or the kindergarten yard and coming up to say hello to me." Mary DeCarlo 7:27 "And it just, so it was it was very it was a very difficult time that first part of September, really wondering, did I make the right choice? Because I just absolutely adored what I did. But yeah. So that was my first experience, you know, that was my thought then was that it was it was a very difficult couple of weeks for me." Roz Elliot 7:27 "Yeah. I often hear for people in retirement that that first day to be intentional and to be aware of it, to have that second cup of coffee. My partner is a former elementary teacher and the best advice she was given was make sure on that Monday you do something that you would normally do because you're used to having the summer off and just mark it somehow." Roz Elliot 8:07 "So you both marked it in your own way with the coffee and some tears. I love that tears in the coffee. It all works. It all works. Well, we we know why you're drawn to Huron County because it's a love affair to so many are. And I hope it's as advertised. Would you say yes?" Mary DeCarlo 8:07 8:25 "Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And I think probably more could be done for that too, somehow of, of, you know, to get people out here, it's just I don't think we've drawn on the beauty that's out here. Enough for other similarly dwelt city dwellers, to make their way out here." Roz Elliot 8:25 8:52 "Well, now that you're here, I have to ask you. We know that careers are sort of a series of chapters in our lives. We we start with the youth. We get experience, we grow, we find passions. You both have are writing your epilog. You're adding on to that book what caused you to reopen that book? And I want to start with you, Mary, because you said I wasn't it wasn't over yet." Mary DeCarlo 8:52 "And I've never been the kind of person to sit still for very long. I have to be doing something. And after we moved in to the bluffs, said we moved in on November 30th. So our second year anniversary is coming up very soon. And it was by the spring. I thought, okay, I as much as I'm involved in a lot of activities, at the bluffs like pickleball, yoga, walk fit know there was something missing that I needed to do." Mary DeCarlo 9:32 "And, it was in the summer. Then I ended up going to the employment center, unemployment. And then, looking for a job because I knew I needed to do something." Roz Elliot 9:32 9:39 "And Wanda, you had a very clean house. Was that your sign?" Wanda Harvey 9:39 9:45 "That was my sign. And that's I thought there's got to be more to life than just getting up and having a coffee and cleaning your house, right? " Roz Elliot 9:45 9:49 Right. So you knew there was an itch to do more? Wanda Harvey 9:49 9:53 "I yes, I need to feel productive." Roz Elliot 9:54 10:23 "Well, you both have led very productive lives. Was it, you've navigated roads for you, for example, one you've navigated, you've you've been in difficult situations, you've navigated classrooms. What was it like navigating employment when you sort of been out of it? You haven't maybe done a resume in a long time. Was it riding a bike for you or was it like science fiction? I just showed up in a different century, you know, Wanda, how was it for you?" Wanda Harvey 10:23 10:51 "It was science fiction for me. I've never had a resume. I'm old school, right? You just went. You filled out an application and you had an interview, and you got the job. That's the way it used to be. And then they told me I needed a resum‚, which I went to the education center, and they helped me out, and helped me out, getting my first job." Roz Elliot 10:51 10:57 What would the data help look like at the center for Employment and Learning? What sort of help did you get? The resume. Wanda Harvey 10:57 11:36 "I the resume. And I got a lot of advice. And, they just help me to search for Employment. Finding something I wanted to do was, I think, the most difficult of all. But it's, I guess, a learning experience, like everything else, I, I started off with one job and left that. And I'm on my second job, so, yeah, I just, I guess I'll never be done learning and I'll just keep moving on, perhaps until I find something that's fun. I'm not really sure." Roz Elliot 11:36 11:40 I think that might be music to our principles. Ears over here. Married the lifelong learning. Mary DeCarlo 11:41 11:42 Absolutely Roz Elliot 11:42 11:44 Yeah. And for you? Mary DeCarlo 11:44 "Well, after I had retired, I had done, five contracts for the board as a, contract principal for schools that were short on principles. So it wasn't a full, full retirement. And then when we decided to move out here and like I said earlier, it was about finding something else to do that was totally different. I'd had an opportunity to work at one of the schools, and I thought, no, I, I left that behind." Mary DeCarlo "I wanted something different. Went to the employment center and I have done resumes before in my career. You'd have to do that. And, met Hayley and we went through my resume. She fixed it all up and all those sorts of things, and, she called me in a couple of times, and the job came up for Finchers, and I went to, she two, she gave me two." Mary DeCarlo "There was one at Fincher's and one that's a Dollar tree. I went to, Fincher's first and, went in and met Tom Fincher and that that that's it. It was, he called in the next day and, he said, you have the job. So it's, and there's no looking back. I absolutely love where I work." Mary DeCarlo 13:11 "Absolutely, totally different learning curve for me in retail. Never done that before. Cash registers, numbers, counting, stocking, pricing. And I work with young people and I absolutely love learning from them." Roz Elliot 13:11 13:32 "Isn't that fantastic? Well, you just hit the jackpot twice. The sunsets and finchers, I am so jealous. That was a go -to place growing out puzzles magazines books I mean you name it that's still where I shop for kids toys and wow I want to be you when I grow up yeah I really do I never want to grow up either " Mary DeCarlo 13:33 13:45 "Well see that's that that's my motto I don't plan on growing up it's not gonna happen you know it's it's that mindset and for me it has to be a young mindset yeah absolutely." Roz Elliot 13:45 13:49 "And Wanda, you're also at Goderich Place Retirement Home as well." Wanda Harvey 13:50 13:50 That's correct. Roz Elliot 13:50 13:51 What do you do there? Wanda Harvey 13:51 14:35 "I'm, they've opened up a little salon for me. I did go to hairdressing college out, went just out fresh out of high school. And I hairdressed for a few years and then gave it up once I had children. And kept my license, which I'm grateful I did and always did family and friends along the way and Then now I am enjoying Doing the seniors here at the Goderich Place. They're so fun It's I could I could tell you stories, but I just love getting those ladies in there fluffing up their hair and doing them up and Great conversations. " Roz Elliot 14:35 14:36 I bet the stories. Wanda Harvey 14:36 14:38 "All the stories are incredible. " Roz Elliot 14:38 14:43 "So you went from a bus to a home that is rich with stories. They're both rich with stories and" Wanda Harvey 14:44 14:48 " which I love. I love meeting new people and having conversation with them. " Roz Elliot 14:48 14:55 "We always say we stand on the shoulders of our seniors, right? And wow, what a great group to be with every day or every week. " Wanda Harvey 14:57 15:00 "They are so interesting. They've got so much to give. " Roz Elliot 15:00 15:11 "So you have another job and I have to say I really love the job that you have right now. You're on a contract I believe I am and I love it. Yes. What is it? " Wanda Harvey 15:11 15:15 "It's I'm a custodian for the Catholic school board here in Goderich." Roz Elliot 15:15 15:46 " I Come from a long family of custodians really my uncle my cousin my dad Everybody and my another cousin all have been custodians and I I just lived through my dad You know being at the public school and you know a window would get broken and we'd have our lunches was dinner because of his Hours and such and he loved it. He loved being around the youth Do you like the flexibility of your roles? Is that a draw for both of you? " Wanda Harvey & Mary DeCarlo 15:47 15:50 "Absolutely. Yeah Yes, it is for me. Absolutely." Roz Elliot 15:50 15:52 Is - Is there too much or too little? Mary DeCarlo 15:52 16:04 " No, it's a spot on. I have no complaints about the flexibility of the hours that I'm given and just the different times throughout the day, so no, works out wonderfully." Roz Elliot 16:04 16:14 "So you wouldn't change a thing that way on either of you? - No. - Okay. - No. - And it just fills that niche. So you don't have to get up at seven in the morning. You might a little bit right now, Wanda. You have to get up early?" Wanda Harvey 16:14 16:19 "Not too early. No, but I do I my body just wakes up early." Roz Elliot 16:19 16:50 "Oh, my last job I was up at 3am. I bet you were for years. So it's hard to turn that off. A few more years, you might be able to maybe. Yeah, I'm hoping let's hope for you. Now, this all sounds lovely and rosy. But were there any challenges for either of you? Was it tough, sort of making the switch? Or did it go pretty simply for you. Do you remember, Mary? Like just into a new sort of career path or that second epilogue, was there anything hard about it? " Mary DeCarlo 16:50 17:19 "Not hard. Challenging on learning new skills. Not different, not hard in that I didn't want to do it. But no, just learning those new skills like gift cards and returns in the cash machine digital oh yeah and it but no there's is like the old fashion there's not a scanner like this is you have to push it all these numbers so it was a and I love learning curves I love challenges and that was a challenge for me " Roz Elliot 17:19 17:30 "so you're out of your comfort zone absolutely absolutely yeah there's something about your first day in a job it's like all of a sudden we're just nervous again yeah yeah that's true were you nervous? " Wanda Harvey 17:30 17:57 "It was because part of the job I was doing, I had to drive, we call it the Zamboni down the hallways to do the floors. And I felt if I could handle a city bus with 40 people on board, I can certainly drive the Zamboni, but I was a little bit nervous. And then my first circle or around the school, No problem." Roz Elliot 17:58 18:24 "You are living every NHL dream. Wow, I feel like I'm with a celebrity right now that's part of my day I bet so last job before I go home, and it's the best part of my day. Do you have a favorite hockey team? Toronto, okay. Thank you. Okay. We're with you. We're rooting for you Are you both satisfied? Are you happy with where you're at right now?" Mary DeCarlo 18:24 18:27 Absolutely. I wouldn't change a thing. Wanda Harvey 18:27 18:29 Same here. Not a thing. Roz Elliot 18:29 18:35 "And how long do you plan to keep working? Is it just there's no end date? There's no end date?" Wanda Harvey 18:35 18:48 "No, when I guess the body will dictate that later on, but No, I just love getting out there every day. Feeling productive is important." Roz Elliot 18:48 19:09 "Terrific. I want to ask you this question. Sometimes we doubt ourselves at certain stages and there are misconceptions when you're at a certain age. Ageism can happen. People might assume limitations. Did you ever worry they won't want me? Did you encounter anything like that?" Wanda Harvey 19:10 19:24 " I think you, in the back of your mind, you're going to worry that it might occur, but it hasn't for me. I'm not gonna speak for Mary, but I have not experienced that here." Roz Elliot 19:24 19:25 "Good, and Mary?" Mary DeCarlo 19:25 20:03 "For me, it was worry that Tom and Don Fincher would, if I messed up on things, would think, thinking oh do we make a mistake here but they've been both very supportive as well as young people that I have the pleasure of working with because I have made mistakes but as we teach kids in school you learn from those mistakes we love mistakes absolutely it makes us better people that's right so it's yeah the hesitation is there about you know learning a new skill but that's what anything we do through life so It's, it's another, like I said, it's a challenge. And I love challenges. -" Wanda Harvey 20:04 20:07 " Well, I find it more exciting, the challenge actually, as well." Roz Elliot 20:08 20:39 "Yeah, we grow when we're challenged, don't we? - Absolutely. - They always say it's the irritated oyster that produces the pearl. You gotta be a little bit, you know, just tense at some times. We really have to overcome the self -talk, right? That we're not good enough or maybe I won't excel. So we can be our own limiters, can't we? We can. Absolutely. What advice would you give to others that perhaps you meet and they're thinking about Doing their epilogue. What would you tell them Mary? Do you thoughts?" Mary DeCarlo 20:39 21:16 "You know, it's about taking that first step because that's one of the I think the biggest pieces is taking that first step and and Is telling yourself, okay, I need to be doing something else, how can I do this? And getting a part -time job, I tell you, it's absolutely a treasure that I have found that I will keep working at this until I decide that I don't want to and that won't be for a long time. So it's about taking that first step, absolutely, jumping in and getting help with it and taking that first step." Roz Elliot 21:16 21:24 " I hear that so much from people that once you start movement, you keep moving, but once you stop, you slow down and that's where the problems happen, right? So you're moving. " Mary DeCarlo 21:25 21:26 "Oh yeah, absolutely. " Roz Elliot 21:27 21:34 "I also hear that you're kind of a force to be reckoned with at the bluffs. I hear you keep everybody moving. Is that right?" Mary DeCarlo 21:34 21:57 " I'm not quite sure who you've been talking to, but yeah, you know what, I think part of it is my educational background about, you know, mixing with people and just being the person I am. You're a coach, you know, and it's, yeah, you know, yeah, I, you know, and, and just because you're, you know, under five feet does not mean that you're not a force to be reckoned with. So the kids knew at school very well. So, yeah," Roz Elliot 21:57 22:07 " I couldn't agree with you more. I think the three of us are looking at each other right now going, it's family, the three of us all the same height and, and, and Wanda you um advice? " Wanda Harvey 22:07 22:30 "my advice would be try it just jump in two feet what can it hurt just get rid of all those fears and jump in just like the lake you're on water just like lake you're on water might be rough cold just jump in and try it" Roz Elliot 22:31 22:36 " and moving to a new place advice for that you both have made a significant move, Mary? " Mary DeCarlo 22:36 23:11 "yes for me coming from Brampton and after being there for 35 years and that's where I raised my daughter it was it was a big change absolutely it was going from the city to the country but there's no going back absolutely not I there is there's nothing that that would draw me back into the city. My daughter's living out here as well, and my granddaughter, which is bonus. So it's just, yeah, I'm in a very happy place. And then meeting Warren and getting married, it's just, it's, and he's working part -time as well." Roz Elliot 23:11 23:12 Where does he work? Mary DeCarlo 23:12 23:13 At the Salvation Army Roz Elliot 23:13 23:21 "And I know you get to see all the new books when they come out too, so I am really jonesing on you. I have to tell you right now." Mary DeCarlo 23:21 23:22 You'll have to come visit me at Finchers. Roz Elliot 23:22 23:26 Oh I I'm gonna be there. I'm gonna be there. Um and for you Wanda? Wanda Harvey 23:26 23:50 "I would have to agree with Mary. Just it's there's no turning back. I couldn't imagine going back to a big city now. Here people are so friendly and the way of life it's just a much more relaxed pace. Very good point. It is relaxed, isn't it? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And it forces you to relax. It does. " Roz Elliot 23:50 24:50 "Yeah, you don't drive on those busy highways. That's right. People are a little kinder, slower pace. Yes. Unless you're behind a tractor. Yeah, we're teaching you about those good things, aren't we? Yes, you are. I wave every time. I always say that's my food source. And yeah, came from an agricultural family, so I get it. But yeah, all new experiences, right? all new experiences. Well, you've just demonstrated for me and thank you for sitting down with me because you just really gave me the appreciation that we all offer value and contributions at every stage of our life. And I think this won't come as news to you, but here in county is actually in a deficit for having enough people to fill roles. So we do need everyone to step up, because there are open roles and we need people to help out so we can continue to provide all these wonderful services and opportunities for our tourists and retail and everything, and you're filling an important role. So thank you for that." Mary DeCarlo 24:50 25:00 "Oh, you're welcome. Definitely our pleasure, and if you need us to get out there and recruit people for you, we will." Roz Elliot 25:00 25:08 " I think - We found our team. I think we found our team. Well, I want to thank you both. Here in County is truly the beneficiary. So thank you both." Mary DeCarlo & Wanda Harvey 25:08 25:10 "You're welcome, thank you." Roz Elliot 25:10 25:33 "We will be back with more insight on workforce development in Huron County. And if you missed the first three episodes, you can catch up at Huron County's Economic Development website. This podcast is funded in part by the Ontario government through the Rural Economic Development Program and the County of Huron. The views expressed in this podcast are not those of the province or the county."