News Update

February 6, 2026

Introduction 

January 31, 2026

Click on the image to read the January edition of Pensioners' Parley.

January 29, 2026

January 23, 2026

Happy New Year to all from Vancouver Island! Forty-three pensioners and friends met on January 16th for our annual Christmas in January lunch at the 4 Mile Pub and Restaurant in Victoria. A culinary feast was enjoyed by all, as well as a beautiful fruit topped cake for dessert! By the noise level in the restaurant, you know that catching up with friends and re-uniting with other friends was the order of the day and a great time was had by all!

For all the pictures, including names  click here

January 13, 2026

If you are a recent retiree of the Bank of Montreal, and would like to join our chapter, currently 300 members strong, feel free to contact us at bmofgpecoc@gmail.com.

As a chapter we hold quarterly meetings, with interesting keynote speakers.Our next quarterly meeting is on Thursday, January 22nd, 2026, at the Heintzman House.
Registration starts at 12.30pm, on January 22nd, 2026, cost to retirees and guests is $5.00 per person, refreshments included. Heintzman House is located at 135 Baythorn Drive, Thornhill, L3T3V1 (free parking).  Our keynote speaker will be Bill Gladstone, who will be giving a talk about Toronto Policing, at the turn of the century.

Contact us at bmofgpecoc@gmail.com if you wish to join our chapter and/or wish to attend the quarterly meeting on January 22nd, 2026.

On behalf of the executive committee we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Gabby Winterstein
Chairperson

January 12, 2026

We recently received a letter from Chuck Joynt who is a close friend of Darwen Lowe’s.  Chuck wanted to let us know that one of our '90 and older’ members, Darwen Lowe celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026 with his dear wife Marie, family and friends.

Darwen is now 92 and soon to be 93 on February 27, 2026.  Marie is 94 and she still drives her car and lives independently in her own apartment.  Last summer,  Darwen moved to a retirement home and Marie drives there everyday to visit him.

Darwen and Marie got married on December 31, 1955.  To be married 70 years is another significant milestone in Darwen’s life and his loving, devoted wife is no doubt part of the reason why.  They have 2 daughters, 6 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.  The following quote from Darwen’s “90 and Older Birthday Celebrations” communication was what he said about his long life.

“I am blessed and grateful in many ways and enjoy life. Giving back and helping others are values I have always believed in and practised. The rewards are many which I will treasure forever.”

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary Darwen and Marie!

(Click here if you missed Darwen's "90 and Older Birthday Celebrations” communication, published February 27, 2023.)

If you have any comments regarding this letter please contact the BMO Cyber Pensioners News team at cyberpensioner@gmail.com We look forward to hearing from you.

January 12, 2026

We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 BMO Funspiel! Please join us for a fantastic day of curling on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the Dundas Valley Golf & Country Club.

Attached, you’ll find the invitation/registration form with full details for the day. Whether you’re a longtime participant or considering joining us for the first time, we hope you’ll take part in what promises to be another fun, social, and memorable event. Our goal is to field 16 teams.

Registration Deadline:
Monday, February 3, 2026

Please feel free to invite friends, family, and colleagues to join you - we’d love to see both familiar and new faces on the ice.

A couple of important notes:

• At least one team member must work (or have worked) for BMO Financial Group
• It is recommended that at least one team member be an experienced curler

For more information;click here

January 1, 2026

BMO FINANCIAL GROUP PENSIONED EMPLOYEES

CENTRAL ONTARIO CHAPTER

AGENDA – WINTER Quarterly Meeting

The Heintzman House - 135 Baythorn Drive, Thornhill, L3T 3V1

1:00 PM, THURSDAY, January 22, 2026

12:30 pm Registration— spouses/partners welcome.

$5 Registration Fee – exact change please, receive door prize ticket.

Speaker: Bill Gladstone      Topic:  Toronto Policing at the Turn of the 20^th Century

Click Here for Agenda,

Complimentary snacks available.

PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE BY RESPONDING TO bmofgpecoc@gmail.com. WE WILL BE STRICTLY FOLLOWING OUR FIRE CODE ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS (112 ppl).

Guest Speaker – Bill Gladstone - BIO

 BILL GLADSTONE is a professional genealogist, author, journalist and occasional public speaker with a special love for Toronto, history and genealogy. He has researched hundreds of local family histories. In 2017 he gave the Ontario Genealogical Society’s guest lecture on the occasion of its 100th anniversary at the City of Toronto Archives. He began researching the history of the city’s police force for a proposed novel that never came to be.

Next Meeting:  April 23, 2026

December 22, 2025

We held our Holiday Lunch, on December 11th, 2025, at the Mandarin Buffet, on Woodbine Ave, in Markham Ontario. We had a wonderful turnout of 104 retirees and guests. Our attendees had the opportunity to mingle with old and new friends, while enjoying a sumptuous buffet.

Please enjoy the pictures taken at the luncheon  Click Here

If you are a recent retiree of the Bank of Montreal, and would like to join our chapter, currently 300 members strong, feel free to contact us at bmofgpecoc@gmail.com.

As a chapter we hold quarterly meetings, with interesting keynote speakers.
Our next quarterly meeting is on Thursday, January 22nd, 2026, at the Heintzman House.
Registration starts at 12.30pm, on January 22nd, 2026, cost to retirees and guests is $5.00 per person, refreshments included. Heintzman House is located at 135 Baythorn Drive, Thornhill, L3T3V1 ( free parking).  Our keynote speaker will be Bill Gladstone, who will be giving a talk about Toronto Policing, at the turn of the century.

Contact us at bmofgpecoc@gmail.com if you wish to join our chapter and/or wish to attend the quarterly meeting on January 22nd, 2026.

On behalf of the executive committee we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Gabby Winterstein
Chairperson

December 19, 2025

Such a wonderful time when 54 of us from the Halifax-Dartmouth area gathered for our Christmas luncheon on December 10th. 

Being together and chatting with old friends and colleagues is good for the soul! And we all agreed that we look fantastic ! We won’t wait three years to do this again.

Many thanks to Bob Holmes and Debbie MacNeil for the work they put into organizing our get together. 

Also, thanks to the Palladium Restaurant in Cole Harbour and Mother Nature for accommodating us so well on the day. 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all

To see all the photos Click Here

Blair Hatherley

December 18, 2025

Have you ever had that rare moment when all of a sudden you start thinking about your past.  Your past like when you were a little kid?  I don’t know whether it is the time of year, or I am getting older, or perhaps lonesome for when things were less complicated and the days were filled with fun, mystery and “la joie de vivre” (French for, “the joy of living”).  Am I hallucinating but as I reflect, memories are part of who we are, where we’ve been and how we got to where we are.

So now you have a peek into my rambling mind, let me tell you what I was remembering.  Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning when I was a little girl.

Click here to read more, “Old Saint Nick Pays a Visit”

If you have any comments regarding this story please contact the BMO Cyber Pensioners News team at cyberpensioner@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

December 15, 2025

Oh, the weather outside was frightful
But the company at the restaurant was delightful
We all agreed this was the place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

The snow didn't show signs of stopping 
The place was really hopping
So we ordered coffee, beer and wine
And our meals were really divine
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Stories and the times together was flying
And, we always have a hard time at goodbye-ing
Oh how we hate going out in the storm
Once we are home our hearts we will be warm
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Few fun facts about our group of 15 BMO Pensioners

Total number of years working for BMO – 458 years combined
Shortest time of Employment was 18 years
Longest time of Employment was 41 years
Pensioners Retired between 1995 – 2016
Our oldest pensioner was born in 1939 
Our youngest pensioner was born in 1958

We had a lot of fun putting this info together, many wonderful memories and such great friendships have been made because of these times together. We are Proud Northern Canadians!

Rose Sigouin

December 13, 2025

BOMPA - Northern Alberta held their Christmas Luncheon on December 4th.

For more photos Click Here

Donna Brausen

December 13, 2025

December 12, 2025

BMO Pensioners in Fredericton, NB,, Christmas Breakfast at the Pinetree Pub, Dec. 11th..the roads weren’t the best, but the effort was made to make it to our get together,  Merry Christmas to all.

December 11, 2025

Here is a picture of the BMO Cornwall and surrounding area’s Christmas Luncheon held on Dec 10th 2025 at the Best Western in Cornwall.. it was a bad weather day , so many were missing.. Still, a nice time had by all attendees.

December 8, 2025

There are no two ways about it, we have had a tumultuous year and the World Order has and continues to change.  All of us have felt this in many ways with shock, surprise, dismay and disbelief.   According to the Chinese zodiac:

“2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake in the Chinese zodiac, a period expected to bring changes, new opportunities, and challenges. Numerologically, it is considered a year of closure and transformation, ruled by Mars, which suggests a need for courage and adaptability. This year is distinct from other Snake years due to the "Wood" element, which is part of a larger 60-year cycle. Predictions for the Year of the Snake include career challenges, potential relationship conflicts, and a focus on global issues like economic change and climate.” 

In spite of current affairs and predictions, we need to remember that our health is the most important thing. We cannot control the magnitude of change and history in some form always repeats itself.  However, what we can try to do is to live our lives to the fullest and to the best of our ability with grace, peace and compassion. 

As is our practice in December, we take this opportunity to do a brief overview of some of BMO Cyber Pensioners highlights and reminders. 

(Click here to read more: Highlights, Reminders and Our Wish for You)

 If you have any comments regarding this message please contact the BMO Cyber Pensioners News team at cyberpensioner@gmail.com We look forward to hearing from you.

December 7, 2025

We had our annual Christmas luncheon in Calgary on Dec 04 at the Horton Road Legion hall. 42 retirees gathered to share stories and fellowship. Attached are pictures from the event.

Thanks to Fred Lamoureux for sharing.

December 7, 2025

All of us volunteers at BMO Cyber Pensioners are very sad to hear that Dave Harmer, our Editor has decided to retire from his role. Dave has been a pillar of strength in the evolution of the website and his insights, due diligence, patience and perceptiveness have been immensely appreciated by our small team of volunteers. He has been a mentor to many of us and has always selflessly shared his wisdom, time and knowledge with us and will be greatly missed.

We know he will be happy going forward exploring new challenges and venues and wish him good health, much happiness and all the best. 

We will miss you Dave.

Al, Colin, Cecilia, Heinz, Joan, Leslie and Roy
BMO Cyber Pensioners Team

 If you have any comments regarding this letter please contact the BMO Cyber Pensioners News team at cyberpensioner@gmail.com We look forward to hearing from you.

December 5, 2025

It has long been my view that from time to time, any organization needs fresh eyes and perspective to move it forward, consider new ideas, innovate and prepare for the future.

In this context, after more than 25 years as a CyberPensioner member, much of which has been in an editorial capacity on the volunteer News Team, I believe the time has come for me to step aside as Editor and explore different challenges.

As I write this, I look back with a sense of satisfaction having seen our network grow since 1991 from a very small group of 50 or so BMO retirees and now closing on 3800 - not counting of course our linkages with other formal and informal regional BMO retiree organizations and groups. Credit for all this must be given to regional representatives; the many informal retiree groups who keep their members informed and organize local events and those who take the time to write articles for publication. My thanks in particular though must go to present and past members of the News Team who have for so long and on a daily basis given so much of their time to manage our Cyber Network.

I will of course retain my membership and only if asked provide editorial advice to the News Team although they are more than capable of continuing to run a smooth operation.

It has been a particular pleasure for me to be able to see news about, and at times correspond with many friends, former colleagues and members right across the country and abroad. I look forward to continuing to do so.

Meanwhile, I wish all our members and their families the very best for the holiday season.

Dave Harmer,
Editor, Retired

December 5, 2025

Saint John, NB held our Annual Christmas Luncheon for Retirees today at Vito’s Restaurant in Rothesay, NB. We had 21 people in attendance and it was so wonderful catching up with everyone.

Thanks to Kim Rowe Isnor

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