These are truly the Times of our lives

Ivan Cons

October 2011

Just around 25 years ago, The Senior Times came into being, started by a young, energetic, independent woman named Barbara Moser with a vision and an infectious enthusiasm.

The early years at The Senior Times were characterized by a passionate desire to serve a growing segment of the marketplace that was largely ignored and dismissed. Clearly Barbara was on to something based on the proliferation of product and design exclusively dedicated to the aging baby boomer.

Manufacturers and businesses in general had increasingly come to realize that not catering to the baby boomer market could seriously undermine their viability. Barbara understood this years ago and was quite simply ahead of her time. The newspaper has evolved from a frenetic patchwork of ideas to a sustainable, anticipated, well-read and respected publication.

Ivan Cons, husband of sales manager Jacquie, in the first row, second from right, Times of Your Life, 1989 Photo: Ara Avedissian

There were many interesting adventures and plenty of interesting characters along the way. The Senior Times has been responsible for extending the journalistic lives of several well-known Montreal personalities, providing a voice and an outlet to those who were long since retired.

Neil McKenty springs to mind. I recall another wonderful retired journalist to whom Barbara gave an opportunity to write: Joe MacDougall was well into his 90s when he penned “I Remember When...”

Years ago, The Senior Times sponsored a festival called The Times of Your Life. Held at a downtown hotel, seniors were invited to come out for lectures, inspiring music and to have fun.

Barbara understood how to reach and encourage people to feel part of a community and to accept aging as something to be celebrated, not denigrated. The Senior Times celebrated multiple generations of families, often featuring interesting stories and pictures.

The Senior Times is an outlet where creativity is encouraged and ideas are debated. Barbara was always willing to listen to different opinions but ultimately her gut instincts were usually correct. The Senior Times reflected the determination of a dedicated group of people determined to change opinion, inform, and empower. The changes in technology over the last 20 years have been incredible—many were predicting the demise of print media.

It is clear that many publications are relics of their former selves. The Senior Times continues to be a viable, growing publication with an ever-increasing audience. Congratulations and let’s look forward to the next 25 years.