Profile by Donna Carter Becoming snowbirds was not an idea that Doug and Heather Reid had ever considered until fate stepped in. The Meaford, Ontario couple in their mid-sixties was comfortably retired, spending summers sailing on Georgian Bay and winters skiing and snowshoeing. Heather, a former school teacher, dabbled in watercolour painting, while Doug’s big passion after a successful career in the computer industry was flying remote-controlled model airplanes. They also took various short-term vacations and cruises. To say the least, life for the Reids was both full and fulfilling, enjoying their retirement in one of the prettiest waterfront towns in the Georgian Bay region. Leaving their winter activities behind for a snowbird existence was a non-issue. Life seemed perfect just as it was. Enter fate. In 2012, snowbird friends in Lakeland, Florida unexpectedly invited them down for a week. The friends owned a house in Highland Village, a manufactured home community near the south end of the city. When the Reids accepted the invite, they were unaware that the die was cast. They immediately liked what they saw – both the park and the snowbird lifestyle. The seed, as they say, had been firmly planted. Shortly after returning home, and negotiating long distance, they sealed a deal to purchase a Highland Village home on a generous pieshaped lot. “We knew the house needed plenty of work, but it had good bones and the fact that it was situated overlooking the park’s only lake was a big selling feature,” says Doug. Fast forward to 2016. Today, Heather says that she wonders why they didn’t become snowbirds much earlier. The purchase price of the house that they bought, together with major renovations including a new kitchen, altered floor plan, all new appliances and much more, came in at a total tab of just over US$23,000. For the most part, the home is entirely new from the inside out with a back deck overlooking the lake that is home to pelicans, egrets and other Florida waterfowl. In a bright south-facing sunroom, Heather has her easel set up where, instead of painting snow scenes, her inspiration is a landscape of palm trees, brilliant bougainvillea, blue water and exquisite birds. Likewise, Lakeland could not have been a better fit for Doug, who hit the jackpot involving his favourite sport – flying remote control airplanes. Just a few miles down the road from Highland Village is the Imperial R/C Club (Imperial Radio Control Club). “The facilities there are excellent,” says Doug. “There’s a 30x600-foot runway together with cross runways. It’s a superior club that surpasses anything available to me at home.” Here at this Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), where there are a half-dozen certified flight instructors, Doug is working toward achieving the Imperial R/C Club’s certificate of recognition denoting that his pilot skills meet the club’s criteria for safely and efficiently flying a model airplane. The AMA site is equipped to provide trainer aircraft but, not surprisingly, Doug has a small fleet of his own which he built himself. “I can fly here in the winter and at home during the summer,” says Doug. “It’s the best of both worlds.” Overall, the couple both agree that life is sweeter since becoming snowbirds. “We love the Highland Village park and, from day one, people here were extremely friendly and inclusive,” says Heather. “We never have a boring moment.” The park has a large clubhouse, heated swimming pool, library, games lounge, exercise room and shuffleboard court. Heather helps organize weekly golf outings at several local courses and Doug was appointed stage manager for a February play written and presented by park residents. “It was a sold-out performance with every seat in the clubhouse filled,” says Doug. “Next year, we plan to produce a musical.”The park also has a monthly events calendar that includes everything from line dancing to card games, potluck dinners and more. “There’s always something going on,” says Heather. The Reids say that they are often asked why they didn’t opt for a community on or near the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. The simple answer which they give is that they initially liked what they saw, so why shop around. Heather explains that Lakeland isn’t just a long stretch of retail outlets and high-rise hotels. “It has a real downtown and a good community vibe,” she says. Nicknamed the City of Swans, at least 80 of the gracious birds are permanent residents on some of Lakeland’s several small lakes. Also, throughout the town itself, there are large swan sculptures everywhere. Overall, the Reids are delighted that fate stepped in and led them to their snowbird retreat. Not even the declining Canadian dollar has dampened their enthusiasm. “It’s not the end of the world and, in spite of the negative exchange rate, we are committed to riding it out,” says Doug. THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE it turned one couple into avid snowbirds 14 | www.snowbirds.org
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