Canada’s boomer population may be redefining what retirement means, but they don’t mind calling life after work exactly what it is. A new Investors Group survey found 91% do not object to the use of the word “retirement.”

Likewise, three-quarters (75%) couldn’t identify another word they prefer.

“Canadians are still comfortable using the word “retirement” especially as old-fashioned thinking about aging and quality of life is being replaced by a new outlook on what it means to be retired,” says Debbie Ammeter, vp of advanced financial planning at Investors Group. “Today, ‘retirement’ can encompass a diverse range of lifestyles and choices not typically associated with this period in life.”

While retirement may be widely recognized as the best word to describe life after work, opinions about being called a “retiree” vary widely with age.

Retired Canadians, for example, are quite receptive (92%) to being called ‘retirees.’ On the other hand, Canadians, who are nearing traditional retirement years are less comfortable with the notion of being identified in this way. Less than half (45%)% of those aged 55+ want to be called a “retiree.”

Younger Canadians who may not yet see retirement on the horizon are not as resistant to this label. Fifty-five per cent of those between the ages of 25 and 34 want to be called “retiree.” This percentage peaks at 59% of those who are between the ages of 35-44. With the onset of middle age (45-years plus), Canadians increasingly object to being called “retiree.”

When working Canadians were asked if they would eventually refer to themselves as “working part-time” or “being semi-retired” (as they reduced their work week in anticipation of formal retirement), half (49%) said they preferred the word ‘semi-retired.’

Canadians in mid-life are less likely to identify themselves as being semi-retired. Forty-five per cent of Canadians aged 55+ prefer the word “semi-retired,” a term favoured by a majority (54%) of younger Canadians under the age of 35.

“Growing numbers of Canadians are choosing to reduce their work hours in the later years of their career, but they’re still very engaged in the workforce, not necessarily easing out,” says Ammeter. “Boomers want to be active and feel as though they are contributing. At the same time, they are expressing a desire for flexibility, freedom and wanting to do something different – on their own terms.”

Still, most Canadians can clearly identify the age at which they will “officially” retire from work. Nineteen per cent of Canadians plan to retire between the ages of 55 to 59; another 20% plan to retire between the ages of 60 and 64. Thirty per cent say they will retire at age 65 or older. One in four Canadians (26%) does not know when they will retire.

A total of 2,055 surveys were completed with Canadian adults between Sept. 4 and Sept. 13 2007, using the Harris Decima online panel.