The number of Canadians opposed to mandatory retirement is increasing, says a poll commissioned by Investors Group Inc. Moreover, the number of Canadians who say they want to continue working after age 65 is going up as well.

The poll conducted in September 2003 by Decima Research shows 33% of respondents agreed mandatory retirement should be banned. That’s a big jump from an Investors Group poll in May 1996 conducted by Gallup Canada showing 20% of respondents opposed to a mandatory retirement age.

The number of Canadians who say they want to work past 65 or as long as they are able has also increased. In 1996, 15% of the respondents indicated they expected to retire sometime after age 65. In 2003, that number increased to 26%.

Opposition to forced retirement appears to grow as Canadians get closer to age 65, Investors Group said in a release. The 1996 survey results indicated 19% of those aged 18 to 29 opposed mandatory retirement and the opposition grew to 28% among the 50 to 64 age group. In the 2003 survey, 24% of young Canadians supported a ban on mandatory retirement compared to 39% of those over 50 years of age.

“An increasing number of Canadians are choosing a retirement lifestyle that includes some form of employment or work,” said Debbie Ammeter, vice president of advanced financial planning for Investors Group. “More and more Canadians are looking to their retirement years to provide them the opportunity to embark on a new life-adventure doing things they have wanted to do for many years.”

A significant number of Canadians see retirement giving them the chance to achieve new goals in their lives; 37% identified “new goals and achievements” as important factors in a successful retirement, while only 16% thought retirement success was a full-time vacation.

Interestingly, Investors Group says, the number of Canadians anticipating an early retirement hasn’t changed much in recent years. Survey results from 1996 indicate 34% said they expected to retire before age 60 vs 36% in the 2003 survey. “Early retirement is a traditional goal and dream,” Ammeter said. “But the emphasis is beginning to shift away from when you retire towards planning how you retire and what you are going to do with your life from that point forward.”