Living Your Best Encore: Terry DiMonte

What was your previous job/career, and how many years did you dedicate to it? Would you be open to sharing your age?

I was a broadcaster for 43 years, with a brief foray into the music business for 3 of those years. I am 67 years old and "retired" out of radio when my contract wasn't renewed in May of 2021. I am 67 years old and was 63 when I moved out to BC immediately after retirement. Now, back home in Quebec.

What sparked your current journey—whether you’re still working, enjoying retirement, or embracing a “second act”? What was the defining moment that led you here?

I was in a business that I absolutely loved. Being a broadcaster was a great joy for me, and I was one of those people who was lucky enough to do a job that I had always wanted to do. It never felt like work to me, and I could never get over how much fun what I did was, albeit challenging in its own way, and how it seemed to make people, for the most part, smile. After doing it for so long, I was looking forward to sleeping in (my job had me up at 3:30 am for most of my career) and taking it easy.

The "taking it easy" part got pretty boring pretty quickly.

Because my work was my fun, I never golfed, fished, birdwatched, played bridge or any of those other retirement cliches you hear about. I worked all the time. With a long-time broadcast partner and great friend, Ted Bird, we launched a podcast in 2022.

While I'm not sure there was a "defining moment" that led me there, I just realized I wasn't ready to "retire". Maybe "semi-retire" as we only do one episode of our podcast a week and spend a few days working on social media for it.

After one more day of hoping we would run out of milk so I could head out for errands, I figured I had more stories to tell. Whatever I was told that being in your 60s felt like, I wasn't, and still am not feeling that. So, we took on this fun new project that is reminiscent of what we did for a living.

What is one powerful lesson you learned later in life that you wish you could have whispered to your younger self?

I wish I could have told myself not to worry about things that are so inconsequential when I look back on some of the things that kept me awake at night. With a work ethic, some common sense, and a little luck, things seemed to work out for me. Truth be told, I still worry a little about stupid stuff, but it's true that with age comes wisdom, and I am more able to swat the worry away for the most part.

Please complete this sentence: The thing I value most about where I am in life right now is…

The thing I value most about life right now is my wife, my health and the gift of time. At this point in life, having most days of the week to be open so I can decide what to do with them is a true gift.

Terry DiMonte was born in Verdun, Montreal, in 1958 and raised on the West Island. After high school and a brief time at John Abbott College, he took on various jobs—from working at McDonald’s to summer construction and selling ball bearings. In the winter of 1978, he made his way to Churchill, Manitoba, where he began his radio career with CBC’s Northern Service.

After a few months at CBC, Terry moved to Winnipeg, where he joined CITI-FM. In 1981, he transitioned into the music industry, working with Streetheart and The Queen City Kids. By 1984, he returned to Montreal to launch his career as a morning show host at CHOM-FM.

Terry’s broadcast career included broadcasting posts at CHOM-FM, Mix 96, and CJAD before returning to CHOM. In 2008, he moved to Calgary to join Q107, but made his way back to CHOM in 2011. Along the way, he also hosted a few television shows, including Switchback for CBC (broadcast throughout Quebec and Ontario) and Fighting Back, a consumer affairs program for CFCF Television.

Terry retired in 2021, moved to Langley, BC and realizing Quebec was home, moved back in 2024, where he now lives with his wife, Jessica, in the Laurentians, just north of Montreal.

Be sure to catch Standing By – The Terry DiMonte and Ted Bird podcast here!

Interested in reading other's experiences of Living Their Best Encore? Check them all out here.