Yellowknife (Feb 18/04) - Retirement should be enjoyed one day at a time, says Terry Foster of Yellowknife.

That is exactly what the former government employee plans to do now he has nearly three decades of job experience to his credit.

After almost 30 years on the job, Terry Foster, a long-time GNWT employee, takes retirement one day at a time.

"I wouldn't have retired if I didn't think it was time to move on," Foster said.

"The timing was good, so I decided I wanted to do other things."

Foster retired in December from the position of special advisor to the cabinet secretariat in the Department of Executive.

"It was nice that first morning, waking up, enjoying my coffee and watching my son go off to work," he said.

That is not to say Foster will not miss his work.

"Work was always challenging. It was never boring. And what I enjoyed most was the great people I met and worked with," he said.

His long service has meant Foster has seen many changes both in government and to the City of Yellowknife.

Since 1975, the first year of the Legislative Assembly (prior to that the commissioner was head of government), he has seen Yellowknife continually grow and change.

"Changes have been dramatic," he said.

"When I first arrived here, the population was just half of what it was now and the city was just starting to build up beyond the ballfield."

It's been a great place to live, he said.

"The city is full of highly creative and intelligent people."

Beginning his career as a teacher in Saskatchewan, Foster became a research assistant and a research associate at the Institute for Northern Studies in Saskatoon.

Upon moving to Yellowknife, his work in government extended to the Department of Planning and Program Evaluation, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and the Department of the Executive.

But now, as he settles into his retirement, Foster sees some flexibility in his new life and looks forward to spending time with his wife Lorraine and, "gardening with impunity."

"It's nice not having to rush," he said.