Between 1347 and 1351, the Black Plague killed an estimated 45 to 50 per cent of Europe's population - creating a profound, world-changing demographic shift.
While the demographic shift facing Canada - and the entire developed world - is not as rapid or traumatic as the Black Plague, it will be profound and world-changing.
According to Statistics Canada's latest census numbers, the number of seniors citizens in Canada -those aged 65 years and older - grew by 14.1 per cent between 2006 and 2011. Senior citizens now represent 14.8 per cent of the total population, up from 13.7 per cent only five years ago.
For the first time in Canadian history, there are now more people approaching retirement age - 55 to 64 years old - than young people, aged 15 to 24, entering the workforce.
According to Statistics Canada data, from 1921 to 1981 there were between two and three young people entering the workforce for every person approaching retirement. Today that ratio is slightly less than one to one.
Countries like Japan, where nearly one in four people is more than 64 years old, show us a glimpse of what Canada's demographics will look like in the next five to 10 years.
Unlike the Black Plague - a deadly disease spread by fleas in crowded, unsanitary medieval cities - our aging population is largely the result of improvements in medicine and quality of life.
People are living longer thanks to improvements in medicine, hygiene, worker safety and standards of living. Things that used to regularly kill people - tuberculosis, complications from minor injuries, childbearing, even cancer - are simply not as dangerous as they once were.
People are also having fewer children - not that long ago, having children to care for you in your senior years was the only social safety net that existed. And you needed to have a good number of them to ensure that some would survive the dangers of childhood to become productive adults.
These are wonderful, positive societal developments and we should remember to be grateful for them every day. Many living in the developing world do not share in these benefits of modern society.
But these changes have had a major, cumulative effect on our demographics. We ignore those changes at our own peril.
If we continue to act as if nothing is changing, our aging population could become a "grey plague" -a burden on nearly every aspect of society.
We must ready our health care system, social services and public infrastructure to meet the needs of an aging population. This means everything from high-tech medical treatment facilities to plowing the sidewalks so seniors can stay active in the winter.
Governments at all levels need to focus on preventative measures to help our aging population stay healthy. If we don't, then we face a future of skyrocketing health care costs and endless wait times for procedures - a perpetual triage situation.
At the same time, we must also focus on the younger generations. As a society, we can't afford to have any children fall through the cracks - there are just are too few of them.
We need every child and young person to live up to their maximum potential. Every employer in every industry is going to be facing a shortage of skilled workers once the baby boom generation begins to retire en masse in the next few years.
Keeping some of those skilled, experienced workers in the workplace beyond 65 -even on just a part-time basis - may ease the transition, but ultimately cannot solve the long-term problem.
In the 14th century, the Black Plague caused a shortage of skilled workers, driving wages up. It prompted rulers, like King Edward III of England, to try and rein in the rights and pay of workers to protect the interests of the wealthy - sparking armed peasant revolts across Europe.
Employers and governments that cannot see the writing on the wall will face increased labour disputes, as well as difficulty attracting and retaining workers. Wise employers will be starting now to think about how to manage these inflationary costs and make themselves employers of choice.
Our aging population is an opportunity for us all to live longer, healthier lives and have more time with our parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren. But it must be managed thoughtfully and wisely to prevent this blessing from becoming a burden.
