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British Columbia’s provincial government is updating its pension standards to support retirement income security and flexibility, including the introduction of automatic escalation for defined contribution pension plan members. Effective Oct. 30, 2026, auto-escalation will be introduced to B.C.-based DC plans and members will have the option to opt out of the feature. Auto-escalation helps address

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is purchasing France-based blood analysis firm Stago alongside partner Archimed Diagnostics. The deal will see Stago’s leadership team take a minority stake in the company. The purchase was completed through an unspecified mix of equity and unitranche debt, according to a press release. Read: Caisse investing in […]

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday calling for a new government website where people in the U.S. can find and compare private-sector retirement savings accounts. The order is intended to help more people gain access to retirement plans before next year, when the federal government will start matching retirement contributions made by lower-income workers. That new mat

The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ 2026–2029 strategic plan is focusing on regulatory harmonization, pension supervision and stakeholder engagement. The strategic plan comes as pension plan sponsors and members continue to navigate economic and geopolitical uncertainty, including inflation, higher interest rates and market volatility, alongside ongoing concerns around ret

An article on the federal government’s spring economic update, including the creation of Canada’s first sovereign wealth fund, was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Canada launching first sovereign wealth fund for large infrastructure projects, making […]

In times of increased economic uncertainty, the number of tough financial choices facing the average person seems to rise exponentially. Clashing priorities battle it out: Will the latest paycheque be swallowed by the mortgage, car payments and bills? Can $100 or more be spared each month for an emergency fund? Or to tuck away in […]

One employee touts the benefits of an ESOP, while an academic notes it depends on individual financial circumstances and plan design. Morgan Zirul, store manager, Starbucks Corp. When I joined Starbucks in 2017, I was 18 and not really thinking about retirement or long-term financial planning. During onboarding, I learned about the company’s benefits, including […]

PepsiCo Canada may be known for quenching thirst and satisfying snack cravings, but the organization’s leadership recently identified another kind of demand: clearer, more personalized financial guidance for employees. The organization already had a comprehensive suite of financial benefits, including savings programs and educational resources, and employees were using them. “We already had strong

While artificial intelligence isn’t a novel concept in benefits administration, all sides of the industry are still considering best uses and areas for improvement. 1Password’s benefits provider incorporates AI for data analytics, as well as typical service requests and personalization, says Katya Laviolette, the software company’s chief people officer. For employees looking for different resource

In its sophomore year under its new branding, the Employee Savings Survey (previously known as the CAP Member Survey) reflects the changing landscape of workplace savings programs as plan members face competing financial priorities and employers step up to expand their offerings. Going even further, some of this year’s results were broken down into different […]

Liam O’Sullivan remembers what it was like for fixed income asset managers before technology started taking over. When his firm RP Investment Advisors began doing business in 2009, portfolio managers had to manually look through pricing runs from dealers and write down buying and selling opportunities on the back of an envelope alongside a calculation […]

Canadian institutional investors are planning a major pullback from domestic stocks, with assets expected to shift mainly into global passive equities and alternatives, according to a new report by Crisil Coalition Greenwich. The report, which is based on interviews with more than 140 institutional investors in Canada conducted between February and September 2025, found in […]

The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan is reporting a return of 8.4 per cent in 2025. The investment organization’s net assets under management grew to $25.4 billion with a funding reserve of $6.7 billion, up from $23.3 billion and $6.1 billion, respectively, in 2024. During a 10-year period, the plan achieved an […]

A new generation of ultra-high-cost therapies is reshaping benefits plan risk, while the arrival of generic glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications is set to shift one of the largest drug categories, according to Telus Health’s annual drug report. The report found weight-management climbed six positions to rank No. 11 among all drug categories. The category […]

While institutional investors made modest improvements in gender balance in 2026, progress continued to lag at the chief executive level, according to a report by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum. It ranked investment organizations with an average gender balance index score of 51, up from 50 in 2025, noting North America was the […]

Language barriers are undermining employees’ access to workplace benefits, reducing enrolment and engagement and increasing the risk of errors and misunderstandings, says Parbudyal Singh, professor of human resource management at York University. “In many cases, employees will default to not enrolling or underutilizing benefits because they’re unsure how they work or whether they apply to […]

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates continue to be contentious workplace issues in Canada. While many employers are pushing for in-person work, some employees view remote work as a core part of their job. This tension is increasingly showing up in legal claims, most notably, constructive dismissal claims. What Is Constructive Dismissal? Constructive dismissal occurs when an employer makes a unilateral

Canada is launching a sovereign wealth fund designed to help finance significant infrastructure projects. On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the Canada Strong Fund will invest in strategic Canadian projects and companies alongside other investors including individual Canadians. Read: More alignment needed between governments, institutional investors to fund coveted infrastructure proj

Claims for fertility medications in Canadian workplace benefits plans have increased by 21 per cent over the past five years, according to a new report by Manulife Canada. The report, which analyzed claims data from plan sponsors offering health benefits plans through Manulife, found more than half (56 per cent) provide coverage for fertility medication, […]

In what amounts to a major procedural overhaul, British Columbia has introduced legislation aimed at modernizing the way its Employment Standards Branch handles workplace complaints from non-unionized employees and temporary foreign workers. “Although the government’s press release does not mention this, my understanding is that these amendments come in response to a significant backlog at […]

Fidelity Canada has appointed Tracey Wong Vice President of Institutional Sales and Service. She now leads the firm’s institutional business in Canada across sales, consultant relations client relations, RFP database, and transition services, with responsibility for strengthening Fidelity’s position across the institutional market. Under Ms. Wong’s leaderships, these teams are focused on deepening

The funded status of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan decreased on a going concern basis and solvency basis during the first quarter of 2026, according to a new report by Normandin Beaudry. It found the average going concern ratio decreased from 132 per cent to 129 per cent, while the average solvency ratio […]

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is investing in a European power producer alongside EIG Global Energy Partners. The €450 million commitment to ILOS Projects builds on the initial €250 million tranche provided by EIG and reflects continued investor support for ILOS’s platform, portfolio quality and execution capabilities, according to a press release. […]

A former Beast Industries employee is suing MrBeast’s media production company after she was allegedly fired from her social media manager job upon returning from maternity leave and following years of what she described as sexual harassment and workplace gender bias. The lawsuit, filed by Lorrayne Mavromatis in federal court in North Carolina, accuses MrBeastYouTube LLC and […]

An article on Ottawa Community Housing Corp.’s benefits communication strategy was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Ottawa Community Housing Corp. communicating employee benefits through monthly awareness campaigns 2. Only 27% of Canadian companies have a […]

In an increasingly automated world, the adoption of artificial intelligence adoption is rapidly reshaping the types and number of roles that organizations seek. AI is becoming more embedded in business operations, and companies are rethinking how work is structured, how talent is identified and how emerging capabilities are recognized and rewarded. These changes are transforming […]

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario recently joined the Global Real Estate Engagement Network, an industry coalition of institutional investors focused on addressing financially material climate risks and opportunities in the real estate sector. Established in 2021, GREEN has grown to represent investors with over €4 trillion in assets under management. Through dedicated workstreams,

The derivatives market is experiencing growing adoption among both institutional and retail investors as awareness and education about the asset class continues to grow, says Shawn Creighton, director of index derivatives solutions at FTSE Russell. “I think [investors are] a bit more comfortable understanding how derivatives can fit in their specific financial portfolio, whereas before […]

Vestcor Inc. is reporting a net investment return of 8.67 per cent for 2025. In its annual investment performance report, the New Brunswick-based investment manager said its assets under management grew by $1.3 billion to $24.4 billion, adding $165 million in value above investment benchmarks for clients. Read: Vestcor returns 12.2% in 2024, net assets increase […]

While 41 per cent of global organizations say they have a program for ‘recognition champions’ — employees who actively model and promote recognition so it becomes contagious across teams — only 27 per cent of Canadian companies have one at their organization, according to a new report by O.C. Tanner. “Positive recognition has a direct […]

The Global Risk Institute’s Sonia Baxendale is stepping down as president and chief executive officer later this year after nearly eight years in the role. She’ll remain in the position until a successor is named to ensure continuity during the transition, according to a press release. Read: ‘The rules of the game are changing’: DB pension […]

The WISE Trust Pension Plan is reporting a net annual return of 8.1 per cent for 2025, with net assets increasing to $4.8 billion. The organization attributed the return to strong performances by public equities and global credit, according to a press release. The plan posted five- and 10-year annualized returns of 5.8 per cent […]