Canada – Benefits Canada.com

Net-zero transition offering opportunities for Canadian pension sector: report

bwolfe — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 13:00:28 +0000

Canada’s $4 trillion pension sector could enjoy immense commercial benefits by aligning with the transition to net-zero emissions and helping to mobilize $140 billion of low carbon investments per year, according to a new report by Corporate Knights, the Natural Step Canada and the Smart Prosperity Institute. It found Canada’s 12 largest pension fund managers […]

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A look at current provincial policies on bereavement leave

bwolfe — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:00:01 +0000

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made legislated bereavement leave policies top of mind for both employers and employees. As of Sept. 15, at least one in 1,376 Canadian residents have died from the coronavirus, for a total of 27,315 deaths, according to The New York Times. Bereavement leave is available for employees across most Canadian jurisdictions and some of […]

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Federal parties making mental-health services promises on campaign trail

bwolfe — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 13:00:37 +0000

If elected, the Conservative Party is promising it will encourage employers to add mental-health coverage to their benefits plans by offering a tax credit for 25 per cent of the cost of this additional coverage for the first three years. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is promising Canadians increased access to free mental-health services through a new […]

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Possible national pharmacare program has pros, cons for employers: experts

bwolfe — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:00:51 +0000

Discussion around implementing a national universal pharmacare strategy is growing louder ahead of next month’s federal election. In its 2019 budget, the federal government said it would work with partners to move forward on a national pharmacare program, including the creation of a new national drug agency and formulary, as well as a national strategy for […]

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Trudeau mandating coronavirus vaccinations for federal employees

bwolfe — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 13:00:28 +0000

Ottawa will require federal employees and workers in federally regulated industries to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, marking a shift in the federal government’s position on vaccine mandates. The move — which will affect roughly 1.5 million workers — is necessary to protect against more dangerous variants of the coronavirus, says Dominic LeBlanc, head of the Privy […]

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Upward pressure increasing on Canadian bond real yields: report

bwolfe — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 16:00:40 +0000

Inflation break-evens at multi-year highs and higher nominal yields are putting some upward pressure on real yields in Canada, according to a new report by FTSE Russell. The firm found first-quarter 2021 performance returns showed a sell-off in government bonds, led by longer U.K., U.S. and Canadian government bonds, as the reflation trade gained momentum. […]

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What does Fitch’s downgrade of Canada mean for institutional investors?

mschmit — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 10:02:44 +0000

Since 2004, Canada has held a AAA rating from all major ratings agencies, but on June 24, it suffered a blow when Fitch Ratings Inc. downgraded the country to AA+. “The rating downgrade reflects the deterioration of Canada’s public finances in 2020 resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,” said the Fitch in a rating action commentary […]

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Opportunities for small pension plans in Canada’s lower, middle private-equity market

mschmit — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 03:57:28 +0000

For smaller pension funds looking to access private equity opportunities, the lower and middle part of the Canadian market should be very attractive, says Tracey McVicar, a partner at CAI Capital Partners, referring to businesses with $3 million to $10 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Institutional investors with bigger pools of […]

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What can institutional investors expect from markets with a Liberal minority government?

mschmit — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 10:18:46 +0000

In Monday’s federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada won a minority government with the Conservative Party of Canada taking official opposition status and both the Bloc Québécois and New Democratic Party collecting enough seats to potentially prop up a Liberal government. Overall, these political changes will likely have a very modest impact on broad […]

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Could climate change turn Canada’s Arctic into an emerging market?

mschmit — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 03:57:34 +0000

As climate change restructures the Canadian Arctic year by year, institutional investors should be paying attention to this all but undeveloped economy, according to one expert. “For those that live there, the dominant narrative is about how climate change is remaking the Arctic from a frozen periphery to an area of immense geographic and economic […]

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