Benefits and Pensions Monitor

Join Varun Laijawalla of Ninety One for practical, allocator-focused insights and an actionable framework for positioning Emerging Markets in 2026, moderated by Samantha Cleyn, Country Head of Canada at Ninety One. Register now: hubs.la/Q04793PC0

Peninsula Canada’s Charlie Herrera Vacaflor highlights that effective rewards signal company values, support skill development, and evolve with employees. Younger workers especially respond to programs tied to social causes and meaningful impact. hubs.la/Q0485-9F0

A nearly $180m pension surplus at Hudson’s Bay Co. (HBC) is shaping up as one of the most consequential surplus fights in recent memory for former employees and creditors alike. hubs.la/Q047Z61r0

Dustin Reid of Mackenzie Investments and Bradley Hough of PBI Actuarial say short‑term pension underperformance, including in private equity, must be judged over multi‑year horizons. hubs.la/Q047Zh1Q0

La Caisse has appointed Emmanuelle Leclerc-Granger as executive vice-president and chief financial and information officer, the investment group announced Thursday. hubs.la/Q047JLJY0

Northern Trust leaders Katie Pries and Christopher Dvorak say Canada’s pension risk transfer market has shifted from opportunistic deals to a structural, long‑term strategy. hubs.la/Q047JVSZ0

Equitable’s Sofia Colaiacovo says fertility benefits in Canada are often excluded or unaffordable for many employer plans, despite rising need. She argues better education, mental health support, and workplace accommodation are critical. hubs.la/Q047Bhj90

Karen Adams of Kii Health urges employers to provide tailored mental health support, coaching, and safe spaces, helping employees stay engaged rather than isolated amid global conflicts. hubs.la/Q047Bnz-0

Danielle Ferrone at People Corporation urges plan sponsors to redesign group retirement plans for women, emphasizing seamless leave reintegration, auto-enrollment, and accessible education to boost confidence and savings. hubs.la/Q047pQxz0

FTSE Russell’s Robin Marshall explains how floating‑rate securitized credit outperformed traditional bonds amid higher rates. Improved credit quality and attractive MBS spreads are drawing renewed institutional interest. hubs.la/Q047pLlK0

The Bank of Canada chose to maintain the overnight rate at 2.25 per cent on Wednesday, a move widely expected by economists. hubs.la/Q047n7PT0

Join Varun Laijawalla of Ninety One for practical, allocator-focused insights and an actionable framework for positioning Emerging Markets in 2026, moderated by Samantha Cleyn, Country Head of Canada at Ninety One. Register now: hubs.la/Q04798bw0

Dimitri Poliak of Normandin Beaudry frames Canada’s retirement readiness gap as a systems issue, driven by the lack of workplace savings vehicles in small and mid‑sized businesses. hubs.la/Q04784p40

The National Institute on Ageing’s 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey shows 20% of Canadians over 50 struggle to afford essentials such as dental care, transportation, or emergency expenses. hubs.la/Q046YDYt0

Mila Babic of the Ontario Pension Board says caregiving leave is increasingly creating long‑term pension gaps for working women as time away from work reduces defined benefit accrual. hubs.la/Q046Yqy20

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) says it has capital ready for Canadian “nation-building” projects but cannot deploy it until Ottawa brings forward concrete opportunities. hubs.la/Q046MPdS0

Andras Vlaszak of KPMG Canada notes that Canada’s major airports are exactly the type of de‑risked, long‑duration assets pension funds struggle to find domestically, making privatization a rare match for their investment profile. hubs.la/Q046Mpr-0

Canada's labour market took a significant step backward last month, with Statistics Canada reporting a loss of 84,000 jobs, a 0.4 per cent decline in overall employment. hubs.la/Q046LNT-0

Erin Crump of Sun Life Health said integrating menopause care directly into Dialogue’s virtual platform ensures women get fast, evidence‑based support without navigating a separate program. S hubs.la/Q046zBs30

Lisa Spriet of NutriCanPro said demand for dietitian coverage has surged because employers now see clear ROI, from reduced absenteeism and drug costs to stronger productivity and culture. hubs.la/Q046zyl80