North America

CANADA - Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) has said it will double the funding of its pension plan due to poor asset performance.

CANADA - The vast majority of employer contributions to defined contribution (DC) funds will be the same or higher in 2009 than last year, the Quebec-based Order of Charted Human Resources Councillors (CRHA) has said.

CANADA - The five unions representing Air Canada workers are calling on the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to force ACE Aviation Holdings to fund Air Canada's pension plan before being permitted to wind-up the holding company....

Some 130/30 funds have failed to live up to expectation and as investors begin to look elsewhere for sources of alpha is the writing on the wall? Giovanni Legorano investigates

CANADA - The current operating environment for pension funds has discouraged the creation and continuation of defined benefit (DB) schemes, according to a high level report by the Nova Scotia government on the future of the pension system.

CANADA - Quebec employment minister Sam Hamad has proposed legal measures to guarantee pension benefits to pensioners and workers whose schemes go bust as a result of the financial crisis.

CANADA - The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) has signed an agreement to invest in low-cost wireless carrier BMV Holdings (BMV), in a private equity deal worth up to CAN$50m (US$41.7m).

CANADA - The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) is urging boards and compensation committees not to change stock option plans and other forms of equity-based compensation in response to slumping markets.

CANADA - The funding levels of Canadian defined benefit plans have dropped to historic lows putting extreme pressure on companies to keep their pension schemes viable, a report by Watson Wyatt has found.

CANADA - Jovian Capital Corporation has launched the first actively managed exchange traded funds (ETFs) in Canada, based on the S&P/TSX 60 indices.