New Multi-Jurisdictional Pension Plan Agreement Now in Effect

Parties involved in the administration of pension plans have been waiting for Canadian pension regulators to agree to a new set of rules applicable to plans with members in more than one province. Recently, the governments of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan signed a new Agreement Respecting Multi-Jurisdictional Pension Plans, which took effect July 1, 2016 (2016 Agreement)…

Top Listed in Best Lawyers® in Canada

Hicks Morley once again ranked #1 in Canada in the field of Labour and Employment Law in Best Lawyers® in Canada, 2017. Hicks Morley has more listed lawyers in the area of Labour and Employment Law than any other firm in Canada. Hicks Morley lawyers have also been listed in the Employee Benefits Law, the Privacy and Data Security Law and the Workers’ Compensation Law sections…

Ontario to Repeal ORPP Administration Corporation Act

On July 28, 2016, the Ontario government announced its plans to repeal the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Administration Corporation Act, 2015 (Act) when the Legislature resumes sitting in the Fall, 2016. The Act created the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) Administration Corporation to administer the ORPP, Ontario’s stand-alone solution to address retirement security concerns for…

Marshall Consultation Paper on Ontario Pension Solvency Funding Framework Released

Ontario registered defined benefit (DB) pension plans must be funded on the greater of a going concern or solvency basis, as we outlined in our recent FTR Now Ontario Pension Solvency Funding Framework Under Review. Due to the recent, yet prolonged, low-interest rate environment, most DB plans are in a deficit position on a solvency basis, requiring many employers to make large special payments to fund the deficits over a five-year period…