On Tuesday, February 7, 2017, the OBA Pension & Benefits Section hosted “The Evolving Nature of Pensions and Benefits Law” as part of the 2017 OBA Institute. This year’s program kicked off with a presentation by Karen Millard of Willis Towers Watson on recent changes and trends in health and welfare benefits, including changes to employment insurance and recent developments in benefit plans covering medical marijuana.
Simon Archer of Koskie Minsky LLP and Susan Nickerson of Torys LLP then gave an update on Ontario's review of the solvency funding framework for registered pension plans, noting the various stakeholder positions and potential reform measures.
Lindsay McLeod of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP gave an overview of the upcoming changes to the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance and Old Age Security, and their impact on current workplace benefits.
Finally, a panel featuring Jana Steele from Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Evan Howard from the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan, and Alex Killoch and Jennifer Rook from the Ontario Ministry of Finance engaged in discussion regarding pension plan design, including jointly sponsored and target benefit pension plans, and the benefits and challenges for employers.
An archived video and materials from this program are now available for purchase.
About the author
Tom Stevenson, Torys LLP