July 2026

Pension giant pours US$1.75 billion into global AI infrastructure

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will invest $2.4bn to back EQT's expansion into artificial intelligence infrastructure through data centre developer EdgeConneX. The commitment increases the fund manager's exposure to digital infrastructure, a sector it ties to long-term returns for Canada Pension Plan contributors and beneficiaries, according to the announcement. CPP Investments said the transaction has closed after receipt of customary approvals. Max Biagosch, senior managing director and global head of real assets at the fund, linked the decision to rising demand...

Canadá. La Caisse tops the Global SWF rankings, recognized for its leadership in sustainability

For the fourth year running, La Caisse ranks at the top of the pension funds included in the Global SWF’s GSR Scoreboard published, consolidating its leading position among global investors. This recognition reflects the excellence of our sustainable investing practices and our efforts to make progress on sustainability matters in Québec and abroad. “This ranking places La Caisse among a select group of global leaders in governance, sustainability and resilience. It is a testament to the rigor of our practices and...

June 2026

Canada. Pension funds creating social infrastructure, but measurement of impact is required: ICPM

Pension funds can enhance society in a way that doesn’t have to interfere with their fiduciary integrity and financial sustainability, according to a new report from the International Centre for Pension Management. After working on a social infrastructure paper and a roundtable discussion, what at first seemed as a one-and-done presentation became an international working group at the ICPM, according to Gareth Gibbins, a pension and policy expert who co-authored the report and is a member of the working group. Social...

May 2026

Canadian pension fund crosses $793 billion as it weathers geopolitical storm

Canada's retirement giant posts 7.8% return for fiscal 2026, beating long-term sustainability targets as contribution rate cut looms. Canada's largest pension fund closed its fiscal year with net assets of $793.3 billion, adding nearly $79 billion over the course of twelve months despite navigating a turbulent global environment defined by currency volatility, shifting central bank expectations and a late-year equity selloff driven by Middle East conflict. CPP Investments ended the fiscal year on March 31, 2026, up from $714.4 billion a...

Quebec pension giant bets big on Brazil’s power grid

Two of Latin America's largest energy infrastructure investors are consolidating their Brazilian transmission assets into a single platform, betting on the country's grid modernization push. La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Colombia-based Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB) have signed a final agreement to merge their respective Brazilian power transmission holdings into a jointly controlled, 50/50 venture under the name Verene Energia S.A. The combined entity will hold 26 electric transmission concession agreements, more than 9,000 km of transmission lines, and over...

Canadian DB pension plans return 0.4% in Q1 2026 amid geopolitical tensions: report

The typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan posted a median return of 0.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, according to a new report by RBC Investor Services. It found Canadian equity allocations returned 3.9 per cent in the quarter, matching the TSX composite index. Energy led sector gains with a 30.1 per cent surge following the Strait of Hormuz closure, while materials rose strongly early in the period, pulled back significantly in March and finished with a...

April 2026

The Welfare Effects of Protecting Older Workers

By Todd Morris, Stefan Staubli & Benoit Dostie We evaluate the welfare effects of five provincial mandatory retirement bans in Canada from 2005 to 2009 using linked employer-employee tax data. The bans sharply reduce retirements at age 65, with sizable announcement effects and heterogeneity across industries. Post-65 employment and earnings rise at least 14%, with gains comparable to a two-year increase in pension-eligibility ages. Older workers save more and spouses postpone retirement, benefiting public finances, with no observable effects on...

Canada. Thousands of federal workers seek early retirement

About 4,600 federal public servants have applied for an early retirement package since the application window opened last month, as the Canadian government moves to reduce the size of its workforce by 2029, according to a government official. Mohammad Kamal, director of communications for Treasury Board president Shafqat Ali, told CTV News Ottawa on Wednesday that applications have been coming in since the process opened on March 27. Public servants have until July 24 to apply for the Early Retirement...

AI gaining foothold with younger savings plan members, email remains preferred communications tool: survey

More than half (56 per cent) of plan members say email is the most effective way to communicate with them about their savings plans, according to Benefits Canada’s 2026 Employee Savings Survey. The survey, which polled 500 Canadian plan members, found traditional mail (18 per cent) was a distant second preferred communications tool, followed by an insurance company website (17 per cent) and a financial advisor meeting arranged by an insurance company (14 per cent). During a webinar discussing the survey’s results, Jimmy...

March 2026

Canada’s largest pension funds joining Australian peers to increase investments in both countries

Canada’s largest pension funds are joining an initiative that aims to boost pension investments between Canada and Australia. The Canadian-Australian Pension Funds Investment Initiative, announced Wednesday during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Australia, will create a framework for pension funds in the two countries to discuss policy barriers and associated solutions to improve the current business environment. The agreement includes participation from the Alberta Investment Management Corp., the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., the Caisse de dépôt et placement du...