The cumulative cost of mental illness is estimated to reach $2.5 trillion by 2041, according to a report by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation. The coronavirus pandemic led many to seek out help, which subsequently increased mental-health costs. “We saw people who were obviously quite isolated,” says Dr. Donna Ferguson, a clinical […]
An article on a series of court cases dealing with remote working arrangements in Quebec was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Quebec’s approach to remote workers’ rights holds lessons for other provinces: lawyer 2. How […]
When the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, companies across Canada scrambled to shift their employees to home setups. For the dozen or so staff at Edmonton-based technology company Punchcard Systems, the new reality meant figuring out new patterns of how to communicate as they would have at their downtown office. […]
In the five years since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus pandemic, Canadian benefits plan sponsors have adapted their offerings and continue to apply many of the lessons learned over the course of the health crisis. Chris Zelasko, president of Peak Benefit Solutions Inc. says while his plan sponsor clients initially focused on the […]
While the coronavirus pandemic is in the world’s rearview mirror, institutional investors are continuing to navigate a post-recovery period rife with uncertainty. Indeed, five years after the World Health Organization declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020, world markets are contending with a host of new challenges, including a raging Russia-Ukraine war, a budding tariff […]
Most Canadian benefits plan sponsors (89 per cent) and members (73 per cent) agree their workplace environment supports mental wellness, according to the 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. On the converse, about a quarter (27 per cent) of plan members disagreed. Despite the mostly positive perspectives, a quarter is still a significant portion of the […]
Nova Scotia says the first phase of its long-promised universal mental health-care program will begin this spring, with therapy costs covered by the province for people with anxiety and mood disorders. Brian Comer, minister of mental health and addictions, made the announcement Wednesday, saying that soon Nova Scotians will be able to self-refer to a […]
Despite the turbulent environment shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, aggressive interest rate hikes and liquidity issues, institutional investors taking a long-term perspective can uncover strong opportunities in the real estate market. Speaking at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Defined Benefit Investment Forum, Alexandra Katz, managing partner and head of institutional sales at Hazelview Investments, highlighted […]
The pullback from traditional lenders in the real estate market is poised to create a serious need for capital. “To a certain extent, banks [and other large capital providers] have generally been overexposed to real estate,” said Ken McKinnon, senior managing director and equity partner at Institutional Mortgage Capital, during a session at the Canadian […]
It’s no secret that the cost of living has jumped significantly in Canada over the last five years. Between the price of groceries, mortgages/rents and everything else, life isn’t as affordable as in previous years and, with a new/returning U.S. president threatening tariffs on Canadian imports, costs don’t look like they’ll be dropping anytime soon. […]