Ontario East, North & Outaouais / Newsletter, July 2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
· Upcoming Meetings
· From our Chapter Chair
· BPG President’s Message
· Our 2016-17 BPG Board Members / · Our New President
· Ottawa Chapter Executive
· Membership Renewals & Applications
UPCOMING MEETINGS IN YOUR AREA
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
City / Date / Time / PlaceKingston / Tues 13 Sept 2016 / 1pm Registration &
Social Hour, Refreshments
2pm – 4pm Meeting / Salvation Army Citadel “Gym”
816 Centenial Dr
(cnr Taylor Kidd Blvd), Kingston
Ottawa / Tues 25 Oct 2016 / 9:30am - 12:30pm
Registration at 8:45am / Nepean Sportsplex (Salon A)
1701 Woodroffe Ave, Ottawa
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
FROM OUR CHAPTER CHAIRwww.bellpensionersgroup.ca 2
BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
Hi Everyone!
I want to thank the more than 200 people who came to our meeting on May 24.Our board puts great effort into preparing for our meetings and we appreciate your support.
Many thanks to our guest speaker Dr. Hillel M. Finestone, MD, FRCPC (Physiatry).Dr. Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Physiatrist).He regularly treats in- and out-patients who have had a stroke and he devises stroke rehabilitation programs for them in a multi-disciplinary setting at the Elizabeth Bruyere Hospital.We learned much about strokes and their treatment.Dr. Finestone also described the research being carried out at the ElizabethBruyere Hospital. Dr. Finestone’s
presentation is now on our website so please check it out.At the same time you can also take a look at President Dan McDonald’s video message. You can both of these at:
http://www.bellpensionersgroup.ca/index3News.php?lang=en&id=419&chapt=Ottawa
BPG Membership Dues Procedures
Payment of $20 is due January 1 of each year, for the period Jan 1 to Dec 31.
Payment can be made in one of three ways:
- in person at one of our meetings,
- by cheque sent to the Ottawa Executive (see the Newsletter), or
- online using paypal (see our website).
How do I know if I have paid?
If you are not up to date, you will receive a reminder, with your newsletter, (either byemail or by post), indicatingwhen you last paid. We send these reminders twice a year.
Thanks to our Membership Co-ordinator Michel Brisson we have implemented a new “mass email” distribution process in January.We are now able to distribute up to 2,500 emails at one time in contrast to our old method which had a limit of 500 per day.The new system provides various statistics including the number of individuals who have successfully received the email, viewed the email, or had an email address which failed.
PLEASE MAKE SURE WE HAVE YOUR CURRENT EMAIL so you can be kept up to date on all of our activities.
Reminders
- Volunteers are needed to help locate recently retired employees.
- Our Kingston and Ottawa committees are working on the programmes for the meetings in September and October.Please mark the dates in your agenda and come and support us.Note that we have a new location for our Kingston meeting.
I hope you have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you in the fall.Please remember that spouses and friends are always welcome at our meetings.
Marlyn Easterbrook
Chapter Chair for Ottawa, including
Ontario East, North & Outaouais
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BPG PRESIDENT’s MESSAGEwww.bellpensionersgroup.ca 2
BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
Hi Everyone!
I hope you are enjoying your summer activities now that summer has finally arrived!
Several of our provincial governments - Quebec, New Brunswick, and Ontario - as well as the federal government are looking at, or have already implemented, changes to pension legislation that could jeopardize defined benefit (DB) pensions. Plan sponsors continue to try to influence federal and provincial governments to implement changes that could transfer risk to retirees.
The two greatest risks we face as defined benefit plan (DB) pensioners are as follows:
First, rule changes would allow reductions to pensions we’ve already earned. Target Benefit Pension plans, under consideration by Finance Canada and others, would permit the conversion of DB pensions and the reduction of pension benefits already earned.
Second, our pension plan would be wound up when it is underfunded. Funding rules, particularly for provincially-regulated DB plans, allow deficits to persist. At the same time, federal insolvency legislation provides little protection for the greatest amounts owed to a pension plan. A good example we’re all too familiar with is the Nortel pensioners who lost about 40% of their pensions as a result of Nortel’s bankruptcy.
BPG continues to advocate for the protection of our defined benefit pensions. We are proactively meeting with key players in the new Liberal government to ensure they are sensitive to the concerns of pensioners. At the same time, we are attempting to ascertain the government’s priorities and schedule for pension initiatives. It is clear that CPP reform is a top priority for the federal government.
The March federal budget signalled that the government is also intending to proceed with other pension-related initiatives, which we understand to include legislation to further permit Target Benefit plans and a review of
the “30% rule” for pension investments. With each of these initiatives, we will ensure that our views are clearly and persuasively presented both proactively and in response to government action on these files. We are also collaborating with the Canadian Federation of Pensioners (CFP) and are closely tying our advocacy efforts with the Air Canada Pionairs on these issues. At the provincial level, we are supporting the efforts of CFP to ensure that pensioner concerns are heard.
The solvency ratio for the Bell Canada pension plan was 93.8% as of December 31, 2015, up from 92.8% at the end of 2014. Official 2015 pension plan results should be available in June 2016. More information about these results will be provided on our web site and in our next newsletter.
Over the past three and a half years as President of BPG, I have particularly
focussed on three objectives: protecting the pension promise, increasing our membership, and improving the relationship we have with our sponsor. I am very pleased with the progress we’ve made in each of these areas.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Patte Seaton as the new BPG President and thank her for stepping up to the plate. It has been a privilege for me to represent such an important and impressive organization and I look forward to continuing to work with the Board as past President for the next two years. I would like to thank all of you who have supported me in my different roles over the past ten years as a BPG Board member and over the past three years as President. Best wishes to you all for a safe and enjoyable summer.
Dan McDonald
President – Bell Pensioners’ Group
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OUR 2016-17 BOARD MEMBERSwww.bellpensionersgroup.ca 2
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The BPG Board of Directors currently has 20 members, including six Chapter Chairs representing members in Ontario and Québec. You will find a mini-CV for each Board Member on the BPG website under the
Tab “Organization” - Board of Directors.
BPG Board of Directors – 2016-2017
Officers:
Patte Seaton (President)
Diane Holgate (Vice President - Ontario)
Denis Marquis (Vice President - Québec)
Michelle Pilon (Corporate Treasurer)
Gayle Duchene (Corporate Secretary)
Dan McDonald (Past President)
Directors at Large
Sue Dawes - Chair of Government Relations Sub-Committee
Peter Dilworth – Chair of Audit & Finance Committee
Marg Eades – Secretary of Pension Committee
Denis Henry – Represents BPG on the Canadian Federation of Pensioners
Carol Lacroix - Chair of Communications Committee
Hélène D. Lefebvre – Chair of Nominating Committee
Dave Palmer – Chair of Pension Committee
Raynald Wilson – Benefits Prime
Chapter Chairs
Marlyn Easterbrook (Ottawa, Ontario East, North and Outaouais)
Marjolaine Gilbert-Poulin (Québec)
Don Graham (Southwestern Ontario)
Titus Ramkhalawansingh (Ontario Central)
Jean-Luc Taschereau (Montréal)
Claude Vachon (Télébec)
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OUR NEW PRESIDENTwww.bellpensionersgroup.ca 2
BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER April 2015
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER April 2015
Dear BPG Members,
Let me introduce myself – I am Patte Seaton and a member of the Ontario Central Chapter. I have been nominated to be the next President of our Bell Pensioners’ Group Board of Directors. I was honoured to be nominated by the Board of Directors and thankful for the membership support at our recent AGMs. The Board of Directors will confirm the appointment of all Officers, including my role as President at the June Board Meeting. So very exciting!
For those of you who are not familiar with my Bell background, I retired in 2004 as Vice President of Residential Customer Care for 310-Bell. I worked at Bell for 32 years, mostly in Customer Service, working my way up though the ranks from a Grade 3 filing clerk. I am not afraid of hard work!
I have been a member of the Bell Pensioners’ Group Board of Directors since
2013. I started as Secretary, then in 2015 I assumed the Vice President – Ontario role. It has been an interesting journey.
I have learned so much since I joined this Board of Directors: about the risks that face us as Defined Benefit Plan pensioners; the importance of paying attention to legislation that is potentially pension impacting; the criticality of establishing relationships with key politicians; how to use lobbyists in our favour; and just how hard retired Bell folks work for our cause. It is a great team!
I look forward to serving you - and doing everything that we can do collectively to protect the pension promise! I know you are depending on that. Me too!
I can be reached on email at anytime – . Don’t hesitate to contact me.
Warmest regards,
Patte Seaton
President Bell Pensioners’ Group 2016-17
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
Seen at our May Meeting:
Marg Eades & Halyna Beznaczuk Claude Elliott, Phil Sheen Bill Smythe
& Dave Cherry & Judy Dancer
OTTAWA CHAPTER EXECUTIVEThe Ottawa Chapter Executive of the Bell Pensioners’ Group comprises the following members:
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
Chair Marlyn Easterbrook
Past Chair Marc Davidson
Treasurer Don Dutton
Secretary Geraldine Foot
Membership Michel Brisson
Webmaster Terry Acker
Members at Large David Fair Harvey Hillier
Members at Large (ctd) Lancy Hum Brian McClean
George McDougall
Kingston Committee:
Kingston Prime Marg Bryant
Members at Large Diane Kwiatkowski
Jackie Machin
Ed Payne
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS AND NEW APPLICATIONSwww.bellpensionersgroup.ca 6
BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
A reminder to those who have not paid their membership, to please do so. Membership for 2016 was due on 1 January. Annual membership of $20 for the Bell Pensioners' Group covers the period January 1 to December 31 each year. Feel free to pay for more than one year, if desired.
It is thanks to your support that we have been able to defend your interests over the years!
If you have changed your address, email, or telephone number please let us know.
Options for Payment
· Online secure credit card payment using PayPal
Go to www.bellpensionersgroup.ca, click Ottawa Chapter, Membership and follow the instructions. Note there is a $1 fee.
· Cheque sent by mail
Please complete the form below. Make your cheque payable to BPG Ottawa Chapter and mail to:
Membership Renewal, BPG Ottawa Chapter
P.O. Box 127, Merrickville ON, K0G 1N0.
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
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BPG Membership Application or Renewal
New Application Renewal Membership Number (if available) _____
Year(s) for which you are paying (e.g. 2016, 2017, etc.)*______
First name Last name Initial
Address City/Town
Province Postal Code Telephone ( ____ ) ______Email
I would like to receive newsletters by EMail Mail
I retired from Bell Canada Bell Mobility Expertech Bell ExpressVu
BIMS Télébec Other (specify)
Date of Retirement (YYYY/MM) Transferring Member from Chapter
Signature Date (YYYY/MM/DD)
* Cheque of $20 per year, payable to BPG Ottawa Chapter
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
The personal information contained in this application will be protected by the BPG, used only for BPG purposes, and will not be shared with others.
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER July 2016
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BELL PENSIONERS’ GROUP – OTTAWA CHAPTER April 2015
This newsletter is published by the Ottawa Chapter of the Bell Pensioners’ Group (BPG). www.bellpensionersgroup.ca
Please send any comments or suggestions to
BPG Ottawa Chapter, P.O. Box 127 OR Michel Brisson, Tel: 613-850-1811
Merrickville, Ontario K0G 1N0 Email:
The inclusion of an advertisement in this newsletter does not imply an endorsementby BPG.
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