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OCRA GM June 21, 2023

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OCRA is pleased to announce that its 17th General Meeting will be held on Wednesday June 21, 2023 at Fleming College in Peterborough from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The meeting is free to OCRA members and includes the latest news from OCRA, guest speakers, lunch, and an optional tour of the Fleming Sutherland Campus after the meeting adjourns.

Kevin Rorwick, Chief Operating Officer of the CAAT Pension Plan will talk about pension matters in his presentation “Better Pensions for Everyone”.

Our keynote speaker is Cindy Plunkett, Senior Director of Learning and Development at PointClickCare, Executive Director of the Canadian Learning Conference, and part-time professor at Ontario Tech University. Cindy is an expert in learning design and development with a PhD in educational technologies. Her presentation will be about our digital shadows and how to protect ourselves in the online environment.

Full details about the meeting and how to register has been sent to OCRA members via Canada Post or email depending on the member’s specified communication preference. The deadline to register via email is Friday June 2, 2023 (Canada Post by Friday May 26, 2023). Questions may be addressed to OCRA’s Membership Co-ordinator.

 

New OCRA Director Marilyn McDermott

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OCRA is pleased to announce that Marilyn McDermott (Mohawk College retiree) has joined the OCRA Board as a director. Marilyn was a faculty librarian at Mohawk College. She is currently the Communications and Membership Director for the Retirees’ Association of Mohawk College. Marilyn is responsible for email communication to members of Mohawk College Retirees’ Association.

Welcome aboard Marilyn!

CAAT Online Portal: My Pension

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OCRA members who receive the CAAT Pension should note that they can access their pension information online through the CAAT Pension Plan Member Portal called My Pension.

Here are some reasons to use My Pension:

  • saves paper and time – when you activate your account, you can set your preferences to “online” to get your retired member annual statement online, sooner. NOTE: you will no longer receive a paper-based copy in the mail.
  • flexible – My Pension can be accessed on your tablet or computer.
  • informative – you can see your personal information, including your current pension amount, all in one place.
  • built for you – My Pension provides an easy and secure Message Centre to reach CAAT’s pension experts whenever you have a question.

To register, CAAT Pension Plan members must have an email address and their CAAT Member ID (which can be found on the CAAT Annual Statement or any direct correspondence from CAAT).

Watch this video (3:28 minutes) to see how to register for My Pension.

To begin the registration process, go to the CAAT Pension Plan log-in page.

OCRA GM 2022 – Many Thanks

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OCRA’s 16th General Meeting, held on June 29 2022 at Georgian College, was a resounding success thanks to the many people who participated.

First, thanks to Georgian College, President Kevin Weaver, and the ABSC Event Centre staff for providing the perfect venue for our meeting. Thanks too, to our guest speakers, Yvonne Brady from Johnson Insurance, Derek Dobson from the CAAT Pension Plan, and Connie and Sherry Campbell from The Move Planners, for presenting informative and entertaining topics of great interest to our membership. And finally, thanks to the members of the OCRA Executive for planning and running the GM. I appreciate all of your effort.

Linda Choptiany
OCRA President

2022 CAAT Pension Annual Statement and Confirmation

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The 2022 CAAT Pension Annual Statement has been sent to its members via Canada Post or via email notice from CAAT’s online member services.

For those who set up a member account on the CAAT Pension Plan portal, My Pension, they can log into the portal and read/download their Annual Statement and Statement Companion (PDFs) from the Dashboard. For assistance with the My Pension portal, contact CAAT’s Member Services at or by phone 1.866.350.2228.

Members are reminded to confirm their pension by Tuesday May 31, 2022.

Instructions on the ways to submit the confirmation are listed in the Statement Companion and are also available on the Retired Member Statement page.

Opportunity to Serve on the 2022 OCRA Board

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OCRA (Ontario Colleges Retirees’ Association) is currently looking for one retiree to serve a two-year appointment on its Board. OCRA is an organization that advocates for its members on issues of concern to Ontario college retirees and to retirees of associations served by the CAAT Pension Plan.

As a member of the Board, there will be opportunities to work on projects to provide information and assistance to OCRA members.

To serve on the Board, the retiree must be a member in good standing with OCRA and be interested in learning about the CAAT Pension Plan and Ontario college system group benefits. A candidate should be able to communicate by email and have basic computer skills. The typical time commitment for a Board member without a portfolio is a few hours most months of the year.

Board meetings are held online via Zoom with an option to phone in to the meeting.

For more information, please contact Linda Choptiany, OCRA President, at .

CAAT Pension Plan Podcast: Contributors

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In October 2021, the CAAT Pension Plan launched a podcast called Contributors. Leaders of Canadian organizations are interviewed about how their companies not only focus on their bottom lines but also on the well-being of their employees and Canada’s economic future. According to Derek Dobson, CEO and Plan Manager, “My favourite part about working at the CAAT Pension Plan is speaking to—and learning from—top Canadian leaders across the country, every day.”

Episodes to date include interviews with leaders about innovation, investment, financial wellness, and employee engagement.

Of particular interest to OCRA members is Episode 8, “The power of pensions—How retirement security can (and will!) transform Canada”. In this episode the focus is on Derek Dobson and the CAAT Pension Plan and how CAAT is transforming retirement savings and defined-benefit pension plans.

New OCRA Director Barb Watts

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OCRA is pleased to announce that Barb Watts (Georgian College retiree) has joined the OCRA Board as a director. Barb was a faculty member and Dean at Georgian College.  She is currently the Vice President of the Georgian College Retirees’ Club and has experience working with OCASA (Ontario College Administrators Network). Welcome aboard Barb!

Sun Life Group Benefits Information for 2022

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Ontario College retirees who are enrolled in Sun Life’s group retiree benefits should have received information from their college’s Human Resources department about Sun Life’s adjusted monthly premium for life insurance, extended health care, and/or dental coverage for 2022. The new premium comes into effect February 1, 2022. Questions regarding the new premium should be directed to the member’s college HR department.

Ontario Colleges Retirees' Association