WP Pensions + Benefits

🍂 🗓️ Our annual WP Fall Roadshow is just around the corner and will be here before you know it! 🔗 Be sure to reserve your FREE spot by visiting: https://lnkd.in/gtFh_Ny3 So what is the Fall Roadshow? Using all the tools at our disposal, we’ll take abstract concepts and make them more concrete, so you can make practical decisions about how to best empower employees. At the same time, we’ll balance our discussions with perspectives from both the head and the heart. ☺️ See you there! 👋 #WPFallRoadShow #WPFallRoadShow2024 #BurlON #SudburyON

September is Suicide Prevention Month, creating an opportunity to talk with each other and to work on breaking down any shame or stigma around these issues. You are not alone. 🫂 If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is available toll-free 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566. Additionally, The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support to Indian Residential School survivors and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419. #SuicidePreventionMonth

As we enjoy the last long weekend of summer, we reflect on the importance of our work and the meaning we experience in supporting our clients. WP wishes you a Happy Labour Day and may the new season be one of dignity and fulfillment. 💪 🌹 #LabourDay #LabourDayWeekend #WelcomeSeptember

🌹We cannot emphasize enough the benefits of planting and gardening – be it for the physical, emotional, or spiritual effects. It strengthens our connection to the land, and as it thrives, so do we. If you’d like, share a photo of your garden in the comments below! #summergarden #summerquotes #gardening

💡WP Conference Highlight: Our final spotlight is the incredible Lindsay Slater, from our partner organization Life Benefit Solutions who spoke to conference-goers about Individual Financial Services, and how LBS can help with retirement projections, pension consolidation, and life insurance, as well as personalized investment advice. 🔗 Learn what LBS can offer your clients by sending us an email at wp@wpbenefits.ca 📧 #FinancialServices

📰 News update! The Anishinabek Nation’s Indigenous Traditional Games camp was a hit with a group of children and parents on Aug. 17-18 in Fort William First Nation. “This was a great opportunity for the kids to get together and play,” says Tara Kowtiash, a Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek citizen. “They’re having a lot of fun.” Kowtiash says her two children also learned about the language and other information that was shared by facilitator Kevin Sandy, from Six Nations, during the camp. “Even counting in [Anishinaabemowin], his was different than ours,” Kowtiash says. “We had a good weekend, it was fun and we learned a lot of new activities that I’ve never even seen or heard of, so it would be great to bring back this information to my community and for my community members as well.” Tara Hedican, an Eabametoong citizen who lives in Kenora, says the camp was great. “Our kids all love sports and it’s just kind of a good way to reconnect with family and have a fun time in the summertime,” Hedican says. “The facilitators were really amazing and very welcoming, showed us so many skills and we got to do so many things in the two days that we were here. They made traditional balls with raccoon tails inside and deer hide. We got to play a lot of games and learned the history of lacrosse and some other games they play in Six Nations. The kids were active the whole time and it was a really great experience for them.” Andrea Aiabens, special project coordinator with the Labour Market Development Department at the Anishinabek Nation, says the main goal of the camp was to bring children together to learn more about culture and traditional games and to provide them with some fitness, health and nutrition. Aiabens says they received funding through the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care program for children up to 12-years-old. “We’re going to have four more workshops across the region in Ontario to get more youth involved in sports and culture,” Aiabens says. “We’re going to have [workshops] in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Rama, and Sarnia.” You can learn more by visiting: https://lnkd.in/gjYtSqPN #IndigenousNews

➡️Friendly reminder as we head into September! It’s important that you update records for over-age dependents. Updating records helps keep coverage in place for full-time students, and ensures the benefits plan isn't paying for ineligible over-age dependents. If a dependent reaches the lower age limit in a plan but isn’t a full-time student, their coverage ends. If a dependent is previously and still identified as a full-time student but hasn’t reached the upper age limit, they’ll continue to have coverage. How to update over-age dependent information: • Check your policy’s upper age limit for full-time students. • Ask your employees with over-age dependents whether their dependent is a full-time student. Please ask them for proof of enrolment in school. • Update any records to show that the dependent qualifies as a full-time student. If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a message or email wp@wpbenefits.ca 📲 #BackToSchool #UniversityStudent #CollegeStudents #InsurancePolicy

💡WP Conference Highlight: We enjoyed hearing from Sheryl Johnson, partner at Sullivan Mahoney LLP, about Income Replacement Benefits during Medical Leaves of Absence. Sheryl shared how Employers need to plan for how to deal with employee absences due to non-work-related illness or injury, and to be aware of the different options available. Begin with creating a policy and considering an insurance benefit plan. 🔗To learn more about Sheryl’s practice, you can find her here: https://lnkd.in/gYAiq5MB #HumanResources

📰 News update! Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks has announced $5 million in funding for the Makwa Waakaa’igan project at Algoma University as part of a brief stopover in Sault Ste. Marie Monday. The funding, provided through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage over the course of four fiscal years, was originally announced by the university late last year. When finished, the $43.3-million, three-storey cultural centre will be home to the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre archives and will house a new Mental Health and Addictions Research and Training Institute in partnership with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSM University). It’s anticipated the new facility will open its doors sometime in 2027. “Not only is the work being anchored by research and evidence-based practices, but a deep understanding that that needs to include culturally appropriate practices that meets the community and their needs,” Saks told reporters Monday. “In order to heal, you have to see yourself on the journey of healing, and I think this specific site and the work Algoma has been doing for generations — but particularly now, with the announcement today of $5 million towards the facility — is that they’re really bringing together traditional healing with evidence-based practices so that we see a whole person, but also a whole community that is really trying to fight against the opioid crisis.” The head of the university says the school is working with CSAA, which has been in the process of consulting with the 86 communities that were impacted by the former residential school that operated in Sault Ste. Marie between 1873 and 1970. Once finished, the first floor of the facility will contain an archival space for the residential school system so that records and other items will be preserved in partnership with the survivors group. Some of the space will also be used for cultural events. “We have designed it in a way that the community will be welcomed in to use those spaces,” Vezina said. With more than $12 million in funding from the federal government currently earmarked for the Makwa Waakaa’igan project, Vezina anticipates there will be more news to come in terms of funding for the facility. “The community’s been very generous with Makwa Waakaa’igan. We’re looking at a couple more announcements in the near future,” she said. Although the school will have a better sense of the costs once the request for proposals closes, Vezina says, it’s prepared to spend as much as $45 million on the project. Algoma University expects to announce the successful bid for construction of the facility as early as next month. You can read more by visiting: www.sootoday.com #IndigenousNews #AlgomaU #MentalHealth #AddictionsTreatment

💻We’re happy to offer a New LIVE Online Course! Join us and Dr. Karyn Gordon for Strengthening Your Mental Health: Learn to Reduce Anxiety & Build Confidence. Cost: $99 (Reg. $499 PP) with promo code: WP-SAVE. 🗓️The course will run Sept 18, 25, Oct 2, 9 @ 1–2pm EST HR managers constantly hear about employee burnt-out and high stress, yet often lack training to address emotions and mental health concerns, which perpetuates the downward cycle of poor performance, increased absenteeism, and a disengaged work culture. Parents want simple tools to strengthen their kids’ confidence and reduce anxiety but face the obstacles of high-cost counseling and limited access. Join Karyn’s SI Course to learn about: the power of confidence and humility, developing a confident mindset, gratitude and its impact on mental health, and refueling and stress management. 🔗You can find out more and register here: https://lnkd.in/gQrMc-Cn #LeadershipSkills #HumanResources #OnlineCourse