Montréal, June 18, 2021 – Today, Bâtirente held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) branded by the slogan “My retirement. Our strength” and presented a positive assessment of its 2020 activities to about 80 group representatives and partners who all attended virtually. Participants had the opportunity to learn that, while Bâtirente excelled in the quality of support provided to groups and members during this difficult period, the organization also kept a firm and steady focus on the future.
Outgoing Board Chair Pierre Patry, incoming Board Chair Yvan Duceppe, and CEO Daniel Simard expressed their pleasure in presenting positive results and sharing the major strategic directions that guide Bâtirente in its ongoing development as a strong and committed organization. Today, more than 23,000 remarkably loyal members of 313 unions and groups who hold savings of more than $820 million remain the driving force of the corporation.
In 2020, the pandemic led many members to accelerate their transition to retirement and, as a result, transfers from accumulation plans to benefit plans reached $26.9 million. Thanks to the exclusive Plannuity program, Bâtirente supported its members and guided them through this critical stage in their lives.
It was also a big year for responsible investing. “Despite the storm that shook the world in 2020, we continued to move forward as a responsible corporation and announced our ambitious climate commitment in the fall,” said Daniel Simard. This commitment aims to reduce climate-related risks in investment decisions and to invest in the transition to a just economy in which significant efforts are made for environmental solutions. In 2020, the value of Bâtirente’s impact investments reached $145 million, and 100% of assets are now entrusted to businesses that are signatories of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and that integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into their management processes. Bâtirente’s leadership in this domain has once again been acknowledged: The Canadian Investment Review awarded Bâtirente the Sustainable Investment Award at the 2020 Pension Leadership Awards.
Bâtirente gratefully acknowledges its Builders
During this Annual General Meeting, Bâtirente paid tribute to two individuals who made significant contributions to the success of its mission by naming them to the Builders’ Honour Roll. Thus, were named Jacques Allard, posthumously, who served on the board of directors from 1987 to 2001, and Claude Rioux, who served from 1987 to 2004. With this act, their valuable contribution during the early years of Bâtirente is gratefully acknowledged. With the creation of this honour roll in 2020, Léopold Beaulieu, former CEO of Fondaction, was named as the first Builder.
A change of Board Chair
Following a long career as Treasurer of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), Pierre Patry retired in 2020 after 17 years as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Corporation. Bâtirente paid him a well-deserved tribute in the 2020 edition of its Annual Report. Yvan Duceppe, who was elected as Treasurer of the CSN in January 2021 to continue Pierre Patry’s mandate. Nathalie Arguin and Normand Brouillet were also re-elected as Members of the Board. Finally, Robert Gariépy from the Syndicat des travailleuses et travailleurs de Distribution Multi-Marques Laval (CSN) was re-elected to a three-year term as Group Representative. The Board of Directors then resolved to reconfirm Yvan Duceppe as President, Nathalie Arguin as Vice-Chair and Normand Brouillet as Secretary.
As the new Chair, Yvan Duceppe stated “It is with great humility, but also great pride that I receive my mandate as a representative of the CSN and as a member and Chair of the Board of Directors of Bâtirente.”