'They have concerns': CPP public town hall a hot ticket in Calgary

Off-the-scale interest in pension plan meeting There was particular interest heading into the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board's Tuesday night town hall at the BMO Centre.

The hottest ticket in town Tuesday night wasn’t the Flames or a Top 40 concert – instead, a public town hall hosted by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) investment board took the top spot.

The BMO Centre hosted the event, which needed to be moved to a larger venue thanks to increased interest.

The board hosts public meetings across Canada every two years to update people on the fund’s performance, governance and investment approach.

The last time it was in the city, 10 Calgarians attended.

This year, up to 1,000 were expected.

The pension plan has been a hot topic in Alberta over the past year after the provincial government released a commissioned report exploring the possibility of an Alberta Pension Plan (APP).

According to the report, if Alberta gave the required three-year notice to quit the CPP, it would be entitled to $334 billion, or about 53 per cent of the fund by 2027.

Critics called that a large overestimation.

Calgarians seem intent on seeking out the truth.

“They want a better sense of what is the CPP, what are its advantages and how might that compare to whatever Alberta is thinking about,” Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said. “They have concerns that only the (CPP board) can address.”

Premier Danielle Smith has said she will not call a referendum on the topic until the Office of the Chief Actuary releases an updated number.

More information on the public meetings can be found on the CPP Investments’ website.

The board will be in Edmonton on Wednesday.