Post-employment benefits (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2021

Text block [abstract]

Summary of Defined Benefit Plan Expense

Defined benefit plan expense

	For the three months ended															For the six months ended
$ millions	2021 Apr. 30			2021 Jan. 31			2020 Apr. 30			2021 Apr. 30		2021 Jan. 31		2020 Apr. 30		2021 Apr. 30			2020 Apr. 30			2021 Apr. 30		2020 Apr. 30
				Pension plans						Other post-employment plans						Pension plans						Other post-employment plans
Current service cost	$	70		$	71		$	70		$	2	$	2	$	4	$	141		$	138		$	4	$	7
Past service cost (1)		–			–			–			–		–		–		–			(32	)		–		(1	)
Net interest (income) expense		(4	)		(4	)		(2	)		4		4		5		(8	)		(5	)		8		10
Special termination benefits (1)		–			–			–			–		–		–		–			9			–		–
Plan administration costs		2			2			2			–		–		–		4			4			–		–
Net defined benefit plan expense recognized in net income	$	68		$	69		$	70		$	6	$	6	$	9	$	137		$	114		$	12	$	16

(1) Includes amounts related to the restructuring recognized in 2020.

Summary of Defined Contributions Plan Expense

Defined contribution plan expense

	For the three months ended						For the six months ended
$ millions	2021 Apr. 30		2021 Jan. 31		2020 Apr. 30		2021 Apr. 30		2020 Apr. 30
Defined contribution pension plans	$	13	$	11	$	8	$	24	$	17
Government pension plans (1)		38		36		37		74		72
Total defined contribution plan expense	$	51	$	47	$	45	$	98	$	89

(1) Includes Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan, and U.S. Federal Insurance Contributions Act.

Summary of Defined Benefit Plan Expense

Remeasurement of employee defined benefit plans(1)

	For the three months ended														For the six months ended
$ millions	2021 Apr. 30			2021 Jan. 31		2020 Apr. 30			2021 Apr. 30		2021 Jan. 31		2020 Apr. 30		2021 Apr. 30			2020 Apr. 30			2021 Apr. 30		2020 Apr. 30
				Pension plans					Other post-employment plans						Pension plans						Other post-employment plans
Net actuarial gains (losses) on defined benefit obligation	$	674		$	60	$	487		$	37	$	3	$	30	$	734		$	59		$	40	$	1
Net actuarial gains (losses) on plan assets		(267	)		207		(178	)		–		–		–		(60	)		137			–		–
Changes in asset ceiling excluding interest income		–			–		(3	)		–		–		–		–			(2	)		–		–
Net remeasurement gains (losses) recognized in OCI	$	407		$	267	$	306		$	37	$	3	$	30	$	674		$	194		$	40	$	1

(1) The Canadian post-employment defined benefit plans are remeasured on a quarterly basis for changes in the discount rate and for actual asset returns. All other Canadian plans’ actuarial assumptions and foreign plans’ actuarial assumptions are updated at least annually.