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PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Schedule of Changes in Projected Benefit Obligation, Plan Assets and Funded Status
The following table details the changes in the projected benefit obligation, the fair value of plan assets and the recorded assets or liabilities for our defined benefit pension plans:
 CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)    
Change in projected benefit obligation    
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year4,446 3,997 1,230 1,214 
Service cost 148 149 44 45 
Interest cost128 139 31 41 
Participant contributions31 32  — 
Actuarial loss1
292 423 95 106 
Benefits paid(190)(187)(128)(101)
Plan settlements2
 (99) (1)
Transfers out (8) (6)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes — (23)(63)
Other — (6)(5)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year3
4,855 4,446 1,243 1,230 
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year3,827 3,523 1,104 1,045 
Actual return on plan assets288 448 83 176 
Employer contributions121 114 27 46 
Participant contributions31 32  — 
Benefits paid(190)(187)(128)(101)
Plan settlements2
 (99) (1)
Transfers out (4) — 
Foreign currency exchange rate changes — (18)(56)
Other — (6)(5)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year4
4,077 3,827 1,062 1,104 
Underfunded status at end of year(778)(619)(181)(126)
Presented as follows:
Deferred amounts and other assets35 35  — 
Accounts payable and other(9)(9)(3)(4)
Other long-term liabilities (804)(645)(178)(122)
 (778)(619)(181)(126)
1Primarily due to decrease in the discount rate used to measure the benefit obligations.
2Plan settlements for the Canadian Plans are related to the disposition of our federally regulated BC Field Services business.
3The accumulated benefit obligation for our Canadian pension plans was $4.5 billion and $4.0 billion as at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The accumulated benefit obligation for our US pension plans was $1.2 billion as at December 31, 2020 and 2019.
4Assets in the amount of $11 million (2019 - $10 million) and $59 million (2019 - $51 million), related to our Canadian and US non-registered supplemental pension plan obligations, are held in grantor trusts and rabbi trusts that, in accordance with federal tax regulations, are not restricted from creditors. These assets are committed for the future settlement of benefit obligations included in the underfunded status as at the end of the year, however they are excluded from plan assets for accounting purposes.
For these plans, the projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets were as follows:
 CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)
Projected benefit obligation4,434 1,481 1,243 103 
Accumulated benefit obligation4,094 1,361 1,207 98 
Fair value of plan assets3,621 1,087 1,062 — 
Certain of our OPEB plans have an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of the fair value of plan assets. For these plans, the accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets were as follows:
 CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)
Accumulated benefit obligation321 293 191 288 
Fair value of plan assets — 106 188 
Schedule of Amount Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
The amount of pre-tax AOCI relating to our pension plans are as follows:
 CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)    
Net actuarial loss542 445 233 134 
Prior service credit — (1)(2)
Total amount recognized in AOCI1
542 445 232 132 
1 Excludes amounts related to cumulative translation adjustment.
The amount of pre-tax AOCI relating to our OPEB plans are as follows:
 CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)    
Net actuarial (gain)/loss15 (7)(7)(23)
Prior service credit(1)(1)(44)(13)
Total amount recognized in AOCI1
14 (8)(51)(36)
1 Excludes amounts related to cumulative translation adjustment.
Schedule of Net Benefit Costs Recognized
The components of net periodic benefit cost and other amounts recognized in pre-tax Comprehensive income related to our pension plans are as follows:
CanadaUS
Year ended December 31, 202020192018202020192018
(millions of Canadian dollars)
Service cost148 149 149 44 45 45 
Interest cost1
128 139 130 31 41 38 
Expected return on plan assets1
(260)(245)(245)(88)(78)(88)
Amortization/settlement of net actuarial loss1
42 41 25 1 
Amortization/curtailment of prior service (credit)/
   cost1
 — — (1)(1)
Net periodic benefit cost58 84 59 (13)
Defined contribution benefit cost6 11  — — 
Net pension cost recognized in Earnings 64 92 70 (13)
Amount recognized in OCI:
Effect of plan combination — —  (6)— 
 Amortization/settlement of net actuarial loss(21)(26)(11)(1)(2)(7)
Amortization/curtailment of prior service credit/(cost)
 — — 1 (3)
Net actuarial loss arising during the year118 115 112 100 28 
Total amount recognized in OCI97 89 101 100 18 
Total amount recognized in Comprehensive income161 181 171 87 10 23 
1 Reported within Other income/(expense) in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
The components of net periodic benefit cost and other amounts recognized in pre-tax Comprehensive income related to our OPEB plans are as follows:
 CanadaUS
Year ended December 31,202020192018202020192018
(millions of Canadian dollars)      
Service cost5 2 
Interest cost1
8 10 10 7 10 10 
Expected return on plan assets1
 — — (12)(12)(12)
Amortization/settlement of net actuarial gain1
(1)(7)— (1)— (1)
Amortization/curtailment of prior service credit1
 (1)— (2)(2)(4)
Net periodic benefit cost recognized in Earnings 12 18 (6)(2)(4)
Amount recognized in OCI:
Amortization/settlement of net actuarial gain1 — 1 — 
Amortization/curtailment of prior service credit
 — 2 
Net actuarial (gain)/loss arising during the year
21 15 (46)15 (8)(1)
Prior service credit — — (33)— (8)
Total amount recognized in OCI22 23 (46)(15)(6)(4)
Total amount recognized in Comprehensive income34 30 (28)(21)(8)(8)
Schedule of Actuarial Assumptions Used
The weighted average assumptions made in the measurement of the projected benefit obligation and net periodic benefit cost of our pension plans are as follows:
 CanadaUS
202020192018202020192018
Projected benefit obligation
Discount rate2.6 %3.0 %3.8 %2.2 %3.0 %3.9 %
Rate of salary increase2.3 %3.2 %3.2 %2.7 %2.9 %2.8 %
Cash balance interest credit rateN/AN/AN/A4.3 %4.5 %4.5 %
Net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate3.0 %3.8 %3.6 %3.0 %3.9 %3.4 %
Rate of return on plan assets6.8 %7.0 %6.8 %7.9 %8.0 %7.4 %
Rate of salary increase3.2 %3.2 %3.2 %2.9 %2.9 %2.9 %
Cash balance interest credit rateN/AN/AN/A4.5 %4.5 %4.5 %
The weighted average assumptions made in the measurement of the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and net periodic benefit cost of our OPEB plans are as follows:
 CanadaUS
202020192018202020192018
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation
Discount rate2.6 %3.1 %3.8 %2.0 %2.8 %4.0 %
Net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate3.1 %3.8 %3.6 %2.8 %4.0 %3.3 %
Rate of return on plan assetsN/AN/AN/A6.7 %6.7 %5.7 %
Schedule of Other Postretirement Benefits
The following table details the changes in the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation, the fair value of plan assets and the recorded assets or liabilities for our defined benefit OPEB plans:
 CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)    
Change in accumulated postretirement benefit obligation
    
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation at beginning of year
293 282 288 305 
Service cost 5 2 
Interest cost8 10 7 10 
Participant contributions — 4 
Actuarial loss1
21 15 17 
Benefits paid(6)(6)(28)(28)
Plan amendments  — (33)— 
Foreign currency exchange rate changes — (4)(15)
Other (13)1 
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation at end of year
321 293 254 288 
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year — 188 181 
Actual return on plan assets — 14 27 
Employer contributions6 12 10 
Participant contributions — 4 
Benefits paid(6)(6)(28)(28)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes — (3)(9)
Other — 1 
Fair value of plan assets at end of year — 188 188 
Underfunded status at end of year(321)(293)(66)(100)
Presented as follows:
Deferred amounts and other assets — 19 — 
Accounts payable and other(13)(12)(6)(8)
Other long-term liabilities (308)(281)(79)(92)
 (321)(293)(66)(100)
1 Primarily due to decrease in the discount rate used to measure the benefit obligations.
Schedule of Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates
The assumed rates for the next year used to measure the expected cost of benefits are as follows:
CanadaUS
2020201920202019
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year4.0 %4.0 %6.8 %7.2 %
Rate to which the cost trend is assumed to decline (ultimate trend rate)
4.0 %4.0 %4.5 %4.5 %
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rateN/AN/A20372037
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets
The asset allocation targets and major categories of plan assets are as follows:
 CanadaUS
TargetDecember 31,TargetDecember 31,
Asset CategoryAllocation20202019Allocation20202019
Equity securities43.5 %47.2 %46.4 %45.0 %55.6 %55.2 %
Fixed income securities30.0 %29.6 %31.0 %20.0 %17.2 %19.8 %
Alternatives1
26.5 %23.2 %22.6 %35.0 %27.2 %25.0 %
1Alternatives include investments in private debt, private equity, infrastructure and real estate funds.
Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets
The following table summarizes the fair value of plan assets for our pension plans recorded at each fair value hierarchy level:
 CanadaUS
Level 11
Level 22
Level 33
Total
Level 11
Level 22
Level 33
Total
(millions of Canadian dollars)        
December 31, 2020
Cash and cash equivalents213   213 5   5 
Equity securities
Canada178 188  366     
US2   2     
Global 1,556  1,556  590  590 
Fixed income securities
Government207 378  585  75  75 
Corporate 410  410  103  103 
Alternatives4
  912 912   289 289 
Forward currency contracts 33  33     
Total pension plan assets at fair value
600 2,565 912 4,077 5 768 289 1,062 
December 31, 2019
Cash and cash equivalents184 — — 184 14 — — 14 
Equity securities
Canada165 183 — 348 — — — — 
US— — — — — 93 — 93 
Global— 1,429 — 1,429 — 516 — 516 
Fixed income securities
Government196 418 — 614 — 164 — 164 
Corporate— 388 — 388 — 41 — 41 
Alternatives4
— — 852 852 — — 276 276 
Forward currency contracts— 12 — 12 — — — — 
Total pension plan assets at fair value
545 2,430 852 3,827 14 814 276 1,104 
1Level 1 assets include assets with quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.
2Level 2 assets include assets with significant observable inputs.
3Level 3 assets include assets with significant unobservable inputs.
4Alternatives include investments in private debt, private equity, infrastructure and real estate funds. Fund values are based on the NAV of the funds that invest directly in the aforementioned underlying investments. The values of the investments have been estimated using the capital accounts representing the plan's ownership interest in the funds.

Changes in the net fair value of pension plan assets classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy were as follows:
CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)   
Balance at beginning of year852 562 276 130 
Unrealized and realized gains/(losses)(27)10 7 13 
Purchases and settlements, net87 280 6 133 
Balance at end of year912 852 289 276 
OPEB Plans
The following table summarizes the fair value of plan assets for our OPEB plans recorded at each fair value hierarchy level:
 CanadaUS
Level 11
Level 22
Level 33
Total
Level 11
Level 22
Level 33
Total
(millions of Canadian dollars)        
December 31, 2020
Equity securities
US     35  35 
Global     79  79 
Fixed income securities
Government    38 6  44 
Corporate     8  8 
Alternatives4
      22 22 
Total OPEB plan assets at fair value
    38 128 22 188 
December 31, 2019
Cash and cash equivalents— — — — — — 
Equity securities
US— — — — — 75 — 75 
Global— — — — — 38 — 38 
Fixed income securities
Government— — — — 40 15 — 55 
Alternatives4
— — — — — — 18 18 
Total OPEB plan assets at fair value
— — — — 42 128 18 188 
1Level 1 assets include assets with quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.
2Level 2 assets include assets with significant observable inputs.
3Level 3 assets include assets with significant unobservable inputs.
4Alternatives includes investments in private debt, private equity, infrastructure and real estate.

Changes in the net fair value of OPEB plan assets classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy were as follows:
CanadaUS
December 31,2020201920202019
(millions of Canadian dollars)
Balance at beginning of year — 18 
Unrealized and realized gains — 1 
Purchases and settlements, net — 3 12 
Balance at end of year — 22 18 
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments and Employer Contributions
Year ending December 31,202120222023202420252026-2030
(millions of Canadian dollars)      
Pension
Canada
185 189 194 198 203 1,078 
US139 76 75 75 74 353 
OPEB
Canada
12 13 13 13 13 71 
US19 18 17 16 15 66