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The total expense for the Company’s defined contribution plan is $7 million for the year ended December 31, 2001 (2000 – $8 million). Information about the Company’s defined benefit plans, is as follows. 

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The significant weighted average actuarial assumptions adopted in measuring the Company’s accrued benefit obligations and net benefit plan expense as at December 31 are as follows. 

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For measurement purposes, an 8.8 per cent annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for 2002. The rate was assumed to decrease gradually to 4.0 per cent for 2005 and remain at that level thereafter. 

The Company’s net benefit plan expense is as follows. 

Year ended December 31 (millions of dollars) 

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1 Employee termination benefits related to restructuring are included in restructuring and other costs (see Note 18). 

Prior to January 1, 2000, the cost of post-employment benefits other than pensions was expensed when paid. Pension expense of $14 million for the year ended December 31, 1999 includes the expense related to both the Company’s defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. 

