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I don't know any specifics about CSIS nor do I know whether employees of that organization have a DC plan, but I do know a bit about pension plans and can answer your questions regardless:

>Is this true? If so, how does it affect those who are retired?

Changes to pension plans are generally forward-looking with no impact on previously-accrued benefits. When a plan is converted from DB to DC, employees still receive credit for all years of service up to the point of the conversion, and their future pension is comprised of two portions - the defined benefit portion (paid out as a calculation of years of service multiplied by a salary factor, again multiplied by a percentage), and a defined contribution portion (provided to the employee as a lump sum to be invested).

>And most importantly, if I already have a defined pension with another department, how will this affect it?

If you have an existing DB plan, it'd work the same way as it would if you left government employment and joined any other employer with a DC plan - you'd be able to transfer your pensionable service if there's an agreement in place between both plans, or you'd retain your pensionable service in the DB plan and join the DC plan as a new member. You could also, if you wanted, take a cash payment (transfer value) of the value of your DB pension to put into an individual retirement account, subject to tax sheltering limits.

It's a little outdated, but I recommend picking up The Pension Puzzle if you want more information about the different types of pension plans and how they work. It's an older book, so your library probably has a copy.

French speaker here. A great book to purchase is Bescherelle. You might be able to find it at La Librairie du Soleil in the Byward Market if you are in Ottawa. I got my E-E-E in English, and I found one thing that is really useful is to focus on one thing you want to talk about related to your work and learn all the more specialized words that apply specifically to that work environment. This way you can sound like you have a greater grasp of the language. Good luck!

Come over at /r/homebrewing there's a lot of friendly folk over there.

I would recommend you the How to brew book from John J. Palmer. https://www.amazon.ca/How-Brew-Everything-Right-First/dp/0937381888

It start simple and then go more in depth later on, it's really well made.
There is a beginner recipe in the begining of the book that is fairly easy to do, but very tasty.

Good luck.

I would recommend the Yes Minister series.

You can pick up the materials on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.ca/Yes-Minister-Complete-Collection-Disks/dp/B00008DP4B

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I also recommend you keep on top of innovative trends by following Alex Benay on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/AlexBenay

It's a made up word in the way most words are made up I guess.

It comes from Michael Barber who Trudeau is a big fan of.

The book How to Run a Government: So that Citizens Benefit and Taxpayers Don't Go Crazy is basically a guide to Deliverology and is a good read if you want to understand Trudeau's views on how government should be run.

I would recommend reading this book. Plenty of time to read it since it will probably be quite a few months until you get through the process if you are successful.

I would have silently gifted her this. Because, fun fact, squatting is actually the most efficient way to get shit done (pun intended). Maybe she just wanted to be as efficient as possible and get back to work as soon as she could?

In conclusion, to be efficient at work but also to avoid the whole unhygienic footprints-on-toilet-seat situation, the solution is the Squatty Potty!!!

That's what I was given a couple months ago. I bought the cheapest wallet style case on Amazon. I also bought a screen protector too.


They work fine and for me, I like that it's closed so I'm not seeing all my notifications and unread emails when I glance at it.

My unit actually spoils us on pens.

We stock cheap Bic ballpoints as "counter pens" (so you can offer them to visitors or have a cup of them on your reception desk or whatever), but the staff get nicer ones for their own usage. I've developed a personal preference for these dudes, although I understand we get them for significantly cheaper.

Don't base your decision to stay in the PS on the pension! Go grab a copy of this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Unlocking-Golden-Handcuffs-Leaving-Service/dp/1988749034 (Unlocking the Golden Handcuffs: Leaving the Public Service for Work You Really Love) My spouse read it when he worked for the government and was perpetually unhappy. He eventually quit and is very happy now. I still work in the PS and I LOVE it (despite being bored a lot), but it definitely isn't for everyone. This isn't jail - don't make your life a prison for a pension!

Have you considered something like this instead?

Here you go: The Handbook of Public Sector Communication https://www.amazon.ca/dp/111926314X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_acZTDbSCBW5PP

I’ve been trying to pitch this to management for a year or 2 now. Even offered to buy it myself. My position at my workplace always has people needing my assistance and I am far too nice to reject someone, even if it means I have to work 60+ hours a week to get my own work done too. If it wasn’t for my teammate helping me (and she drowns in work too) we’d be working 80+ hours.

https://www.amazon.com/Quartet-Workstation-Privacy-Sliding-WPS1000/dp/B000Y4WJ10