Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., Loblaw Companies Limited, and Air Canada are all Canadian companies with defined benefit plans. Visit www.sedar.com to access financial statements for their 2014 fiscal years ended December 31, 2014, January 3, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Instructions
Analyze the notes to the financial statements of each of the three companies, and provide answers to the following questions.

(a) For each company, identify the following three assumptions:

1. The discount rate used to measure the year-end defined benefit obligation
2. The discount rate used to measure the benefit plan cost for the year
3. The rate of compensation increase that was used tomeasure the projected benefit obligation

(b) Comment on any significant differences in the assumptions that are used by each company and the effect of thesedifferences.
(c) Did any of the companies change their assumptions duringthe period covered by the notes? If yes, what was the effecton each of the following: the current year's defined benefit obligation, the plan assets, and the pension expense?Explain.
(d) Identify the types of plans and the assumptions that underlie any future benefit plans other than pensions. Are thesesimilar across the three companies? Comment on how anydifferences would affect an intercompany analysis.
(e) Are the pension plans and post-retirement plans in a deficit or surplus position? What are the amounts that havebeen reported on the statements of financial position?