The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
L’Institut professionnel de la function publique du Canada
Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Chapter of the Retired Members Guild
Minutes of the 11th Annual General Meeting
October 15, 2025 – Pickle Barrel Restaurant, Toronto
Present: Executive
President: Aron Wolfson
Vice President: Andrea Agh
Treasurer: Lester Brown
Secretary: Soon Yee
Member-at-Large: Usha Vashistha
Present: 33 members
The meeting commenced at 12:00 noon.
Opening of the Meeting
Aron Wolfson welcomed everyone and introduced the GTA Chapter Executive. He also introduced Kim Scriver, President of the RMG and Stan Buday, Ontario Representative of the RMG.
Aron mentioned that Fred Conway resigned last year as a Member-at-Large of the GTA Chapter. Recognition was given to his 9 years of dedicated service to the Chapter.
Aron touched on the success of the GTA Chapter’s first Social Event at the Sababa Restaurant on August 15, 2025. It was attended by 18 people and the total cost was well within the budgeted amount. We are looking forward to the next social event. Aron welcomed suggestions from the attendees in respect of alternative venues for next year’s social event.
Agenda
Tom Belyk moved that the Agenda be adopted. Nasrin Haji seconded the motion. Carried.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
The Key Note Speaker was Kim Scriver, President of the RMG. She is also on the Executive of the National Capital Region Chapter of the RMG.
She mentioned that the positions of President, Vice-president and Treasurer of the RMG National Office may appear to change from year to year due to the fact that elections are held every year for these three positions. A motion is afoot to hold elections every 2 years for these positions.
During last year’s PIPSC National AGM in Toronto, the RMG delegation resisted the dues increase of $16, effective January 2025, but to no avail. The dues increase had subsequently resulted in the resignation of 53 identifiable members from the RMG.
The recruitment challenge of new members remains. For example, new retirees automatically become RMG members in their year of retirement and remain members until December 31 of that year without paying dues. The challenge is how to convince them to stay on as dues paying members going forward. Suggestions from the floor included better communications with these new retirees as to the benefits of remaining a member, for example, advocacy for improvements to the PDSP as well as access to the Service Plus program.
The PDSP Post Card Campaign, initiated by Andrea Agh, Vice President of the GTA Chapter of the RMG has been fully endorsed by the National Executive of the RMG. The concept will be discussed further with other RMG chapters across the country. Kim stressed that the RMG is working with and in support of NAFR and not against them. She also recommended that we reach out to the Congress of Union Retirees (CURC) regarding our PDSP advocacy. CURC is a member of the Canadian Labour Congress.
Kim added that every year the National Office of the RMG allocates funds to the various RMG Chapters across Canada. The minimum annual allotment has been increased from $800 to $1200. Generally speaking, a chapter may request funding in excess of the minimum amount along with the appropriate justification.
Kim mentioned that the National RMG AGM will be held on December 11th at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto. The starting time is 1 pm followed by a social at 4:30 pm. For those interested in attending, an email invitation is forthcoming. Kim confirmed that attendees will be able to vote at the meeting. The RMG AGM will be a hybrid meeting for the first time ever i.e. our members may attend in person or on-line virtually. On the agenda will be a discussion of resolutions proposed by the National PIPSC office as well as resolutions proposed by the RMG National Office such as the changing of the term of the President, Vice-president and Treasurer from 1 year to 2 years as previously mentioned above.
The National PIPSC AGM will be held in downtown Toronto at the same Sheraton Hotel on December 12 and 13, 2025. Only certain members will be invited to this meeting. The RMG will have representatives at that meeting.
PDSP (Retirees Dental Services Plan) Post Card Campaign
Andrea Agh led a discussion regarding her newly designed dental plan “post card”. This is GTA Chapter’s second attempt at petitioning MP’s to improve our dental plan. The first attempt took place last year where we had requested that our members email a prepared petition to their MP’s. A show of hands at the 2024 AGM indicated that only 8 of 33 had emailed the petition letter to their MP’s, a somewhat disappointing number.
The GTA Chapter Executive is encouraging its members to maintain pressure on the federal government by having our members submit the new post card to their MP’s.
The maximum annual claims limit of $1500 under the PDSP was set in 2001 and has not increased since that time whereas the dental insurance premium has increased a number of times including an increase last year. The PSDCP (dental plan for our working members) maximum annual claims limit has increased over the years to approximately $3200. The inequity continues.
The new “post card” is a condensed version of last year’s petition letter but is more graphic in nature.
The general theme conveyed in the post card is that there is a mismatch of coverage under the PDSP versus the coverage under the PSDCP. We are seeking equity between the two plans.
The post card lists four bulleted points:
- Upgrading PDSP to match PSDCP benefit levels
- Addressing this long standing gap in retiree healthcare
- Honouring the service of retired public servants with equitable dental coverage
- Combine the PSDCP and the PDSP as a single plan to operate
On the post card, there is a signature line for the member to sign as well as a list of 5 MP’s to whom the card may be sent.
The GTA Chapter would like to thank the National RMG team for supporting our PDSP petitioning and specifically to Kim Scriver for her efforts in getting the post card translated and printed.
The current impediment is that the post cards that were printed by our Head Office and presented at the meeting were somewhat larger than expected (8.5 x 11 inches) and a bit unwieldy for our purposes. We had requested “post-card sized” post cards which the attendees could have signed at the AGM, collected by Andrea and then remitted to the MP(s) en masse.
However Andrea will try to obtain the smaller post cards and will then consider ways of distributing these post cards to our members for signature and ultimate submission to their MP’s.
There was considerable interest from the members as witnessed by the ensuing Q&A.
It was pointed out that our members are not eligible for the public dental plan due to our members’ “access” to the PDSP. The public dental plan has no annual claims limit whereas the PDSP has a $1500 annual limit. This is clearly inequitable.
A member mentioned that the insurer denied her dental claim when she submitted an invoice with a one line description of a dental service. She followed up by submitting a detailed invoice for the same service which gave rise to a partial reimbursement. The non-reimbursed portion of the expense then qualified as a medical expense for tax purposes.
Another member described the opposite situation where he submitted a detailed invoice in respect of a medical service. The claim was initially denied but upon submission of a one line description of the medical service, the claim was accepted. The conclusion here would be to try a second approach (detailed or single line description as the case may be) if the members claim is initially denied.
Approval of Minutes of the Last AGM, September 18, 2024
Secretary, Soon Yee had previously emailed copies of the subject minutes to all attendees before the meeting. Paul Archibald moved that the minutes be accepted, seconded by Al Worth. Carried.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer, Les Brown discussed the 2024 Financial Statements and the 2026 Budget, copies of which were emailed to all attendees before the meeting. Al Worth moved that the financial statements/budget be accepted, seconded by Sheldon Weiser. Carried.
Elections
Les Brown conducted the election as Chair of the Election Committee.
Position of Vice-President of the GTA Chapter
There were 2 nominations for this position. Nusin Brown nominated Andrea Agh and Aron Wolfson nominated Lalita Jeethan, in absentia. Aron read out Lalita’s bio which was provided to him by Lalita before the meeting. Lalita expressed an interest in the VP position or alternatively as a Member-at-Large. Andrea Agh then presented her bio at the meeting. Thank you to Alice DaSilva for collecting the ballots and to Stan Buday and Nusin Brown for counting the ballots. Andrea Agh was elected Vice-President.
Sheldon Weiser moved that the ballots be destroyed. Seconded by Adele Minini. Carried.
Position of Member-at-Large of the GTA Chapter
There were 2 positions available. Soon Yee nominated Usha Vashistha. Aron Wolfson nominated Lalita Jeethan, in absentia. There were no further nominations and Usha Vashistha and Lalita Jeethan were thereby elected Members-at-Large by acclamation.
New Business
At last year’s AGM, a member requested a discussion of Service Plus and other RMG benefits at the next AGM. This discussion is related to the member retention challenge discussed by Kim Scriver above.
Due to our full agenda this year, especially with the elections, we were unable to accommodate this discussion at this year’s AGM, but Andrea suggested that we should approach HO to put together a virtual presentation of Service Plus, where members can log in and watch at their leisure.
Door Prize Draw
Andrea Agh conducted the draw for door prizes. Five $10 Tim Horton’s cards were raffled. Thank you to Kim Scriver for providing tote bags as additional prizes.
Adjournment
The meeting ended at approximately 2:30 p.m.