Funds valued at $869 billion compared to $951.7 billion the previous quarter.
NUPGE - Employer-sponsored Canadian pension funds plunged by more than $82 billion in the third quarter of 2008, a drop of 8.7%. It was the biggest decline in more than a decade, Statistics Canada reports.
At year end, Canadian funds were valued at $869 billion, down from $951.7 billion the previous quarter, and from a peak of $954.6 billion in 2007. The Toronto stock exchange composite index lost 9.3% of its value during the quarter. Stocks and equities accounted for 34.2% of pension assets during the quarter.
StatsCan also says 21% of private sector workers are covered by defined benefit plans - down from 29% a decade earlier. 
Defined Benefit Pension Plan – The income you receive at retirement with a Defined Benefit plan is predetermined using a set formula that can incorporate factors such as the employee's pay, years of employment, and age at retirement. With this type of plan, employees receive annual statements that indicate the benefit on their retirement date.The CSSB Pension Plan is an example of a Defined Benefit plan.
Defined Contribution Pension Plan – A defined contribution plan is determined by an employee contribution amount, an employer contribution amount and investment performance over time. The Manitoba Home Care Employee Pension Plan is an example of this type of plan.