It is with heavy hearts that we report TRAF’s former Secretary-Treasurer, Glen Buhr, passed away on July 18, 2026 at the age of 92.

Glen began his career at TRAF in 1963 when he became the organization’s second Secretary-Treasurer, following Jim Millard’s retirement. Glen was the 29^th employee since the inception of the pension plan 38 years earlier. When he started working at TRAF, there was a staff of three focused on pension administration.

Glen held his Chartered Accountant designation and had previously been employed by the Comptroller-General since he was 16 years old, where he had worked on many audits including TRAF. Under his leadership, TRAF expanded its investment program and entered the world of information technology. Glen led TRAF until he retired in 1988.

We were fortunate to include Glen in TRAF’s 100^th anniversary celebrations last year, including featuring him in the Century Report and welcoming him to our Open House, Reunion and Book Launch. He also made an appearance in our anniversary video, sharing some of his experiences from his TRAF career. We appreciated his time and generosity in meeting with us.

We extend our deepest condolences to Glen’s family and friends.

Online Services will be unavailable until at least September 30. We apologize for any inconvenience.

What happened to Online Services?

TRAF staff monitor our online systems diligently to ensure your security and data protection. Our ongoing risk assessment has led us to proactively pause Online Services. To be clear, we have not experienced a cyber breach, nor was one imminent, but we felt it was a responsible course of action, given the increasing risks in today’s digital world.  

Continued services  

We are committed to ensuring you have the information you need to make informed decisions regarding your pension benefits. Learn how you can continue to access information and services and complete your transactions.

Contact us

We continue to be available to assist you by phone, email and Zoom and in-person appointments.

For all other matters, please call our office at 1-800-782-0714 or 204-949-0048. 

In 2025, the TRAF investment portfolio generated a return of 10.03% net of investment expenses, compared to the benchmark return of 10.54%. Longer-term returns remain well above our benchmark, having generated 0.61% in additional return over the past 20 years. For a breakdown of the investment returns, net of expenses, for the total portfolio and each asset class over the one-year, five-year, 10-year and 20-year periods, see Investment Performance.

The 2025 Annual Report is now available. Read the report for details on governance, member services, funded status of the plan, cost of living adjustments, investments and more.

Read the spring 2026 editions of The Link (for active and deferred members) and The Horizon (for retired members). News stories include 2025 investment results, member statistics, 2026 cost of living adjustments and details on maximizing your pension or when to contact us during key life events.

Effective July 1, 2026, TRAF will grant a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 2.11% to eligible members receiving a TRAF pension.

To learn more, visit Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).

If you return to teach under contract in a position covered by TRAF while collecting your pension and work more than 120 full days in a school year (including substitute service), your pension will be suspended on the 121^st day and you must again contribute to TRAF. You are required to notify your employer(s) that you are receiving a TRAF pension and you will be required to track the number of days you work and notify your employer(s) and TRAF when that number reaches 120 days. Your employer is also required to notify TRAF in writing when the number of days is expected to reach 120 days.

The 120-day rule does not apply if you are age 65 or older and have at least 15 years of qualifying service before reaching your 121^st day.

If you have returned or plan to return to teaching (or any other position covered by TRAF) after retirement, it is important that you understand all of the rules that apply, including both the 120-day rule and the 90-day rule, and the impact they may have on your pension.

For more information, please refer to the Teaching After Retirement fact sheet. We also encourage you to contact us to discuss your personal situation.

2025 annual statements are now available through Online Services.

Your annual statement provides important information such as when you are eligible to apply for your pension, projected gross monthly pension estimates, your termination benefit and your pre-retirement survivor’s benefit. It also confirms your beneficiary designation in the event you pass away before your pension begins.

Log in or register for Online Services to review this important information.

Canada Post has advised that mail delivery will continue to be uncertain during ongoing rotating strikes. As a result, mail delivery to and from TRAF may be affected at times. During this time, please be aware of the following:

Pension payments and cheques

• Pension payments made through direct deposit are unaffected and will continue as usual.
• For members who receive their pensions by cheque, we encourage pensioners to sign up for direct deposit to ensure uninterrupted future pension payments.
• Other cheques payable to an individual or to a financial institution may be impacted. If you or your financial institution are expecting a cheque, please contact our office.
• If you need to make a payment (e.g., for a service purchase), we recommend dropping off the cheque(s) at our office, if feasible.

Documents and other correspondence

• Documents, correspondence and applications can be sent and received securely through Online Services, our secure member portal. We encourage you to register for Online Services and ensure your email, phone number and address are up to date.
• Correspondence will be delivered through Online Services where feasible.
• Alternatively, correspondence can be faxed to 204-944-0361 or dropped off or picked up at our office during business hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you are picking up a cheque or a document at our office, please call us to make arrangements in advance to ensure your item is ready when you arrive. Government-issued photo identification must be presented before items will be released to you.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact TRAF at 1-800-782-0714.

Updates will be posted on our website when available.

Effective July 1, 2025, the Retired Teachers’ Association of Manitoba (RTAM) will increase its monthly membership fee from $3 to $4. For more information, contact RTAM.