DEFINITION - SPOUSE. Spouse –Shall mean the legal spouse of the employee, or, in the case of domestic partners who are not legally married, the relationship shall be recognised under this definition if the domestic partners have resided together in a conjugal relationship publicly for a period of at least one (1) year or more immediately preceding the date of such notice to the Company. Proof of the relationship between domestic partners will have to be submitted to the Company, by the employee, at the employee’s own expense. Such proof will consist of an affidavit signed by the parties attesting to their relationship and completed by a Notary Public licensed under the laws of the province of Ontario. In the event of a relationship breakdown, the employee must submit a signed affidavit confirming that the relationship is over for Pension purposes. Upon receipt of this document, the domestic partner will then be removed from the employee’s pension and benefit plans. In order for a new domestic partner to be added at a later date, for purposes of health care benefit eligibility, the preceding common law spouse must be off the dependent records file for a period of at least 12 months. The definition of “spouse” for purposes of determining eligibility for the Health Care Benefits continuation after retirement shall be as follows: The spouse enrolled on the Health Care benefit program at time of retirement will be the only spouse entitled to Health Care benefits after retirement. Special consideration will be given in the event of a true reconciliation between the employee and his/her spouse who was previously enrolled in the Health Care benefit program as the spouse of that employee.
