Financial Instrument Risk Management - Equities by Issuer Country (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	$ 143,061	$ 137,691
Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	4,634	6,020
Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	620	942
Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	4,014	5,078
Canada \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	2,666	3,335
Canada \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	15	53
Canada \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	2,651	3,282
United States \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	896	1,436
United States \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	388	671
United States \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	508	765
United Kingdom \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	126	135
United Kingdom \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	5	5
United Kingdom \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	121	130
Other countries \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	946	1,114
Other countries \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	212	213
Other countries \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	$ 734	$ 901

- Definition

The amount of assets that are: (a) cash; (b) an equity instrument of another entity; (c) a contractual right: (i) to receive cash or another financial asset from another entity; or (ii) to exchange financial assets or financial liabilities with another entity under conditions that are potentially favourable to the entity; or (d) a contract that will, or may be, settled in the entity’s own equity instruments and is: (i) a non-derivative for which the entity is, or may be, obliged to receive a variable number of the entity’s own equity instruments; or (ii) a derivative that will, or may be, settled other than by the exchange of a fixed amount of cash or another financial asset for a fixed number of the entity’s own equity instruments. For this purpose the entity’s own equity instruments do not include puttable financial instruments classified as equity instruments in accordance with paragraphs 16A-16B of IAS 32, instruments that impose on the entity an obligation to deliver to another party a pro rata share of the net assets of the entity only on liquidation and are classified as equity instruments in accordance with paragraphs 16C-16D of IAS 32, or instruments that are contracts for the future receipt or delivery of the entity’s own equity instruments. [Refer: Financial instruments, class [member]; Financial liabilities]

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