Financial Instrument Risk Management - Equities by Issuer Country (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	$ 152,785	$ 143,061
Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	4,787	4,634
Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	313	620
Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	4,474	4,014
Canada \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	2,835	2,666
Canada \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	22	15
Canada \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	2,813	2,651
United States \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	687	896
United States \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	137	388
United States \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	550	508
United Kingdom \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	137	126
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	132	121
Other countries \| Other invested assets
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	1,128	946
Other countries \| Other invested assets \| Available-for-sale
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	149	212
Other countries \| Other invested assets \| Fair value through profit or loss
Disclosure of detailed information about financial instruments [line items]
Financial assets	$ 979	$ 734

- 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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