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Employee Future Benefits - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 CAD
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Percentage of final average pay pension plans to global pension obligations	50.00%
Plan assets set aside for non-qualified cash balance plan	CAD 0
Assets set aside for plan	0
Canadian plans [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Estimate of expected cash payments for employee future benefits for the year ending December 31, 2018	CAD 31,000,000
Return-seeking assets [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Target asset allocation for plan	29.00%
Return-seeking assets [Member] | Canada [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Target asset allocation for plan	15.00%
Liability-hedging assets [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Target asset allocation for plan	71.00%
Liability-hedging assets [Member] | Canada [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Target asset allocation for plan	85.00%
Defined Benefit Plans Provision [Member] | Standard Life Plc [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Past service cost amendments	CAD (55,000,000)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Estimate of expected cash payments for employee future benefits for the year ending December 31, 2018	101,000,000
Defined contribution pension plans [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Estimate of expected cash payments for employee future benefits for the year ending December 31, 2018	77,000,000
Retiree welfare plans [Member]
Disclosure of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Estimate of expected cash payments for employee future benefits for the year ending December 31, 2018	CAD 9,000,000

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- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The estimate of the expected contributions to be made to a defined benefit plan for the next annual reporting period. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
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-Subparagraph b
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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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- Definition

The amount of deficit or surplus in a defined benefit plan, adjusted for any effect of limiting a net defined benefit asset to the asset ceiling. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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- Definition

The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from past service cost. Past service cost is the change in the present value of the defined benefit obligation for employee service in prior periods, resulting from a plan amendment (the introduction or withdrawal of, or changes to, a defined benefit plan) or a curtailment (a significant reduction by the entity in the number of employees covered by a plan). [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset); Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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- Definition

The amount of surplus in a defined benefit plan, adjusted for any effect of limiting a net defined benefit asset to the asset ceiling. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
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Defined benefit plan target asset allocation percentage.

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Maximum percentage of final average pay pension plans to global pension obligations.

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