Westland acquires brokerages in B.C. and Ontario

Westland Insurance Group Ltd. has expanded their footprint in British Columbia and Ontario with the acquisition of two brokerages.

The large independent Canadian-owned brokerage announced Wednesday the acquisition of National Brokers Insurance Services Inc. in Ontario and Lambert Insurance Agencies Ltd. in B.C. Both acquisitions, which include three branches in total, were effective as of Aug. 1, Westland said in a press release Wednesday.

Located in Vaughan, Ont., National Brokers Insurance provides group programs for personal and commercial insurance services across the country. Its website says it offers group and personal home and auto, business insurance and other insurance (such as group benefits, life and disability).

“Aligning their team with our group business division, Westland MyGroup, positions us as a leader in this space across Canada,” Jamie Lyons, president and chief operating office of Westland, said of personal and commercial lines group insurance.

Lambert Insurance Agencies, with offices in Invermere and Radium Hot Springs, B.C., primarily offers home, auto, travel, commercial and farm insurance, along with Insurance Corporation of British Columbia drivers’ licensing services. “This acquisition further establishes Westland’s service to clients in the Kootenays region,” Westland said in the release.

Family-owned Westland now has more than 175 locations in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia “and continues to expand coast to coast.”

Westland has made or closed about a dozen acquisitions since the beginning of the year. Most recently, it announced July 8 the acquisition of managing general agent Exhale Insurance by Westland-owned Agile Underwriting Solutions, effective July 1. Founded in April 2019, Canadian-owned Exhale Insurance, an approved Lloyd’s of London coverholder, has adopted digital technology to deliver insurance products to their broker partners and customers.

Also on July 8, Westland said it bought Nuera Insurance, a Calgary-based digital brokerage formed in 2015. Nuera offers home, auto, recreational, life and travel insurance. The brokerage has also formed partnerships with property management, real estate, and mortgage professionals to provide insurance to renters and homeowners.

Feature image by iStock.com/mikdam