Views (March 01, 2003)

The Toronto Insurance Women’s Association Patron of the Year Award was presented to Simmlands Insurance Brokers Ltd.

A session led by I Promise Program executive director Gary Direnfeld will now qualify brokers for a RIBO technical credit. Direnfeld has been making the presentation for the past year to various audiences and now hopes to engage brokers on the issue of teen car crash risks and safe driving initiatives. More information is available at www.ipromiseprogram.com.

Lovel Vining thanks speaker David Mair following a presentation to risk managers and financial executives sponsored by Aon Reed Stenhouse. A past president of RIMS, Mair devoted sessions to implementing an effective corporate risk strategy and understanding the seven domains of risk (see pg. 74 of this issue).

CARSTAR Canada welcomed guests to the groundbreaking of its new facility, Project StarPlex in Mississauga, ON. The new facility will act as a model for all CARSTAR repair shops, representing the latest in technology and efficiency.

The Canadian Urban Institute has honored Aon Reed Stenhouse with its “Brownie Award” for the brokerage’s work in promoting cleanup of polluted industrial sites. Aon is working with insurers to offer products to help developers restore polluted sites and is sponsor of the risk management section of environmental cleanup web site aboutREMDIATION.com

The Insurance Institute of Canada – Ontario (IIO) hosted its New Fellows Night recently at Toronto’s Albany Club. Pictured above, David Eastaugh of Elliott Special Risks speaks to recent FCIP graduates. This year’s GTA Fellow of Distinction is Philip Cook, chairman and CEO of Focus Group Inc., receiving his award from Institute CEO Peter Hohman, Gordon Crutcher of Sutton Re and IIO president Ross Totten of South Western Insurance Group.

Clarification – In response to an article that appeared in the January 2003 edition of Canadian Underwriter, Royal & SunAlliance wishes to clarify that it will continue to write personal lines in other provinces and in doing so is committed to its broker force, despite its withdrawal from the Quebec personal lines market.

Following a December fund-raising drive, adjuster Cunningham Lindsey Canada Ltd. is donating $15,000 to the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC). Throughout the month, the adjuster donated $5 per new claim towards its “Battling Cancer One Claim at a Time” campaign. President Bill Hornick says the program will be continued in future years. “This program certainly caught the attention of many people within the industry and has introduced a new and innovative way of supporting our cancer crusade,” says WICC co-chair Linda Wahrer.

Accident Support Services Ltd. has opened a new collision reportingcenter (CRC) in Belleville, ON, in conjunction with the Belleville Police Service. Accident Support Services is already under contract with several Ontario communities, including the Toronto Police Services and Ontario Provincial Police. In lieu of police attending non-serious collisions involving no injury, claimants can exchange insurance information and report to a center within 48 hours after an accident.