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OM News April 2019

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April 2019ONTARIO MUTUALS NEWSLETTERMARK YOUR CALENDARS!GOLF TOURNAMENT DETAILS PG. 41>“Three P’s in a Pod”Ontario Mutuals Give Back pg.12OMIA ChairBob Burley on his 2019 themepg.4

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2That’s a wrap on 2018!Once again, we’re happy to be stepping into spring with many more Ontario Mutuals stories to share. The end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 brought along new activities, sponsorships, academic achievements and more. Your contributions to the membership and to your local communities exemplify what it means to be a mutual. The stories in these pages highlight the strength and dedication of our mutual community, year after year.Happy 2019, and happy spring!

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OMIA’s Annual Convention52THE UMBRELLA PROJECTSupport for a Fresh New InitiativeMILESTONESRecognizing Anniversaries and ChangesACCOMPLISHMENTSCelebrating Achievements in the Mutual SystemOTHER EVENTSMore Mutual NewsRETIREMENTSCelebrating Those Who Have Helped Ontario Mutuals ThriveAPPOINTMENTS & POSITION CHANGESTransforming the MutualsEDUCATION CALENDAROMIA Education at-a-glanceIN MEMORIAMRemembering Our Mutual Family MembersOMIn this issue >>April 2019525FEATURES:INTRODUCING OMIA CHAIRBob BurleyNEW TEAM MEMBERSWelcoming New Faces to the Mutual SystemGIVING BACKMutual Companies Support Their Communities4812252834384446575812

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4Approximately 12 years ago, I was asked if I might be interested in running for a director position at a mutual insurance company in Cobourg, Ontario (HTM Insurance). At that time, I had no idea of the opportunities mutual insurance would offer me!It is with humbleness and humility that I assume the position of Chair of your trade Association. I look forward to representing OMIA and participating in what appears to be in a busy year ahead. My theme this year, “Three P’s in a Pod,” is a quirky way of packaging the three things I am passionate about in the mutual system: Policyholders, People and Prot. None of our mutuals would exist without the trust placed in us by our policyholders. In return, we provide security and peace of mind to them in the event of a loss. We are also fortunate to have quality people in our ofces who interact with our sales force and policyholders in a caring and professional manner. The third P is for Prot. It is from these prots that we are able to support many organizations and projects in our communities. As spring approaches, my wife Pat will be working in our garden with a rst priority of planting peas. I hope as you harvest over the summer, or every time you come across peas (whether raw or cooked), you will remember my Three Peas in a Pod and the important things they represent!I am looking forward to meeting and chatting with many of you over the next year about our mutual system and the great things that are taking place in it.Yours in Mutuality,Bob BurleyHTM Insurance CompanyBob BurleyA Message from OMIA’s ChairPolicyholders,People, Profit.

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April 20195Spring Farm ShowsOntario Mutuals were present in force, once again, at the London Farm Show (March 6-8) and the Ottawa Valley Farm Show (March 12-14). We had the opportunity to increase our presence at the London Farm Show by sponsoring the bags given away at the entrances. It was fun to see all the blue Ontario Mutuals bags throughout the tradeshow. Ottawa Valley also gave us an opportunity to try a new booth set-up which offered meaningful interactions with visitors.

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6It’s hard to believe that my year as Chair of OMIA is already over! It has been an honour and a privilege to represent you, as your Chair, at many events and meetings over this past year.Every conference, meeting and convention I’ve attended has been informative and full of new information that benets us all in our goal to work alongside one another and learn along the way. Meeting and networking with our fellow mutual colleagues allows us to see different perspectives on new ideas for our business operations. Collaborating with each other makes us stronger as an organization. We can always learn from each other, resulting in lasting relationships that promote our mutual values.My theme, “Embracing Youth & Technology” furthers our membership’s dialogue about how we can maintain and strengthen the involvement of a younger generation in our organization while recognizing that ever-changing technology is becoming more prevalent and necessary.It’s quite exhilarating to learn how current and future technological advancements can improve our mutual operations and improve us beyond our expectations.As you have heard before, a fresh look at our industry through a youthful lens is a positive step towards keeping pace with our changing times. These two focal points allow us to continue to be a strong and informed working system.I’m proud to say that, as mutuals, we continue to support our youth with opportunities for co-op working terms and grants to support education programs. It shows that we care passionately, not only about our own policyholders, but about the future generation - they are the foundation of our future business and successes.Once again, I thank you for the opportunity to represent you as Chair. I have always been proud of our organization and what we stand for - and how we strive to make things better, together. I wish you all continued success and the very best in the future!Yours in Mutuality,Brad VanstoneWest Wawanosh MutualBRAD VANSTONEOMIA Past ChairThoughts from Past Chair, Brad Vanstone“We must stay current with what technology has to offer us while encouraging the vibrant enthusiasm of our youth today. “

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April 20197

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8NEW TEAM MEMBERSWelcoming New Faces to the Mutual SystemDUMFRIES MUTUAL Lee Ellery is our newest Agent. She joined our team in December. We’re thrilled to have her back, as she began her career here in 2005 as an Auto Underwriter! Between these two roles, Lee remained in the Mutuals family in underwriting and agent support positions. She brings a knack for top-notch service and excellent insurance expertise.DUMFRIES MUTUAL Dan Vergari bolstered our Claims team in the fall, joining the team as Property Adjuster. He brings great experience from working at Gore Mutual, and is a graduate of Conestoga College’s insurance program.DUMFRIES MUTUAL Victoria Harmer joined our team at the beginning of 2019 as an Underwriting Assistant. She comes to us from Farm Mutual Re, where she was a Reinsurance Assistant Intern. Victoria’s passion for a career in insurance is demonstrated by her commitment to her CIP courses.AYR FARMERS MUTUAL is thrilled to welcome Danielle Leis as our new Manager of Underwriting Services and Broker Distribution. Danielle joined the team on January 21st and brings 20 years of Property & Casualty insurance experience. Over her career, she has worked as a Personal Lines Underwriter, Commercial Lines Underwriter, a Business Development Advisor, and as an Underwriting Manager. Danielle built strong teams at both Economical Insurance and Aviva Insurance, where she most recently worked as the Commercial Underwriting Manager. Danielle has begun her new role leading our Underwriting team and in the coming months will also support and manage our Broker partners. Danielle’s CIP and CRM designations prove her commitment to the business of insurance, and compliment her hands-on, front line experience. Danielle grew up locally, in nearby Washington, Ontario, and resides in Woodstock with her husband Derek and daughters Ava and Adalyn.

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April 20199HOWARD MUTUAL We’re pleased to announce that Heather Simpson has joined our Administration Team as Receptionist in our Ridgetown ofce. Heather comes to us from CIBC, and brings nancial and customer service skills, as well as a friendly, compassionate and positive attitude. Heather also has extensive volunteer experience in the area, and is always willing to help. Heather lives with her husband and three children. Welcome to the team!HOWARD MUTUAL Wende Fansher joined our team as Intermediate Underwriter. She brings a positive and fun-loving personality. Wende comes to us with over 30 years’ of underwriting and risk management experience in all lines of business, including extensive Commercial knowledge. Wende grew up in the Florence area and her father served many years on the Lambton Mutual Board of Directors. HOWARD MUTUAL would like announce Megan Young has joined our team as Junior Underwriter. Megan brings her outgoing personality, attention to detail, and her enthusiasm for continuous learning. Megan lives at her family farm with her two sisters and parents. Megan enjoys playing sports (volleyball and baseball) and loves volunteer work and basically anything to keep busy. Welcome to the Team, Megan. You’re a great t!MIDDLESEX MUTUAL is delighted to welcome Rob Rice to our team of professionals in the newly established position of Business Development Manager. Joining our mutual family on February 4th, Rob brings 20 years of diverse insurance experience in management, business development, commercial and personal underwriting. Rob is a graduate of Laurentian University and is a Chartered Insurance Professional. Rob and his wife live in Woodstock with their two children. We look forward to having Rob support and develop high quality agent and broker services and relations. MIDDLESEX MUTUAL On February 11th, Kim Shurgold was welcomed to the Middlesex Mutual ofce in the position of Receptionist and Claims Administration. Kim comes to us with over 25 years of mutual work experience, providing administrative support in many departments including reception, claims, underwriting and nance. Her interpersonal skills, insurance knowledge and expertise will benet our members, claimants and insurance partners. Kim currently lives on an acre of family farmland outside of Kintore with her husband Craig. Welcome to Middlesex Mutual, Kim!USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL We would like to welcome Carey Parkinson to our team. Carey joined us in October 2018 as the Claims Adjuster. With over 20 years in adjusting, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the company. Carey holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Windsor and a Certicate in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She has also obtained her CIP and CRM designations. We are excited to have Carey on board!USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL Jacqueline Patrick joined us in October 2018 as our new Accounting Manager. Jacqueline has an extensive background in auditing and accounting in both the public and private sector. She has a Business Administration diploma from Durham College and is a Certied General Accountant. Jacqueline is a true asset to our organization and we are very happy to have her as part of the U&H team.HTM We would like to welcome Ashley Kamphorst to our team. She will be taking on the role of Receptionist. She joined the HTM team back in December 2018 and has been a great addition to our building. NEW TEAM MEMBERS

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10FARM MUTUAL RE In December we welcomed Nishesh Prasad to the IT Department in the role of Senior Systems Administrator. Nishesh holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Economics and Finance from St. Xavier’s College in India. He has many skills including Microsoft MCITP Enterprise Administrator, Microsoft MCSE Server 2003 Security, and VMware Certied Professional. He previously worked as a Network Administrator at Collinson, and most recently as a System and Network Administrator at TransCore Link Logistics. FARM MUTUAL RE Amy Nantais was welcomed to the Reinsurance Department in January in the role of Reinsurance Underwriter. Amy holds a diploma in Insurance Against Liability and has successfully obtained her CIP. She has previously worked as a Technical Service Representative at Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc., and most recently as a Commercial Underwriter and Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company. FARM MUTUAL RE Nooranee Mahamoodally was welcomed to the Reinsurance Department in January in the role of Reinsurance Underwriter. He holds a Diploma in Economics from the University of Paris and has obtained his FCIP. Nooranee has experience working as a Zurich Agency Development Underwriter at Zurich Insurance Services Inc., and recently worked as a Senior Commercial Lines Underwriter at Gore Mutual Insurance Company. FARM MUTUAL RE Toby Little was welcomed to the Communications Department in February in the Corporate Communications Supervisor role. She has over 15 years of experience working in various communication and marketing roles in insurance, high tech, and non-prot sectors including running her own communications consultancy business. Most recently she was a Communications Consultant at Manulife. Toby holds a Bachelor of Public Relations degree with distinction at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. She also received a Social Media for Business Performance Certicate from the University of Waterloo and is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators. FARM MUTUAL RE Andrey Masalykin joined the IT Department in the role of IT Support Technician Intern. Andrey holds an Engineer of Radio Electronics Degree from State Technical University in Russia, as well as a diploma from Conestoga college for Information Technology Support Services. He has many skills including installation and conguration of operating systems and network application software, database set-up and maintenance, as well as virtual infrastructure on VMware and Hyper-V. He previously completed a Co-op position with eSentire Inc. as a Systems Administrator, and most recently worked at Conestoga College as an IT Infrastructure Support Technician. FARM MUTUAL RE Charlie Liu joined the Analytics Department in the role of Actuarial Analyst Intern. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from University of Waterloo and has successfully completed ve SOA exams. He previously completed an Actuarial Analyst Internship at China Pacic Insurance Co., and most recently an Actuarial Analyst Internship with ICBC-AXA Assurance Co. Ltd. in China.FARM MUTUAL RE Sahith Tummala joined the Claims Department in the role of Claims Intern. Sahith holds a Bachelor of Business Management from Andhra University in India and is currently working towards his Master of Business Administration at Brock University. He has previously completed a Finance Internship at Penna Cements Industries Ltd. in India, and most recently has worked as an Assistant Store Operator for Avis Budget Group. NEW TEAM MEMBERS

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April 201911FARM MUTUAL RE Jiayi Zheng joined the Actuarial Department in the role of Actuarial Analyst Intern. Jiayi holds a Master of Mathematics in Actuarial Science from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor of Economics in Actuarial Science from Shandong University of Finance and Economics in China and has successfully completed four Society of Actuaries (SOA) exams. She previously held the position of Teaching Assistant in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo, and most recently worked as a Visiting Research Associate at the University of Waterloo.CARADOC TOWNSEND MUTUAL We are pleased to announce that our newest CTMer, Ian Pickles joined us on January 21st as Manager of Agency Business Development.Ian started his insurance career at The Dominion, with roles in commercial and personal lines underwriting, later progressing to Territory Underwriting Manager at Travelers, managing personal lines in Western Ontario. In his next role with Agricorp as Team Leader, Underwriting, he and his nine member team were accountable for underwriting of all Agricorp programs. In his most recent role at Cowan, Ian was the supervisor for Cowan INFINITE, looking after VIP sales and service.Ian received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph. He is a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP), with a post-graduate certicate in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Leeds.Ian resides in Paris with his wife Karyn and their two children. When he is not driving his children to their many activities, Ian enjoys photography and travel.CAYUGA MUTUAL Please join us in welcoming Bo Chausse to the Cayuga team as a Sales Agent. Bo brings 22 years of sales experience in the insurance industry. His hard work for the Knights of Columbus and passion for his clients has helped his reputation rise as an insurance sales representative.CAYUGA MUTUAL We would like to welcome Mittu Sharma to the role of Sales Agent here at Cayuga Mutual. With 7 years of experience in insurance and nancial services, Mittu enjoys working closely with policyholder members.EDGE MUTUAL is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy D’Arcey, FCIP, CRM in the role of Senior Farm Underwriter effective February 25th. Tracy has worked 22 years in the industry and has held various positions from Accounts Receivable, to Personal Lines Underwriter and her last 16 years as a Farm Underwriter.Tracy lives with her husband and two daughters between Kincardine and Point Clark. Join us to discover the future of insurance 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM 755 Wonderland Road South London, Ontario    NEW TEAM MEMBERS

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12BAY OF QUINTE MUTUAL Bay of Quinte Mutual donated $10,000 to the Friends of the Westport Arena to help with the fundraising efforts to revitalize the local arena and community centre. In true mutual spirit, the community of Westport is working together to accomplish a long list of tasks to update and improve the local arena. We’re very proud to support their efforts.Pictured (left to right): Tom Slager, United Way Director of Resource Development, Nancy Labadie, North Kent Agent, Dean Muharrem, North Kent Sales Manager, Lori Ouellette, Dresden Sidestreets Board Chair and Larry Rabideau, North Kent Vice Chair.NORTH KENT MUTUAL We happily raised $971.00 for Dresden Sidestreets from the auction of Blue Jays tickets.How Mutual Companies are Supporting their CommunitiesONTARIO MUTUALS GIVE BACK

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GIVING BACKApril 201913The Runner Up Team: Perth County 4-H AssociationThe Championship Team: Peel 4-H AssociationKENT & ESSEX MUTUAL We worked together to donate kitchen items to the youth of Chatham-Kent Children’s Services for their annual holiday event.ONTARIO MUTUALS We were delighted, once again, to sponsor and support the 4-H Go for the Gold competition at the Royal Winter Fair. This trivia-based program is similar to the high school “Reach for the Top” program and it encourages participants to learn about diverse subject-matter. The event took place on November 3rd at the Enecare Centre in Toronto and Bob Burley, current OMIA Chair and HTM Insurance Director, brought greetings on behalf of the mutuals.It was a busy day for the participating teams as they played ve round robin games to determine the two top scoring teams who faced off at the end of the day. The Peel 4-H Association took top billing, with Perth County 4-H taking the runner-up spot. TRADITION MUTUAL We participated in the Alzheimer Society of Perth County’s Soup’s On fundraiser held in Stratford on January 12th. The Tradition Tomato Soup was a crowd favourite with the over 3,000 who attended this popular fundraising event. That’s a lot of soup! No prizes were won but we are hoping to bring the winning recipe next year.ONTARIO MUTUALS GIVE BACK

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14GIVING BACKTHE COMMONWELL After the year-end wrap up of our Create A Ripple Effect (C.A.R.E.) Program, we are very pleased to share that we donated $284,464 in 2018! The philanthropy program is a commitment that The Commonwell has made to keep the communities we love going strong. The Commonwell donates both time and funds to registered charities with causes that really speak to us, and to the people we work with and serve. We appreciate the scraped knees and street hockey games of the kids next door, so we look for opportunities to support youth education and well-being. We enjoy a good backyard barbeque or a friendly chat over coffee, so we support campaigns to keep our friends safe. Wherever we feel that a difference can be made to the future of our children, the health of our neighbours and the general safety of those we care about, we give as generously as we can. We are already underway with the program for 2019!EDGE MUTUAL The staff and management of Edge Mutual once again demonstrated their support to the local food bank. The company held a challenge with 4 teams, Team Silent Knights, Team #eles, Team Fab-YULE-us and Team Noel-It-All’s, to see which team could bring in the most food donations. Team Fab-YULE-us was the challenge winner. The company also made a $250 donation. OMIA We were very pleased to be able to offer some Christmas joy to families in need. Staff made donations of clothing, gifts and funds to be given to three local families. A special thank you to the organizers of the drive, Rachel Carew (pictured), Tavia Tobey, Jessica Knight, Christine Senior and Heidi DuMaresq.

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April 201915GIVING BACKUSBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL At Christmas, the employees of Usborne & Hibbert provided children’s toys to families in need in the community. Every Friday throughout the year the employees pay $2 to wear jeans and at the end of the year the money was pooled to fund the event. This past December, we held a Christmas pot-luck lunch for all the employees and directors. Everyone wore tacky Christmas sweaters and we had a wonderful lunch together. As a part of giving back to the community we collected canned and dried goods for the local food bank.ONTARIO MUTUALS are teaming up to foster the Umbrella Project in communities across Ontario. OMIA has committed to funding the Umbrella Project in ve Ontario schools already.We encourage member companies to sponsor schools in their communities, and become leaders in support of this valuable, grassroots program.Learn more about the Umbrella Project on page 25 or visit umbrellaproject.co/omia

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16WEST ELGIN MUTUAL Nothing feels better than bringing a little happiness to those less fortunate, especially at Christmas. Our “Shining the Light at Christmas” Campaign does just that.For the last few years, West Elgin Mutual has supported St. Thomas-Elgin Family and Child Services, and the Bobier Villa Long Term Care Facility in Dutton, by providing gifts for local teens, families and the elderly at Christmas. The teens do not have the support of family, the families are unable to afford some of the necessities of life and the elderly have no family members to spend Christmas with. Money is raised through staff donations which are matched by West Elgin Mutual.This year, we bought gifts for six teens and three families as well as a few “goodies” for the residents at Bobier Villa.WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We were a proud sponsor of the AMGH Foundation gala in October 2018. We enjoyed dinner, a live and silent auction and a truly inspiring speech by former rst lady, Margaret Trudeau.Margaret discussed how her mental health issues presented themselves throughout the years, how those issues were handled at the time and how she came to understand her part in her own mental health care. While addressing a very serious subject and educating the audience, Margaret was able to laugh at her own experiences and had the crowd laughing as well. Funds raised went directly to support the mental health services provided at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. GIVING BACK

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April 201917GIVING BACKMIDDLESEX MUTUAL Easter Seals Camp Woodeden (London) received $2,500 towards the purchase of pathway benches and umbrellas. These items were on their wish list as a special donation request for the camp. Each year, Easter Seals Ontario sends kids from across the province to specialized camps for children with disabilities. Easter Seals Ontario relies fully on the generosity of public donations. We are condent these new benches will have a positive impact on the quality of life for these children and help them to participate and experience the fun of camp.SAVE THE DATE! June 18th, 2019 will be this year’s Longest Day of Golf, so for those of you interested in playing a round or two in support of “Kids in the Community,” mark this date in your calendars. Kelli-An DeCook, Matt Ross and Andrew Pearson will once again be attempting to play 150 holes in 10 hours and Andy McTaggart and John McWilliam will be walking the course for the same length of time. All money raised is used to provide “Kids in the Community” with opportunities to participate in activities not normally available to them. In 2018 we raised over $8,000 which (so far) has sent kids in Elgin County to summer camp, skating lessons, ballet lessons and has provided back to school supplies and cycle helmets.Details are being nalized, so check your emails regularly for more information! A donation of back to school supplies made to the St. Thomas Women’s Shelter.Isabella and Joey (recipients of ballet and skating lessons)WEST ELGIN MUTUAL

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18GIVING BACKHAY MUTUAL Our Staff fundraising efforts resulted in numerous donations to different causes in 2018. South Huron Hospital Foundation and The Huron Christmas Bureau were the recipients that drew the largest donations this time around.We also donated $8,000 through our participation in local Radiothons. This benetted four local hospitals including South Huron Hospital, Clinton Hospital, Seaforth Hospital and Alexandra Marine & General Hospital. Hay Mutual is dedicated to preserving and strengthening all that is good in our local communities. To date, we are very proud to announce that our Hay Mutual Family has raised and donated over $40,000 since 2009. Specializing in Subrogation focusMaximizeyour subrogation recoveries and free time for your sta to on more critical adjusting work.We oer aordable contingency & flat fee options. Please contact us to discuss your subrogation needs. Suite 216 - 762 Upper James St., Hamilton, ON 905-389-4522 | christine@sageclaims.ca | sageclaims.caKENT & ESSEX MUTUAL We donated $25,000 to the Four Counties Health Services Foundation. The funds will be used toward the purchase of state-of-the-art medical equipment for patient care. NORTH KENT MUTUAL sponsored a game night at Sarnia Sting arena. GO STINGS GO!!CAYUGA MUTUAL We have had a long-standing relationship with the Caledonia Agricultural Society and the Caledonia Fair. Pictured, Chair, Charlie Snyder (far right) presents a generous donation of $50,000. Accepting on behalf of the CAS are Vickie Peart and Don Douglas. This donation brings the committee closer to their overall goal of $2 million for the Fairground Building Campaign.Renovations will allow the building to be used year-round for education and entertainment. There will also be accessible meeting rooms, better acoustics and modern multi-media facilities. See www.caledoniafair.ca/reno for project details.GIVING BACK

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April 201919GIVING BACKSOUTH EASTHOPE MUTUALEvery Friday, South Easthope Mutual employees have the option of paying $2 to wear jeans to the ofce. Throughout the year, the funds are collected and each December, employees choose where to donate the money raised. For 2018, our employees decided to donate teddy bears to our local re departments. The bears will be given to children who may need some comfort after a traumatic situation. The re departments may also use them as part of their re education programs. The teddy bears had their re jackets embroidered with little re emblems. In the spirit of supporting local businesses, the committee had Tammy Clayton of Simply Stitchin in Innerkip do the embroidery. A donation was also given to Campalliwannado, a summer youth camp in Tavistock for their ‘Gift of Camp’ program which helps to send a children to the camp who might not otherwise have the opportunity. The program, run completely by employees, celebrated 14 years at the end of November 2018. Over the 14 years, employees have raised a grand total of $18,426.45. A variety of charities and causes in Oxford and Perth Counties have beneted from the donations. Our employees are very proud of the program and look forward to supporting our community for years to come. South Easthope’s Val Craig (centre) presents bears to Tom Bickle (left) of the Hickson Fire Department and Brent Lange (right) of the Tavistock Fire Department. Tom and Brent are South Easthope employees and volunteers with their respective departments.South Easthope Mutual Agent, Kyle Cressman (centre) presents teddy bears to members of the North Perth Fire Department.We also recently held our 147th Annual General Meeting in Tavistock with 71 members in attendance. Three of our directors, Dave Crane, Wayne Tebbutt and Ken Yeoman were all re-elected for 3-year terms. The Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and MPP Oxford was our guest speaker. We were proud to present a cheque for $1,000 to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Since 1998, South Easthope has donated a total of $30,500 to the organization. South Easthope Mutual Chair, Dave Crane receives a plaque of appreciation from and John Boe of Muscular Dystrophy Canada.The Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs & MPP Oxford (5th from left) with the South Easthope Mutual board.

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20GIVING BACKNORTH KENT MUTUAL North Kent Mutual donated $10,000 to Four Counties Health services Foundation.Left to Right: Steph Ouellet MHA VP of Strategic Partnerships, Tom McGregor, North Kent Mutual Chair, Henry Miller, North Kent Mutual President and CEO, Tom Jeffery Chair FCHS Foundation, Devon Henry FCHS Student ProgramWEST ELGIN MUTUAL A group from West Elgin Mutual (and their families), spent an evening in mid-December preparing a meal and “lling the freezer” for families in residence at the St. Thomas Women’s Shelter. Three of our local policyholders, Celtic Ridge Farms, R-Grow Farms and Van Brenks Fruit Farms, donated meat, sweet potatoes and apples which was a huge help on the night. Using some of our Longest Day of Golf funds, we also left presents for the kids to open on Christmas Day.HTM We decided at the beginning of 2018 to raise funds for Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre in Cobourg. Our goal was to raise $5,000 for the organization through BBQs, our annual curling bonspiel, and small fundraisers within the ofce. Working with staff, directors and having broker participation allowed us to reach our goal of $5,000 and surpass this target to $10,000! We are very happy to have exceeded our goal for this amazing organization.

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April 201921GIVING BACKBAY OF QUINTE MUTUAL On June 20th, Glenwood Cemetery in Picton suffered vandalism damage to over 200 headstones and monuments. The destruction was signicant and many of the damaged headstones no longer have living family to help with the repairs. We were saddened by this senseless act and donated $20,000 to help restore the local cemetery. WESTMINSTER MUTUAL We recently donated $5,000 to the Central Elgin Volunteer Fire Service to build a new training facility at the Yarmouth Fire Station.Left to Right: Fiona Roberts, Director, Westminster Mutual, Christine Van Daele, President, Westminster Mutual, Mel Boelsterli, District Chief, Central Elgin Fire Rescue Stn 4 Belmont, Chris McDonough, Fire Chief, Central Elgin Fire RescueWEST ELGIN MUTUAL We were proud to show our support for the Four Counties Hospital Endoscopy Campaign with a $20,000 donation. OMIA OMIA’s Karolina Prominski and Tammy Micallef are pictured dishing out a delicious chili lunch to benet the United Way. OMIA and Farm Mutual Re staff, as well as local guests and mutual members attending education sessions were able to raise $2,100 for the organization. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped.

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22GIVING BACKBCM INSURANCEOur origins were born out of a need to serve our community in 1880. Like all Ontario Mutuals, our early roots started with a group of farmers who were unable to nd re insurance at a reasonable cost. They ultimately got together to form their own insurance company. We are now expanding on how we want to serve our community. At our recent annual meeting of policy owners, Board Chair, Howard Augustine launched our new Community Grants Program. “With an annual investment in excess of $200,000 our goal is to strengthen local non-prot organization’s capacity to continue to do their great work in serving Niagara’s communities,” said Augustine. “We have identied two types of initiatives to fund. We are in the business of insuring assets so we want to support groups with capital projects or equipment purchases that can be sustained on an on-going basis beyond our funding. We also want to broaden awareness about our company, so we are also interested in supporting special events taking place in our community.” The idea to undertake this program was presented to the Board by Pam Skidmore Hepburn, Underwriting & Loss Control Manager. “This is a wonderful way in which we can build and strengthen the community that we serve,” said Skidmore Hepburn, “We’re looking forward to seeing what types of requests will be coming forward.” The Board worked with Liz Palmieri, former Executive Director of the Niagara Community Foundation, in designing the program. The deadlines for grants in 2019 are June 1st and November 1st.Further details can be found at bcminsurance.com/community-grants-program.THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL was thrilled to donate $34,420 as a result of their annual charity golf tournament to be split between two great organizations. The recipients this year were:• The 5 Counties Children’s Centre • Community Living - Trent Highlands. This golf tournament is put on by the team members of The Commonwell and golfers are made up of a mix of brokers and organizations that we do business with. It is a sold-out event each year and everyone really comes together to support the charities.

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April 201923GIVING BACKTRADITION MUTUAL This year, the staff at Tradition Mutual decided to face off against each other in four teams to see who could generate the most food for the local food collecting charities in our area. During the collection period, one of the local groups, the Stratford House of Blessing, suffered a re in their building which resulted in the loss of the majority of their food and other items collected for the Christmas season. It was truly a devastating event. We decided to choose them as the single company to donate our non-perishables to. In total, the staff pulled in an impressive 930.2 pounds of non-perishables, as well as a substantial amount of frozen items, working out to over 1,000 pounds of food collected. It was a very successful rst run of our campaign and we hope to expand our efforts next year to challenge other mutual companies. The thrill of the competition makes it exciting but truly there are no losers when we are all working to give back to our communities. Are you ready to take on the challenge?FARM MUTUAL RE & OMIA The storm outside didn’t dull the erce competition during the 2019 Farm Mutual Re/OMIA bonspiel at the Guelph Curling Club on January 23rd. Over 100 participants exed their curling muscles as they vied for the coveted supreme winner spot. While it was all in good fun, the day also raised over $2,000 for the Farm Mutual Foundation. Thank you to all who participated in the Beer and Wine Survivor Fundraiser.The supreme winners were the Rolling Stones with a score of 44 ½, who were awarded steaks for their efforts. Meanwhile the last placed team, Hack Attack, with a score of 4 ¼, had to bring home ground beef.Steve Smith, President, Farm Mutual Re (left) and John Taylor, President, OMIA (right), celebrate with The Rolling Stones: Errol Butler, Karen Neely, Barbara Bethune, Dean Bouroukis. Hack Attack: Jody Younker, Andy Younker, Jeff Whiting, and Mellissa Matusiak (not shown).

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24TRILLIUM MUTUAL It is with a great sense of pride and community that Trillium Mutual can announce donations through our ROOTS (Recognizing our Opportunity to Support) fund have ofcially surpassed $1 million dollars in Ontario. The ROOTS fund was established to support programs and capital endeavors for organizations that contribute to the continued development and sustainability of rural Ontario. Trillium continues to dedicate funds annually through this program as a means of giving back to the communities in which we serve. From its inception in 2014, ROOTS has helped many groups/organizations expand, improve and enhance the services they provide to communities across Ontario. A very special thank you to our dedicated ROOTS council which has provided direction and support leading up to this milestone. We applaud all of the volunteers who make these organizations and projects happen. Applications for funding consideration through our ROOTS program can be found on trilliummutual.com under “Community.” The next ROOTS deadline is May 29th of this year.TRUST THROUGH EXPERENCE QUALITY .TRUST. EXPERIENCE SERVICING SOUTHERN ONTARIO FOR OVER 25 YEARS. RECOVERY AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE COST EFFECTIVE! WE PICKUP, PAYOUT, TRANSPORT & HOLDSALVAGE, LATE-MODEL, VEHICLES, EQUIPMENT, ETC.SECURED COMPOUNDS. QUALITY SERVICE. CONVENIENCE

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April 201925It doesn’t matter which eld you look at – from medicine, to insurance, to education, we are all affected by rising levels of mental illness and our current efforts are not enough to slow this trajectory. We are simply not doing enough to proactively improve the coping strategies we have to deal with life’s ups and downs.According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, by age 40, 50% of us will have personally experienced a mental illness and every one of us will have been indirectly affected by the mental health of a family member, colleague, or friend. Mental illness has an impact on every life. In Canada, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle age.On a global scale, the World Health Organization reports that mental illness is the leading cause of disability worldwide. The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development estimates that by 2030, mental illness will cost the global economy 16 trillion dollars.On a very personal level as a doctor, parent, and friend, I see more and more people struggling to bear the amount of stress they are facing. School pressures, isolation, divorce, industry disruption, job insecurity, and many other stressors are higher than I’ve ever seen. At the same time, we are hiding these feelings behind a mask of inauthenticity, making it difcult to identify who is at risk of depression or even suicide. Stigma or discrimination attached to mental illnesses presents a serious barrier, not only to diagnosis and treatment, but also to acceptance in the community.I like to think about the current struggle as a global ratio issue – our ability to thrive comes from the ratio of stress that we are facing to the amount of positive coping skills we have to deal with those challenges. To visualize this, think about the size of an umbrella relative to the storm we are trying to protect ourselves from. In the current climate of increasing storms, we need to focus on proactively developing the additional coping skills needed to effectively weather these challenges. This is why, at The Umbrella Project, we help children, parents, individuals, schools, and communities understand By: Dr. Jen Forristal

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that there is 100% chance of rain in every life. We know that facing the rain isn’t an option and the same goes for life’s challenges and inconsistencies. We are all humans in an open environment, subject to the weather which is constantly changing and for the most part, out of our control. The question, therefore, is not one of whether we will ever face challenges; it is what we will do today to protect ourselves, turn big storms into manageable showers, and build honest relationships that will help us weather life’s unpredictable challenges.Here are some powerful umbrella-building steps that can have a big impact on the way you, your family, your organizations, and your communities’ weather the inevitable challenges we all face:1. See the Rain DierentlyIn order to improve our well-being, we need to begin by accepting that struggle is a part of life that we all experience. We waste a lot of energy trying to control the rain. Instead, we can use our energy to build the tools that will sustain our wellbeing and prevent us from feeling like victims of the external environment. Failure, sadness, anger, jealousy, fear, embarrassment, making mistakes, saying things we wish we could take back…. these are all a normal part of the human journey and are things that everyone experiences. It’s so easy to get caught up in our own stories, instead of realizing that we all face a set of hurdles in our path. While there are different hurdles to be overcome, they are all forms of rain. We will better weather the storms when we understand that we are part of a common humanity and that everyone faces the rain sometimes. Research shows that 75% of us treat others more kindly than we treat ourselves. Offering ourselves compassion, a skill known as self-compassion, when facing struggle has a huge impact on our ability to reduce stigma and preserve and build wellbeing in difcult times.2. Continue to Build and Repair Your UmbrellaResearch over the last few decades has shown that in fact our EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is a better predictor of our relationship happiness, health, and success than our IQ. AQ (Adaptability Quotient), our ability to quickly adapt when faced with new and changing circumstances, is the other piece of this equation that is being touted as essential for our success in the rapidly evolving world we now nd ourselves in. These two important quotients break down into a set of cognitive and emotional skills that allow us to navigate and adapt to the challenges of life without long-term lasting damage to our wellbeing. They form the umbrella of protection over us when life gets tough and are highly predictive of our future well-being.The umbrellas that can weather storms are built on strong foundations and aren’t over-focused on one skill. Instead, they are well-rounded and complete. You can bring conscious attention to your umbrella of coping as a proactive starting point to better prepare yourself for

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stress. Start by noticing your strong coping skills and how they have helped you get to where you are. Then notice the skills that you may not have had a chance to develop and tend to them. To get started, visualize your own umbrella by downloading our Umbrella Assessment at: www.umbrellaproject.co/omia 3. Find Nourishment from the Rain When you are conscious of your stressors and how you are coping, you can start to use these experiences to build capacity and live your life with a more empowered mindset. Coping skills are built through facing challenges and practicing these important skills. There is no greater practice than rst-hand experience, and the more we practice, the stronger our umbrella gets. It’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of trying to constantly change our outside circumstances to make us feel better on the inside. When we over-focus on the external world in this way, we rob ourselves of the chance to build these critical skills. This also leaves us no better at facing that storm the next time it comes around. In fact, many of our anxieties lie in the challenges we feel we don’t have the skills to handle.Working through challenges with the lens of what we are building through that experience is a powerful way to continue to expand our capacity for coping and widen our comfort zones. The bigger our comfort zone gets, the less of life’s uncertainties will fall outside of what we can manage effectively.In a world where challenges come in sometimes inconsistent or inexplicable packages, it’s easy to fear the storms. Young people today face the brunt of the global burden of mental illnesses. Change in the mental health trajectory will involve emphasis not only on ourselves but on the experiences our youth have, which shapes their life-long mental health. The more we support the capacity of our youth to cope, the stronger our we become. As an Ontario Mutual, you can empower the next generation by sponsoring schools in your community through The Umbrella Project. The Umbrella Project helps to educate children about the critical skills that help us weather these storms well and actively take on the opportunities that create an empowered life.It’s time to recognize the role we all play in changing the trajectory of mental health and work together as a community on strategies that will properly protect us from the challenges we are all destined to face. Visit us atwww.umbrellaproject.co/omia to get involved!Dr. Jen Forristal is a Naturopathic Doctor and children’s mental health specialist. She spoke recently at the OMIA Annual Convention on Building Resiliency in the Workplace.

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28Ferguson, Donna 35 ClaimsHurtubise, Lynne 35 Property UnderwritingBrown, Lisa 30 Shared ServicesGauthier, Serge 30 Information Systems ApplicationsMorrison, Laurie 25 ClaimsStoughton, Sandra 20 Property UnderwritingSwitzer, Kerri 20 Shared ServicesJoanette, Rachelle 20 Automobile UnderwritingRyan, Patrick 20 Innovation & AnalyticsSimmons, Danielle 15 ClaimsEllis, Lois 15 Property UnderwritingSauve, Debbie 15 ClaimsMastrangeli, Enrico 10 Innovation & AnalyticsCaluori, Debbie 10 ClaimsBall, Andrea 10 ClaimsMacKinnon, Yvonne 10 ClaimsTHE COMMONWELL MUTUAL We recently recognized the service achievement of several of our team members. We thank them for all of their hard work over the past and present and look forward to the future. DUMFRIES MUTUAL We are enjoying being settled into our beautiful new ofce after our arrival on August 20th. After feeling a little cramped in our old space, we’re delighted to have plenty of work stations, parking spots and client meeting rooms. There is also a large room for our board meetings, AGMs and workshops.Located in the Village of Shefeld on Old Hwy 8, our building has excellent visibility from busy Hwy 8. We’re looking forward to hosting an open house to celebrate our new ofce on May 21st.ONTARIO MUTUALSMILESTONESCelebrating achievements in the Mutual System

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April 201929MILESTONESMILESTONESMIDDLESEX MUTUAL We celebrated a combined 60 years of service from three valuable team members at our Annual Christmas Party held on November 17th. Those recognized were Paul Vandenbosch for his 30 years of service acting on the Board of Directors, Susan Cook, an agent with the company for 20 years and Penny Melhado, Marketing & Product Manager, for her 10 years of service. Congratulations and thank you for all of your contributions and dedication to making our company successful!Pictured: Nancy Preston, President & CEO and Paula Bodkin, Board Vice Chair, presented years of service awards to, in order from left to right, Paul Vandenbosch, Sue Cook and Penny Melhado.CAYUGA MUTUAL Since 1875, Cayuga Mutual has operated under the principles of putting policyholders rst, supporting local businesses and protecting our community. We’re very excited to unveil our new brand, logo and website symbolizing our commitment to progressing with the needs of our policyholders, while staying true to our roots and values.

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30NORTH KENT MUTUAL Our Chatham Agents, Gregg Tuckwell, Marc Swayze and Nancy Labadie have moved to a new location at 226 St Clair Street, Chatham, just North of Grand Ave. Pictured, Left to Right: Marc Swayze, Nancy Labadie, Sales Manager, Dean Muharrem and Gregg Tuckwell.TRILLIUM MUTUAL Thank you Insurance Business Canada for recognizing Trillium Mutual Insurance as the 2018 Employer of Choice. We are honoured to have received this award as it highlights our continued commitment to developing our team through further education, work-life balance and a creative workplace that champions innovation. We are very thankful for the team we have and the positive culture that exists here at Trillium. Congratulations to Insurance Business Canada for a successful Awards Gala that acknowledged so many businesses and the amazing work they do.MILESTONES

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April 201931WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL In December 1878, a meeting was called at the Township of West Wawanosh Council Hall to discuss the organization of a Fire Insurance Company centered upon the Mutual Principal. It was moved by John Baillie and seconded by Edwin Gaunt that the meeting be in favour of organizing. Of the 80 people in attendance, 70 voted yes. A committee was formed and a meeting was held on February 11th, 1879 where it was reported they had received subscriptions in the amount of $51,700.An organizational meeting was called for April 5th, 1879 where it was agreed the company be called the West Wawanosh Mutual Fire Insurance Company, the head ofce to be in Dungannon and seven Directors be elected for the current year.The Company Directors were the Agents and the company commenced business May 1st, 1879. At a subsequent meeting on May 13th, 1879 applications for insurance in the amount of $93,550 with an annual premium of $56.11 were accepted. All property insured was on the premium note system and the premium note was calculated as follows – where buildings are isolated 80 feet or more from any other building in which re is used the premium note is four per cent; where isolated from 60 to 80 feet the premium note shall be ve percent; on property isolated 40-60 feet the premium note shall be six percent.The Director-Agent collected from each applicant the sum of 50 cents for his fee and 40 cents for the Secretary keeping the books, and a sum equal to one and one half per cent on the amount of the premium note for the general funds of the company. Risks accepted were farm property, churches and school houses situated out of the limits of a village survey. The introduction of steam engines for threshing caused great concern to the Directors and an additional fee was charged where steam engines were used.By the year 1900, the amount of insurance at risk had increased to about four million dollars. Reinsurance was being shared with neighbouring mutuals, Howick, McKillop, Hay, Dufferin, Elma and Usborne & Hibbert. This was until 1969 when the old reinsurance agreements ceased and West Wawanosh Mutual joined with the Farm Mutual Reinsurance Plan.Until 1972, the Directors had been the Agents for the company but now due to the revision of the Insurance Act where Directors could no longer act as Agents and where all Agents must obtain a general insurance agent license, ve of the Directors obtained this license. At the annual meeting in 1973 the by-laws were amended whereby the Board of Directors was reduced from nine to six members. The Farm Mutual Guarantee Fund was established January 1st, 1973 and the Premium Note was then dispensed with.During the late 1900’s and early 2000’s, West Wawanosh Mutual expanded their territory beyond Southwestern Ontario to include Brokers as far north as Sundridge and east to Stouffville. In 2017, territory restrictions were lifted to enable Brokers and Agents to write business across Ontario. Today West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance is represented by 2 Agents and 39 Broker ofces.The condence placed in the Directors and Management of West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance by the policyholders, many of whom include generation after generation, gives renewed vigor to carry on to greater service, security and stability in the next 140 years.MILESTONESMILESTONES

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32MILESTONESMILESTONESHow does your department help Ontario Mutuals succeed? TM :The Insurance Services team provides training, research, forms and wording development along with their updates and technical insurance help that the membership may need. We review consumer trends and emerging insurance needs and how they may affect the membership. Our department is dedicated to helping the membership succeed.JH: Our Insurance Services team is multifaceted in all lines of business. Our Insurance Services department’s core functions are training and education, developing and maintaining insurance forms, wordings, and accompanying risk selection guidelines for use by member companies. Our goal is to share with you with as much knowledge and technical insurance support, so you can focus on the business operations and strategies unique to your mutual.Our team is also a willing sounding board to seek out other opinions or opportunities for doing business and helping to hash out the more complex underwriting or claim dilemmas. What is your favourite part about your job? TM: Hearing the “aha” moment happen when speaking to a member company about a question they had. Often, they simply need to talk through their question, and they come to the answer on their own. Sometimes they simply need someone to nudge them down a different path and think of their question in a different way and then they can answer the question on their own. Our role is not to tell the membership what they can and cannot do it is to help guide them in their decision. Hearing about how much Jennifer Higuchi enjoys sitting next to me. JH: Although there are many, I can narrow it down to a few. First, I’m always up for a good chat or banter about insurance topics or trends (or anything else for that matter); and there is lots of opportunity to do so with our members and my fellow colleagues. Secondly, I also love getting lost in the internet. I thoroughly enjoy conducting research and analysis on current or future insurance products and market trends to help to identify gaps and be able to recommend solutions and improvements to address business needs of member companies.Thirdly, sitting beside Tammy Micallef. What is one thing you wished Member Companies knew about your department? TM: Our job is not to tell the membership what they can and cannot write. Our job to help them come to a decision that is best for their company. Our department has a team of experienced insurance professionals that come from various backgrounds and we are here to help. We now have a dedicated email address for the department. We can be reached at insuranceservices@omia.com.JH: Our team is here to support your business needs. Including potential future needs. As an Insurance Resource Ofcer, we can conduct market research, analyze mutual insurance company risk appetite needs and gaps, develop recommended solutions and complete advisory wordings and coverage reference materials required for implementation by your company. Insurance Resource OfcersTammy MicallefJennifer HiguchiHow long have you worked at OMIA?TM: 2 ½ years and 4 years at a member company before that. JH: Since May 2018. Although I’m considered the most recent “newbie” at OMIA; I am not new to insurance. MEET YOUR OMIA

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April 201933In addition, our team is also involved with many research projects, strategic committees, focus groups and other multi-company project initiatives to ensure we stay in step to support our members’ needs. What has surprised you most about working at OMIA? TM: How much OMIA truly supports the membership. Every decision that is made is looked at through the lens of how it best serves the membership. Also, all member companies are treated as equals. Another thing that surprised me was the number of long-term employees at OMIA and the membership. Just look at the Quarter Century Club listing and you will see how many long-term employees there are.JH: How dedicated the OMIA team is to support all their members companies by providing both technical and operational support to help them succeed. It is refreshing to work in an organization that is so proud of the history of the mutual community and focuses on a collaborative-minded approach to business operations for everyone in the community. In addition, I’ve really been enjoying interacting and meeting our members in the mutual community. We are an eclectic bunch with many common goals and dreams for our organizations and our lives; and the support for one another is very apparent. What is one interesting fact about you that you would like to share? TM: I am a professional tap dancer. Not really, I have no rhythm, but I did participate in the CN Tower Stair Climb 8 times. I somehow managed to climb all 1776 stairs and survive. JH: I am an avid golfer, but not a great golfer…. there is a difference and I’m proof of that! If you see me at an industry golng event, try to hide your giggles please. Is there anything else you would like Mutual companies to know? TM: Please give our department a call or drop us an email with any questions you have. We love to hear from the membership and help in any way we can. Many times, I hear, sorry to bother you, it is never a bother and no question is too small or silly. If you have the question, chances are someone else has had the same question at some point.JH: Our Insurance Services Team has now grown to 6. Just ask and we will do our best to support you. We also recommend you take full advantage of the OMIA member website and the hundreds of resources available to you at: Omia.comWe also have a new mailbox just for our Insurance Services department to support your company’s busi-ness units. You can submit your questions or com-ments to: Insuranceservices@omia.com. We look forward to hearing from you!Jessy Hawley CPA, CGA, CFF, CIP Gary Phelps CPA, CMA, CFF, CFEadvisoryservices@davismar�ndale.com1.800.668.2167SABS Claims Commercial ClaimsLi�ga�on Economic Loss ClaimsINDEPENDENT MEMBER FIRM

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34FARM MUTUAL RE Congratulations to Lindsay Johnson (left) and Keli Jennings of Farm Mutual Re who received their General Insurance Essentials certicates at the Insurance Institute convocation on February 28th.BCM INSURANCE We are very proud to celebrate our newest Charted Insurance Professional graduate, Tricia Bains of our Underwriting Department. Congratulations Tricia on your hard work to further your professional development.KENT & ESSEX MUTUAL Congratulations to recent Kent & Essex Mutual CIP graduates - Tavis Hewitt (Commercial Underwriter) and Lindsay Decan (Senior Auto Underwriter).WEST ELGIN MUTUAL Congratulations to our three newest agents: Andrew Schneider, Andrew Pearson and Andy McTaggart on the completion of their Dale Carnegie training.CARADOC TOWNSEND MUTUAL Would like to congratulate Leslie Arnold (CMT Agent) who achieved her CIP designation in late 2018.Congratulating Mutual Members on Their Professional DevelopmentsACCOMPLISHMENTS

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April 201935ACCOMPLISHMENTSFARM MUTUAL RE Congratulations to Christine Tan, Actuarial Analyst at Farm Mutual Re, who received her Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS) designation in March.GERMANIA MUTUAL Germania Mutual is pleased to announced that three of our team members received their designation certicates at the Insurance Institute Graduation Ceremony on February 28th. Congratulations to the Insurance Institute’s newest graduates of the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) and the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) programs: Tracy Campbell CRM, Neil Grotenhuis CIP, Heather Day CIPWESTMINSTER MUTUAL Christine Van Daele of Westminster Mutual was presented with the Commercial Landscape Award for the Municipality of Central Elgin on November 14th. Each year, Central Elgin recognizes one commercial property in the municipality that demonstrates remarkable abilities in gardening or landscaping. Congratulations Westminster!NOVA MUTUAL Brent Roloson, Senior Agribusiness Underwriter at Nova Mutual Insurance has been nominated as one of Insurance Business Canada’s Young Guns for 2019. Brent will attend the awards banquet at the end of 2019. Read about Brent’s achievements on page 34 of the latest issue of Insurance Business Canada Magazine at www.insurancebusiness.ca. Congratulations, Brent!CARADOC TOWNSEND MUTUAL would like to recognize Amanda Diemert who in addition to receiving her CIP designation, received the Rose Bowl award for top Conestoga CIP graduate, and the Diamond Jubilee 2nd runner-up for top student in all of Ontario. Congratulations Amanda!

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36Zack Tisdale who earned his FCIP designation & the National Award for Top FCIP Graduating Student;Zack receiving his award from his proud father, Bob TisdaleAlice Van Vught who earned her ICP (Instructor Certication Program);Alice receiving her certicate from Tim Shauf CEO, The Commonwell (left) and Bob Tisdale, Past President, Insurance Institute Ontario.THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL We would like to recognize the following team members for their recent educational accomplishments:And Mary Myles who earned her CIP (Not pictured).HAY MUTUAL We are proud to announce that Jenna Johnston has recently achieved her CIP designation. After graduating from Fanshawe’s Insurance Program, she was employed as a Broker in Exeter before trading her license to join our team in January 2017. She enjoys the small-town lifestyle and is busy planning her wedding this summer. Congratulations Jenna!HOWICK MUTUAL Tammy Fischer received her CIP designation at the annual Insurance Institute Convocation Luncheon on February 28th.Tammy is a valued part of the Farm Underwriting Team at Howick Mutual. Congratulations Tammy. We are so proud of you!TRILLIUM MUTUAL We are extremely proud to celebrate our four graduates this year and their hard work and dedication to further professional development! Jenn Subject, Mathieu Savage & Sam Vadera received their GIE certicates and Robin Kellow achieved his Advanced CIP. Congratulations to all the graduates from the Insurance Institute of Canada programs this year!TRILLIUM MUTUAL A huge congratulations to Ross Stone, Director at Trillium Mutual, who was recognized at the OMIA Annual Convention in March for completing the Directors Certication Program!CARADOC TOWNSEND MUTUAL Desmund Lee received his CIP at the Feb 27th convocation of the Hamilton/Niagara Chapter of the IIC.Congratulations Desmond!ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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April 201937Your localForensic EngineersWhether you’re handling a kitchen fi re, or a loss at a multimillion-dollar agricultural facility, you can rest assured that you have our skilled and experienced investigative team at your service. CEP-Sintra’s team of engineers and investigators particularly prides itself on the cultivation of client relationships and unparalleled investigative expertise.cep-sintra.caUNEARTH EXPERT INSIGHTSResolving Loss Incidents with ConfidenceMONCTONEDMONTONOTTAWAVANCOUVERCALGARYWATERLOOOSHAWAOMIA We would like to recognize staff who have achieved new professional development goals this past year. Christine Senior, Training and Research Ofcer, and Shawn Zhang, Statistics Supervisor, completed their University of Waterloo Leadership Certicates and were recognized at the OMIA Annual Convention. Shawn Zhang also achieved his CIP and CRM designations and was recognized at the Insurance Institute Luncheon on February 28th. Rachel Carew, Pension and Benets Assistant, earned her Benets Specialist designation from Conestoga College. Well done, team!Christine Senior Shawn Zhang Rachel CarewACCOMPLISHMENTS

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38OTHER NEWS AND EVENTSBCM INSURANCE Here are Santa and Mrs. Claus giving out gifts to the kids for the BCM Children’s Christmas Party.HOWICK MUTUAL Together, our Finance Manager, Shawn Cottrill and his wife, Katie are the Mixed Doubles Curling Team known as Team Cottrill.On March 3rd, all of their dedication and hard work come to fruition as they were crowned the Mixed Doubles Provincial Champions in Fredericton, NB as Team Ontario. Everyone at Howick Mutual will be cheering them on throughout the National Championships in Mid-March.Congratulations Shawn and Katie! We are proud of you!TOWN & COUNTRY MUTUAL Agents Donna McPhail and Bill Zwambag had fun at the Agri-Net Trade Show at the London Convention Centre on February 13th.FARM MUTUAL RE & OMIA In December, Farm Mutual Re and OMIA worked together on a food drive and together donated four boxes of food to the Cambridge Food Bank.TOWN & COUNTRY MUTUAL Agents, Laura Ingratta, Eric Gagne and Underwriter, Christine Lai had a great experience at the Lifestyle Home Show at the Western Fair District January 25th to 27th.

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April 201939OTHER NEWSTRILLIUM MUTUAL We were happy to host the CEO of Clinked, Tayfun Bilsel, to discuss innovation and ways to better serve our broker partners. Clinked is a company based in England that helps teams and businesses work more efciently together. They develop collaborative platforms that allows for secure le sharing tailored to each company’s specic needs.HAY MUTUAL The months of November and December were busy for us as we participated in our communities’ parades. Our antique Haymobile was a popular entry in all of the towns in our writing area. Bayeld, Exeter, Seaforth, Clinton, and of course, Zurich’s Santa Claus parades saw our Directors, Agents, Ofce Staff and their family members driving, carrying banners or distributing treats.BCM Insurance attended the annual Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in February 2019 at the Scotia Bank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls. Tim Curtis and Russell Perkins greeted current and future policyholders at our booth.FARM MUTUAL RE is pleased to announce the acquisition of United General Insurance Corporation (UGIC). Purchasing UGIC represents unique and compelling value for our members through strengthening our nancial position while providing capacity and stability. This transaction increases Farm Mutual Re’s diversication of earnings and risk while protecting premium volume.The acquisition represents a step forward in both organizations’ purpose to support their policyholders: for UGIC, the customers of New Brunswick; and for Farm Mutual Re, our Members. UGIC is a viable company whose continuation supports the mutual community across Canada. This acquisition supports Farm Mutual Re strategic goals to strengthen our nancial stability and to grow and diversify.In all of our decisions, the long-term success of the entire Mutual community is paramount. We would not exist without you, our members, or the farm and regional communities across Canada. The acquisition of UGIC supports our continued commitment to the Mutual community. Your Outsourced Investment Governance Expert For investment related projects such as: • Governance documents – review/creation • Portfolio assessments – review/advise • Money Managers – review/compare/advise • Complete Quarterly Monitoring Services Contact Jeffrey Hand at 905-336-1879 or info@bonnycastle.ca

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40OTHER NEWSTOWN & COUNTRY MUTUAL Member Support Champion Jennifer Timmermans, Agents Laura Ingratta and Eric Gagne learned valuable sales techniques at the Agents Symposium.NORTH KENT MUTUAL North Kent Mutual Staff wore their jerseys in support of Hometown Hockey. The Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour is the ultimate NHL fan experience. Hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone travel across the country, making stops in 24 different communities to celebrate local hockey stories, and the game’s biggest stars, for a weekend festival of hockey stories and activities for the whole family.380 Wellington St. Suite 1600 London, ON N6A 5B5 bboinfo@bbo.on.ca 519.679.0400 ph 519.679.6350 fax Get over 100 years of experience in Insurance Defense working for you! www.bbo.on.ca OMIA The Ottawa Brokers Association February Luncheon Meeting featured a presentation on Ontario’s farm mutuals as provided by John Taylor. The presentation looked back at the rich history of how mutuals were started in the 1800’s, their development through the 20th Century, and how they continue to provide a unique approach to policyholder needs.John Taylor President of OMIA (second from left), pictured with: Tyler Lussier, Jenny Desroches, and Brian Erwin of the Ottawa Brokers Association.

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April 201941OTHER NEWSAcross Canada, damage from extreme weather has cost taxpayers and insurers almost $10 billion since 1998. Water-related damage is now the leading cause of home-insurance claims in many communities, large and small. Municipal governments, the insurance industry, researchers, and the public are coming together to better understand what we can do to lower that number in the future and focus on preventing ood damage, rather than cleanup.Partners For Action is an applied research network dedicated to reducing the risk of ood damage in Canadian communities. Through its project, FloodSmartCanada.ca, Partners for Action provides a hub of information related to oods, ood risks, and emergency preparedness. Founding partners are The Co-operators and Farm Mutual Re. Members of Farm Mutual Re and OMIA are encouraged to use the resources available through Partners For Action to raise ood awareness and advance ood resiliency within your communities. Please visit uwaterloo.ca/partners-for-action and FloodSmartCanada.ca for more information. OMIA Annual Golf TournamentJune 12that the beautifulDalewood Golf Clubin Cobourg, Ontario4-H Ontario Annual Golf TournamentsGolf West: May 30th Victoria Park East Golf Club, GuelphGolf East: June 13th Anderson Park Links, Ottawawww.4-hontario.cagolf@omia.com

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42As Canada’s fifth-largest professional services firm, with dedicated financial services professionals in both rural and urban communities across Ontario, MNP has you covered. Whether you require accounting, consulting, tax or technology solutions, we are here to support you with a diverse range of personalized services and strategies that get results.Contact Jas Chahal, CPA, CA, at 289.293.2371 or jas.chahal@mnp.caDifferent by DesignOTHER NEWSAs our nation’s premier outdoor agricultural showcase, Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show offers “one-stop shopping” for farmers and highlights the most innovative and technologically advanced agricultural products and services available.Ontario Mutuals will be there to meet and greet visitors and share the Mutuals story.September 10th, 8:30 AM- 5:00 PMSeptember 11th, 8:30 AM- 5:00 PMSeptember 12th, 8:30 AM- 5:00 PMWatch your inbox! Participant registration info will be coming soon!Canada’s Outdoor Park, Woodstock, Ontario

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44MENNONITE MUTUAL Mennonite Mutual will say goodbye to General Manager & CEO, Ken Ritchie in April, following the company’s Spring Conference and AGM, which will be held in Banff, AB. Ken has managed the company since 2006 and over-saw the creation of its subsidiary insurance brokerage in 2009. During that time the company has grown rapidly and expanded its presence to ve locations throughout Alberta. Ken and his wife, Suzanne, have been regular participants at Canadian mutual insurance conferences and meetings, where they have formed many friendships, which they expect will last into Ken’s retirement years. Ken’s thirteen years of employment with MMI marked the culmination of an insurance career that began in Toronto in 1975 with a stop in Vancouver and then Calgary. Ken and Suzanne plan to travel in the coming years and hope to visit mutual insurance friends across the country. RETIREMENTSCelebrating Those Who Have Helped Ontario Mutuals ThriveCAYUGA MUTUAL Agent Randy Bacher ofcially retired from his position as a Cayuga Mutual Sales Agent on December 31st, 2018. We would like to thank Randy for over 20 years of service and wish him well in his retirement. THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL We would like to announce the retirement of Lynne Hurtubise, CIP, CRM, after being a part of The Commonwell, and the former Glengarry Mutual, for 35 years. Lynne held various underwriting positions over the years. She has been an active part of the C.A.R.E. (Create A Ripple Effect) Program at The Commonwell, and is also active in her community. Lynne is excited to start her retirement by spending more time with her family and getting move involved with The Children’s Aid Society and looking to volunteer with Meals On Wheels. Thank you Lynne for all that you brought to our team!HOWICK MUTUAL Carol Murray retired on August 31st, 2018. Carol has had a truly remarkable career spanning 36 years with both Grey Bruce Mutual and Howick Mutual. Her contributions to both organizations are countless.Though Carol will be missed, we are thrilled for her as she begins the next exciting chapter.HOWICK MUTUAL Ray Carmount retired on December 21st, 2018. Ray was an extremely dedicated and valuable member of the Howick Mutual claims team for 21 years and is well known for his work in AB Adjusting. His genuine care and concern for the client while delivering what is fair had always been a true asset to Howick Mutual. With Ray’s love of classic cars, car restoration, hockey cards, and numerous collections, we are condent that Ray will be very busy in his retirement. All the best, Ray!

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April 201945Quick CalendarOMIA EDUCATION CALENDAR: PAGE 57 AND AT OMIA.COMManagers Roundtable May 27-29 Kingbridge Conference Centre, King City4-H Golf West May 30 Victoria Park East Golf ClubOMIA Golf June 12 Dalewood Golf Club, Cobourg4-H Golf East June 13 Anderson Park Links, OttawaOutdoor Farm Show Sept. 10-12 Canada’s Outdoor Park, WoodstockIPM Sept. 17-21 Verner, OntarioIBAO Oct. 23-24 Sheraton Centre, TorontoP&M Conference Oct. 27-29 Westin Hotel, Ottawa

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46APPOINTMENTS& POSITION CHANGESTransforming the MutualsFARM MUTUAL RE In December 2018, Krista Seiling was appointed to the role of Strategic Alignment Supervisor in the Analytic Services department of Farm Mutual Re. In her new role, Krista primarily focuses on offering rate review consulting services, liaising between Farm Mutual Re and member companies and their associations to address enquiries, promote strategic alignment and the adoption of analytic strategic services, and supporting the facilitation of COMPASS delivery of member planning sessions and related committee activities.FARM MUTUAL RE On January 7th, Steve Korsh was promoted to HR Coordinator at Farm Mutual Re. In his new role, Steve coordinates our recruitment efforts, liaises with employees and leaders and is now more engaged in tactical project work.FARM MUTUAL RE On January 7th, Keli Jennings was promoted to HR Administrative Assistant at Farm Mutual Re. In her new role, Keli is responsible for the administrative functions in HR and also participates in recruitment, HR data management and our team’s tactical projects. Keli also provides administrative support for corporate events and for other departments as needed.MENNONITE MUTUAL The board of Mennonite Mutual is pleased to announce the appointment of Sandra van Raalten as the CEO & General Manager of Mennonite Mutual Insurance Co. (Alberta) Ltd. (MMI) and its subsidiary company, Mennonite Insurance Agency Ltd., effective January 14th, 2019. Sandra comes to MMI with a wealth of insurance and leadership experience. She was most recently employed by Wawanesa Insurance as Alberta Region Claims Manager, Bodily Injury. Her past employment includes project leadership and claims management with Allstate Insurance, claims adjusting for ICBC and Music and Programming Director at Kamloops Alliance Church. Sandra’s education includes a master’s degree in Conict Analysis and Management (Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC), a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and English (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK), a Diploma in Pastoral and Missions (Nipawin Bible Institute, Nipawin, SK) and the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation from the Insurance Institute of Canada. The board also wants to thank Ken Ritchie, FCIP, for over twelve years of leadership to MMI as its General Manager and CEO. Following a time of transition with Sandra, Ken will enter retirement on April 30th, 2019. We are excited about Sandra’s arrival and look forward to continuing our current path as an innovative, growing company. Please join us in welcoming Sandra to MMI.

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April 201947FARM MUTUAL RE At Farm Mutual Re, we are continuing to focus on increasing reinsurance contract revenue and diversifying reinsurance risk while providing underwriting capacity and affordable reinsurance protection to the mutual community. To further this, we are pleased to announce that Effective February 11th, Kevin Cameron was promoted to Chief Reinsurance Ofcer. In addition to the Reinsurance Underwriting team, Loss Control, and the Actuarial Services team will now report directly to Kevin. Kevin joined Farm Mutual Re in 2011 as Underwriting Manager and was promoted to AVP Underwriting in 2015. He transferred to the role of AVP Reinsurance in 2016. Since then he has played a lead role in the company’s expansion of its assumed business into international markets. Prior to Farm Mutual Re, Kevin worked at Gore Mutual Insurance in both Personal Insurance Solutions and Broker Services. He has a BA (administrative and commercial studies) from Western University with a major in economics. He also has his CIP and is pursuing his FCIP designation.FARM MUTUAL RE We would also like to announce a related organizational change which is focused on addressing the property per risk challenges facing the mutual community and demonstrates our commitment to develop member capabilities to protect their reinsurance capacity.Effective February 11th, Randy Drysdale accepted the position of AVP Loss Control Technical Development. He will have overall responsibility for loss control training and development and for providing research, education and technical information to the member companies, their underwriting and loss control staff and mutual insurance associations. He will also continue to participate in specialized government committees.Randy joined Farm Mutual Re in 2004 as Loss Control Manager to create and develop the loss control department. Since then he has overseen all risk assessment and liaison with member companies, regulatory government authorities, reinsurers and mutual insurance associations. He was promoted to AVP Loss Control in 2008. Prior to Farm Mutual Re, Randy worked at OMIA as a Risk Analyst. Randy has both his FCIP and CRM designations, is a level III Thermographer and a skilled adult training facilitator.FARM MUTUAL RE Effective March 21st, Emily McHugh was appointed to the role of Corporate Secretary and AVP Compliance and Governance. In this new role, Emily is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of Farm Mutual Re’s governance, compliance, decision-making and reporting infrastructure, and the formal administration of its affairs. She assists the Board and company ofcers in maintaining reasonable assurance that they are complying with Farm Mutual Re’s governance obligations. She provides condential corporate secretarial functions to the CEO, Executive Management and the Board of Directors. She also provides impartial advice and guidance to the Chair, CEO, Executive Management, and the Board of Directors necessary for them to conduct their duties. APPOINTMENTS

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48HOWARD MUTUAL We wish to announce that Jessica Towsley has joined our IT team as IT Assistant. Jessica originally joined Howard as a member of our underwriting team, which gave her insurance, and IBS experience. Her technical and organizational skills make IT a natural t. Jessica lives in Ridgetown with her husband and two daughters. Keep up the great work in IT!HOWARD MUTUAL We are pleased to announce the promotion of Edy Marlatt from Claims Support to Auto Claims Adjuster. Edy joined Howard Mutual in 1996 as a Claims Support Assistant and with her knowledge, performance and dedication, she continues to play a key role in the claims department. We are truly appreciative of her dedicated years of service and continued commitment to our brand and corporate vision. Congratulations Edy!HOWARD MUTUAL It is with great pleasure that Howard Mutual announces another progressive stafng change. Julie Smolders has been with Howard for over seven years working primarily in reception with other various administrative responsibilities. Julie has excellent event planning and organization skills with a strong marketing air, as demonstrated through her years of organizing marketing and social events at Howard Mutual. This skill-set, combined with her strong interest in social media marketing, made her a perfect t for our newly created Sales and Marketing Assistant role, effective January 1st. Working alongside the Business Development Manager, Julie will be involved in administration as well as organizing marketing initiatives and spearheading social media efforts. Congratulations Julie! HOWARD MUTUAL We are pleased to announce the transfer of Jaimie Amerlinck from the Underwriting team to the Claims team in her new role as Claims Assistant. Jaimie started at Howard Mutual in 2005 and spent time as a Receptionist before joining the Underwriting team in 2011. Jaimie brings a wealth of Customer Service experience into this new Claims role. Thank you for your dedicated years of service and your continued commitment to our brand and corporate vision. Congratulations Jaimie!HOWARD MUTUAL We wish to announce the appointment of Nikki Preston, Claims Assistant, to the position of Human Resources Coordinator, effective January 1st.Nikki has been with Howard since June 2018 and has progressed through her role and assisted in many other jobs within the company. Her willingness to always help others and care greatly for her co-workers helped pave her way towards her goal. Nikki had indicated her desire to be considered for an HR Role, should one become available. Nikki’s previous HR working experience and legal background made her a perfect t once the opportunity arose.Her dedication to Howard as a company and its success, along with her commitment to push Howard in the right direction and grow with the company made her a good t. Nikki gladly accepted and embraced the role and we are happy to have her on board to keep us in line each day. APPOINTMENTS

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April 201949OMIA We are pleased to announce that Shawn Zhang has moved into the role of Statistics Supervisor, with an emphasis on statistics reporting and the development and deployment of QlikView. Shawn began his career at OMIA in 2016 as a Business Intelligence Analyst and was appointed Senior Business Intelligence Analyst in 2017. Working with Jeff Ferguson, Director of Operations, Shawn has been instrumental in helping the Data Strategy Committee and the OMIA Statistics Department move to a more dynamic data analysis environment. Shawn has been a great asset to the team and we look forward to the continued successes of future OMIA statistics projects.AYR FARMERS MUTUAL We are pleased to announce that Kristine Guthrie has been appointed to the role of Team Lead, Underwriting Services. In this newly created role, Kristine will serve as the primary point of contact for underwriting questions and referrals, providing critical support to the underwriting team. She is also responsible for quality review, training, portfolio management, product and pricing support and mentorship. Kristine’s work ethic, technical expertise, and commitment to living our values will undoubtedly bring her continued success at Ayr Farmers Mutual. OMIA We are pleased to announce that Tavia Tobey has been promoted to the role of Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Tavia began working for OMIA in September 2017 as a Marketing & Communications Assistant and has shown incredible dedication, teamwork and skill in her time here. She has been a wonderful addition to the Marketing Department and OMIA and we look forward to many more successful projects with her on the team.If you have a marketing and promotions questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Tavia and the marketing team at marketing@omia.com.APPOINTMENTS

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50FARM MUTUAL RE The Board of Directors of Farm Mutual Re is delighted to announce that Jean-Pierre Gagnon will join the company on April 1, 2019 as President. Jean-Pierre (JP) will work alongside Steve Smith (Chief Executive Ofcer) until Steve’s retirement in August 2019. JP will then assume the roles of President and Chief Executive Ofcer. JP has worked in the property and casualty insurance industry since leaving his hometown of Quebec City in 1991. He has held senior leadership roles in actuarial, risk management and underwriting, in Canada and abroad. Most recently, JP was Vice President Personal Insurance for Travelers Canada where he has worked since 2010. Prior to that role he held Chief Actuary and Chief Risk Ofcer positions with Travelers. JP also held leadership, underwriting and actuarial roles at CAA Insurance Company, Eckler Partners, and TD-Meloche Monnex. JP has a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Sciences from Laval University and is a Fellow of both the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. JP is an avid Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Blue Jays fan; and plays both hockey and baseball in his spare time. He also enjoys scouring record shops for rare nds and going to concerts with his 18 and 20-year old daughters who currently attend the University of Toronto. He and his wife Margaret enjoy hosting large barbeques in the backyard of their Unionville home. “I understand that I have incredibly big shoes to ll, and I am truly honoured to succeed Steve who has done a phenomenal job of leading the organization,” said JP. “I am excited about joining the team and working closely with our members. I can’t wait to start!” Between April and August 2019 Steve (CEO) and Jean-Pierre (President) will work together to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of leadership of Farm Mutual Re and service to the mutual community.HEARTLAND FARM MUTUAL Louis Durocher, President & CEO of Heartland Farm Mutual, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rocco Neglia, BA (Hons.), CIP, LL.M, to theposition of Vice President, Claims effective December 10th, 2018.Rocco has over 34 years of experience in the property & casualty insurance industry, where he has held several management positions, including for the past 13 years the position of Vice President, Claims for a major Canadian insurer. Here, he provided strategic, technical and tactical leadership toensure the functional integrity of the Claims operation, including policies, processes, and customer service.Rocco is active in the insurance industry and has served on various Insurance Bureau of Canada committees. He has also served as Chair of the Conestoga Chapter of the Insurance Institute of Ontario, and Governor of the Insurance Institute of Canada. During his career, Rocco has also contributed his extensive knowledge and insight to such publications asCanadian Underwriter and Claims Canada.Rocco holds an Honours BA from Carleton University, CIP designation, and recently received a Master of Laws degree from the University of Cumbria in the United Kingdom.With his proven skills as an inuential and diplomatic leader, Rocco will be a valuable asset in this new role atHeartland, and to our entire team.APPOINTMENTS

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April 201951HEARTLAND FARM MUTUAL Louis Durocher, President & CEO of Heartland Farm Mutual, is pleased to announce the promotion of Carla Moorehead, CIP to the position of Vice President, Underwriting effective January 2nd, 2019.Carla has over 23 years of experience in the property & casualty insurance industry. Her career began as a licensed insurance broker and transitioned into underwriting, where she previously worked with regional mutuals and a large national insurer. Carla also gained valuable experience and insight while working with a Canadian re-insurer.Carla’s career progressed into several leadership roles, most recently as Heartland’s Farm Underwriting Manager, where she blended her technical skills with her natural leadership qualities. She is a proven leader of change, a strategic thinker and is passionate about our business.The Heartland Executive are excited to welcome Carla as an integral member of the team! ONTARIO MUTUALS On Tuesday March 5th, the Ontario Mutuals made their annual journey to Queen’s Park to meet MPP’s and discuss many of the current issues across the province. This is always an educational day for both mutual delegates and MPP’s!APPOINTMENTS

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52CONVENTION2019 OMIA ANNUAL CONVENTIONMarch 20th to 22ndSheraton Centre, Toronto

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April 201953CONVENTIONPRESIDENTIAL MERIT AWARD Each year the Presidential Merit Award is presented to an individual who exemplies the best elements of our mutual system. Winners of this award have demonstrated a long-term commitment to mutuality and service to the association. They are also knowledgeable, hardworking, and highly competent in their eld. They are generous contributors to their fellow mutuals and have a favourable inuence on other members of the association.This year’s winner, Catherine MacLellan, meets all of these criteria with ying colours. Not only does she have a favorable inuence on other members of the association, but Catherine has also had a tremendous inuence on our many partners and stakeholders outside the mutual system, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.Catherine has had the unique perspective of working deeply inside the mutual system, examining and understanding its nancial health, but also working objectively and at an arms-length in helping others understand the stability of the mutual system and the capacity of a group of small insurers to work together and thrive, even in a rapidly changing marketplace.Catherine’s work with the mutuals began in 1994 when it was determined that the Guarantee Fund mutuals should have a more hands-on monitoring system to ensure that mutuals were on track and maintaining solvency, and to ag those situations where individual mutuals could benet from greater oversight and assistance in dealing with impending nancial challenges.Catherine was recruited into her role from her work in accounting at PWC and her previous start in the insurance business as a federal regulator at the Ofce of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.Among her technical contributions to our nancial well-being are the development of early warning tests that are tailored to mutuals and smaller insurers, as well as the development of the P&C Pro software package that facilitates ling P&C1s. Over time, Catherine has been a leader in helping our solvency examination system grow and develop to the point where on-site nancial examinations by regulators are no longer required.Over the years, Catherine has chaired the Financial Review Committee and the Financial Examination Committee. As the Committee’s leader, Catherine provides balance, perspective, and objectivity while maintaining the integrity of the examination system and earning the respect of the Superintendent of Financial Services.In developing the role over the years, Catherine’s team has worked closely with OMIA’s Accounting Advisory Committee and Accountants Roundtable in analyzing changes to nancial reporting, particularly the IFRS family of accounting changes which would have caused many more sleepless nights for accountants without Catherine’s analysis and input.Catherine and her colleagues on the Financial Review Committee also worked closely with OMIA in developing an Enterprise Risk Management and Own Risk Solvency Assessment that would satisfy the need for more stringent risk management, while at the same time acknowledging that one size does not t all and providing solutions that made sense for mutual management and boards.Catherine’s team have travelled many miles and spent countless hours at group meetings and on company visits. Catherine has been excellent mutual ambassador to other stakeholders including regulators, accounting rms, and industry working groups.In selecting a Presidential Merit Award winner, OMIA typically looks at long serving mutual leaders including the directors and management. Such has been the importance of Catherine’s contribution to our mutual system that the OMIA board this year chose to honor a mutual partner in every sense of the word.2018 OMIA Chair, Brad Vanstone, Catherine MacLellan and OMIA President, John Taylor.

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CONVENTIONOUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR AWARD The Outstanding Contributor Award is presented each year to a member company that has demonstrated leadership in supporting the mutual system. This year, we recognized Germania Mutual Insurance Company of Ayton, Ontario as our Outstanding Contributor.A strength of the mutual system has always been the unique characteristics of each mutual insurer based on their history, origin, and policyholder relationships. An even greater strength of the mutual system has been the ability of each of our mutuals to work together for the benet of all policyholders throughout the mutual system. In recognizing the Outstanding Contributor each year, we recognize that spirit of generosity and cooperation.Germania Mutual was incorporated in February of 1878, in Neustadt Ontario, the south east portion of Grey County, and is renowned for its German heritage. This heritage lives on today both through a great brewing tradition, as well as the ongoing success of Germania Mutual Insurance Company.Germania’s rst policies were issued to German speaking policyholders and were written in the German language.Germania had a long history of close afliation with the municipality and for many years was co-housed in the ofces of the former Normanby Township, scenically located on the banks of the South Saugeen River.Like all farm mutuals, Germania rst provided only re and lightning coverage but over time continued to expand its services to policyholders. It was only relatively recently, in the year 2000, that Germania began writing automobile insurance. Over the past decades, Germania has made many contributions to the betterment of the mutual system.Larry Bieman, the Manager of Germania from 1987 to 2001 served multiple terms as a Fire Mutuals Guarantee Fund Trustee. Dan Hill, the current CEO of Germania, was a board member of Farm Mutual Re for 12 years and served as chair in 2013/2014. Dan was also the inaugural Chair of the Auto Rating Committee and has been a member of both the OMIA Marketing and Education Committees.In addition, Germania has been an active participant in OMIA roundtables and has had roundtable chairs including Tracy Campbell, Peggy Raftis, Anne Rahn and Sharon Hollister. Tracy and Sharon have also been active with MCCG, Tracy as Member Data Liaison and Sharon as Chair of their Accounting Advisory Committee. Tracy Campbell also sits on OMIA’s Data Strategy Committee. Sharon Hollister, CFO, also currently serves as a trustee on the Guarantee Fund.Germania has enthusiastically supported OMIA’s Legislative Affairs program maintaining contact with local MPPs and travelling annually to Queen’s Park for OMIA’s Queens Park Day. This has become a great opportunity to educate MPPs on the value of a mutual insurance to our province’s communities.When considering the contributions of Germania, one must also consider its amalgamation with Culross Mutual in 2010. Providing an amalgamation partner for Culross allowed the continuity of policyholder service and tradition for Culross policyholders in Teeswater and the surrounding area.The Association Chair during OMIA’s 50th anniversary convention in 1932 was Dr. R. H. Fortune of Germania, who unfortunately passed away just one month before convention. He was a champion of mutual cooperation and was so highly regarded that the remarks he had prepared before he died were read into the convention record. He was remembered as:“...a good helper, one who was always congenial and happy, and in a helpful mood at our Association Meetings.”That attitude towards mutuality still lives on today at Germania.Germania Mutual Chair, Brian Glass and President, Dan Hill addressed the crowd at the OMIA Annual Convention.CONVENTION

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April 201955CERTIFICATIONS OMIA recognized those mutual directors who have successfully completed the OMIA Director Certication Program. This program was relaunched seven years ago to aid Canadian Mutual directors in obtaining the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully direct and lead our mutual companies in the years ahead. We have recognized 51 recipients for this certication since March 2015. We have 20 new graduates in 2018:The next group to be recognized were those who have completed their University of Waterloo Leadership and Advanced Leadership Certicates. This program is offered in partnership by OMIA and the University of Waterloo and provides supervisors and managers with in-class instruction on skills ranging from coaching, negotiation, time management, conict resolution, planning and team building.Both Leadership and Advanced Certicates:Chris Meyers, Town & County MutualFinally, although not in attendance, we were happy to acknowledge those mutual members who completed their Loss Control Certication:Rob Cardiff, Trillium Mutual; Brett Martin, Germania Mutual; Dave McLaughlin, Grenville MutualCongratulations to all on a job well done.Bruce Dickieson, Dumfries MutualDennis Dosman, Howick MutualSteve Graham, Halwell MutualKevin Greer, Dufferin MutualMark Hamel, Howick MutualPaul Henderson, Grenville MutualHolly Huehn, Dumfries MutualTed Jarecsni, Kent & Essex MutualBrian Laporte, Howick MutualMark Latam, Halwell MutualBrian MacKay, West Wawanosh MutualDoroth Medd, McKillop MutualLloyd Michie, Howick MutualDoug Patton, Dumfries MutualCindy Phillips, Halwell MutualScott Roung, Dumfries MutualCharlie Snyder, Cayuga MutualRoss Stone, Trillium MutualTom Sweiger, Howick MutualGlenn Taylor, Halwell MutualCONVENTIONLeadership Certicate:Christine Senior, OMIAShawn Zhang, OMIAAdvanced Leadership Certicate:Traci Radford, West Wawanosh MutualJodi Rich, Howard Mutual

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56Insights for the Mutuals from the OMIA Statistics DepartmentSTATS CORNERAs of December 31, 2018: 2018 2017$000 $000 ChangeAssets: 2,378,907 2,371,620 0%Liabilities: 1,190,574 1,170,940 2%Surplus: 1,188,333 1,200,680 -1%Total: 2,378,907 2,371,620 0%Premiums:Property 446,067 409,395 9%Liability 74,133 69,462 7%Automobile 314,261 287,606 9%Other 615 600 1%Direct Premiums Written (Gross) 835,076 767,063 9%Reinsurance Ceded & Assumed (105,488) (102,148) 3%Net Premiums: 729,588 664,915 10%Net Gain: (12,564) 26.682 -147%2018 was a challenging year nancially for many of our members and for the whole mutual system. It was the rst net loss since 2008. Premiums cross the $835 million mark on the strength of $1.19 billion in surplus.2018 Consolidated Financials for the Fire Mutuals Guarantee Fund Members*Subject to change after examination Version: March 1 2019

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April 201957UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTSUPCOMING TRAINING EVENTSDATE COURSE NAME COURSE DESCRIPTIONApril 24 & 25Personal Lines Automobile Insurance Course – Level 1This 2-day program (register for either or both days) takes a ‘back to basics’ approach which will provide participants – underwriters, agents and/or adjusters with an understanding of Ontario’s Automobile Insurance Policy (OAP1), the Ontario Policy Change Forms (OPCF), the Automobile Insurance Application (OAF 1) and how to apply the Underwriting Manual. Class size limited. April 25Accident Benets Claims Handling WorkshopThis workshop will feature an applied learning module on Deconstruction of the OCF 3 presented by Claims Pro. The session will count as a credit towards the AB Adjusters Practitioner Certicate as well as a continuing education credit. In addition, there will be an interactive session on investigating claims within PIPEDA. Learn strategies for adjusting within regulatory frameworks and the red ags to look for when using surveillance and social media. May 1 IT RoundtableMember company staff who are focused on desk top computer use and system security meet to discuss issues of interest to them. May 2 HR RoundtableThis session offers participants the exciting opportunity to earn a Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certicate. The session will introduce the topics of mental health in the workplace, development of leaders’ skills to manage prevention, early performance coaching, recovery, absence and return to work. Additional knowledge is obtained through online modules that participants access independently at their own locations. May 7Board Chairs and Vice Chairs RoundtableOf interest to Board Chairs and Vice-Chairs this session focuses on governance and meeting topics of interest to them. May 8Underwriting Managers RoundtableAn ‘afliate’ group of mutual company underwriting managers and those who hold that responsibility spend the day focusing on both technical and managerial issues that impact them. Participants in this session may wish to also attend the Miller Thomson sessions on May 9.May 9 Claims Managers ConferenceAn ‘afliate’ group of member company adjusters meet to discuss topics of interest to them and to receive the legal perspective on some current topics from the Miller Thompson team in their annual ‘Insurance Day’ session.May 14Residential Underwriters RoundtableAn ‘afliate’ group of residential underwriters meet to discuss topics of interest to them.May 16 Accountants’ Roundtable An ‘afliate’ group of accountants meet to discuss topics of interest to them.May 27-29 Managers’ RoundtableMember company managers meet ‘off-site’ (Kingbridge Conference Centre) to discuss issues of interest to them.June 4&5Commercial Automobile UnderwritingThis two-day session provides a comprehensive training program for underwriters new to working with Individually Rated Commercial Automobile (IRCA) risks. It is designed based on participants having either attended the Personal Lines Automobile Course (Level 1) or possessing personal/commercial lines automobile underwriting experience.June 11&12Ontario Mutual Loss Prevention LeagueAn ‘afliate’ group of mutual company loss prevention ofcers attend sessions and discuss topics of interest to them.June 12&13Portfolio Management (Live Online)This session is suitable for staff interested in learning the value of Portfolio Management and how to use the business intelligence tool Qlik Sense to support that framework. This session will also be delivered in ‘in-person’ format in Cambridge on August 14.June 20Commercial & Farm Underwriters RoundtableAn ‘afliate’ group of mutual company underwriters responsible for underwriting commercial (including farm) business discuss topics of interest to them.June 25Automobile Underwriters RoundtableAn ‘afliate’ group of mutual company automobile underwriters discuss topics of interest to them.July 9Residential Property Coverage ReviewOf interest to agents, brokers, underwriters, adjusters – anyone who would benet from a review of property coverage wordings that are traditionally used to insure residential properties. Part of the OMIA certication programs and RIBO accredited.July 10Farm Property Coverage ReviewOf interest to agents, brokers, underwriters, adjusters – anyone who would benet from a review of property coverage wordings that are traditionally used to insure farm properties. Part of the OMIA certication programs and RIBO accredited.July 16&17 Garage Auto ProgramThis two-day session is suitable for staff working with the Garage Auto Program, including Sales, Service, Underwriting, Claims and Loss Prevention who would like a deeper understanding of the types of coverages involved in this unique program.Subject to change. Please refer to www.omia.com to review a current calendar of courses offered by OMIA. Click on “Education” and then “Education Calendar.”

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IN MEMORIAMRemembering our Mutual Family MembersERIE MUTUAL The Board of Directors sadly announces the passing of Robert Glaves Paisley on October 24, 2018 in his 94th year.Bob was a lifelong farmer in the Dunnville area, an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, shing, trapping and was a founding member of the Big Lake Hunt Camp (1949). He was “Mr. Fixit” and loved cutting wood in the homestead bush. He served on the Board of Erie Mutual for many years serving as Chair (President). He was a Director/Adjuster for property claims in years past. Bob’s love of birds, land, animals inspired the careers of his grandchildren. Bob will be greatly missed.ERIE MUTUAL The Board of Directors was saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Rae Ivan Stadder on December 2, 2018 at the age of 70.Rae was a third-generation dairy farmer in the Selkirk, Ontario area, a champion showman and respected breeder in excellence of purebred Holstein dairy cattle under the registered prex Raeland. He was the proud recipient of numerous awards, citations and championship banners from Holstein Canada, local fall fairs where he and his wife Concetta loved to show their top-quality herd. Strong in his faith attending Faith Centennial Church (Selkirk), love for his community, involved with Haldimand 4-H Association, life of the party and known for his enjoyment of dry martinis, good cigars and an infectious laugh. Rae served on the Erie Mutual Board of Directors for many years as a Director/Adjuster for property and had a term as Chair (President). He had a great impact on the Holstein industry and community-at-large and he will be greatly missed.WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL Past and present staff of West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance Company were truly saddened by the passing of Gerald Kerr on Sunday, November 11, 2018. Gerald was a respected and valued Director at West Wawanosh Mutual from 1968 - 1998.58

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THE COMMONWELL It is with sadness that The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group advises of the passing of long-time Director, Robert (RJ) Smith.RJ served on the Board of Director of Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company (Lindsay) from December 15, 1977 to October 17, 2002, in addition to serving two terms as Board Chair from 1983 to 1985 and 1997 to 1998. RJ also served on the Board of Directors of Farm Mutual Re from September 23, 1987 until February 1, 1992 representing the Group 7 companies.RJ was a friend to many and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.EDGE MUTUAL The board and staff of Edge Mutual are saddened to announce the passing of Les Frayne, an active board member. Les passed away on February 1, 2019 at age 72 surrounded by family in Groves Memorial Hospital, Fergus after battling cancer. Les worked in government programs and for the Bank of Montreal in agriculture nance. He served on the Edge Mutual board from 2009 until his passing.Family was most important to Les. He loved the outdoors, camping and exploring the Bruce and spending time at Miller Lake. He enjoyed coaching and watching his sons’ and grandsons’ sporting events. He had a true passion for his farm and his volunteer work managing projects in Central America with the disadvantaged rural poor for SHARE Agriculture Foundation. Les was valued member of the board and his thoughtful insight will be greatly missed.HAY MUTUAL It is with great sorrow that we mark the passing of John Consitt. John, former Manager of Hay Mutual, passed away suddenly on January 2, 2019. He is survived by his wife Helen and their children Jeff, Steve and Heather along with 3 grandchildren.A lifelong resident of Zurich, John served tirelessly at Hay Mutual for 43 years until his retirement in 2007. He was well respected in the mutual insurance industry and served as Chair of the OMIA in 1978. In 2008, John received OMIA’s Distinguished Service Award in Ottawa. John’s commitment, dedication and superior service has contributed signicantly to positioning Hay Mutual as one of the strongest mutuals in Canada. A great family man, he will be missed at all his family functions, whether it be a side trip to a NASCAR race with the boys, a shing expedition at the cottage or getting together often for family celebrations. His Hay Mutual family will miss him and his sense of humour greatly. April 201959IN MEMORIAM

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Address: 350 Pinebush Road, Cambridge Ontario N1T 1Z6 (519) 622-9220 Fax: (519) 622-9227Mail: P.O. Box 3187 Cambridge ON N3H 4S6 www.omia.com And keep that news coming!Please send your news, photos, updates and more to marketing@omia.com. OM News can be read online at OMIA.com and sign-in is not necessary. Just visit www.omia.com and pick Ontario Mutuals Newsletter from the menu on the left of the page.READY TO GO GREEN? Please drop us an email if you’d prefer to read your OM News online and help us save paper and ink. Email marketing@omia.com and we’ll be sure that your name is included on the email notication that goes out when a new issue is available.