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April 2021 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Still Standing For a Reason OMIA Chair John Stirk Reflects on What Keeps Us Strong pg 4 N E W S L E T T E R
New Beginnings It s hard not to feel a renewed sense of possibility when spring rolls in The sun has been shining and the windows have been opened maybe just that one weekend but we re getting close Ontario Mutuals have so much to be proud of The many March AGMs gave us a chance to reflect back on 2020 and it s impressive to think of how resilient our mutual staff board members leadership teams and policyholders have been through such a challenging time Ontario Mutuals along with the Mutual Support initiative from Farm Mutual Re have contributed well over two million dollars to those in need and the giving continues The mutual difference shines brightly and what a bright spot it s been for us 2
OM In this issue April 2021 27 FEATURES 4 A MESSAGE FROM OMIA S CHAIR 8 NEW TEAM MEMBERS 13 John Stirk Welcoming New Faces to the Mutual System GIVING BACK How Mutual Companies are Supporting Their Communities Giving Back 13 Education Opportunities 25 RETIREMENTS 26 LEARN MORE ABOUT OMIA 27 EDUCATION CALENDAR 28 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 30 APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES 33 OTHER NEWS 36 OMIA S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 38 IN MEMORIAM Celebrating Those Who Have Helped Ontario Mutuals Thrive Meet the OMIA IT Team OMIA Education at a glance Celebrating Accomplishments in the mutual system Transforming the Mutuals More Mutual News We re In This Together Remembering Our Mutual Family Members
A Message from OMIA s Chair John Stirk The driver behind the creation of mutual insurance companies was the need for insurance but the foundation upon which they were built was trust When our predecessors became signatories to these fledgling organizations they trusted the honour and integrity of the other people involved Mutual insurers had a clear purpose to serve the membership Today we operate in a highly regulated and competitive environment Our regulators are moving to principle based regimes that emphasize the fair treatment of consumers Large companies now focus their advertising to promote their corporate image in an attempt to build trust with the consumer People are looking to align themselves with companies they can trust Darrell Bricker of Ipsos Public Affairs states that In business having your customers trust means you will spend less money marketing to them they will be more willing to listen to and believe your pitches they will be more likely to try out your new offers and you may even be able to charge them a premium for what you are selling Without trust you are only selling a commodity and are at risk of losing customers based on price alone When there is trust things go well What are the factors that contribute to the level of trust that exists with mutual insurers A clear purpose of service member ownership leadership from within the policyholders and commitment to community just to name a few Trust is a hard thing to define but you will know immediately if you lose it Ontario Mutuals Two centuries of building trust 4 John Stirk Chair Ontario Mutual Insurance Association
OM NEWS APRIL QUEEN S PARK DAY Every year the Legislative Affairs Roundtable takes a trip to Queen s Park in Toronto to bring together mutual members and MPPs to discuss government decisions and their impact on policyholders This year it was an online event held on Tuesday March 2nd We dubbed it our Ontario Check in Our 67 participants heard from Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party Steven Del Duca on his hopes for the province and the financial sector post COVID 19 OMIA President John Taylor gave a quick overview of some of the larger items on the minds of Legislative Affairs Committee members including regulatory burdens broadband access infrastructure watershed and floodplain management and automobile insurance and tort reform The session closed with an around the room open discussion about legislative concerns at the participants local level We would like to acknowledge that in a year when one might have expected many parts of the legislature to grind to a halt with a focus on the pandemic OMIA and the Legislative Affairs Committee were involved in consultations with a wide variety of ministries on the widest number of issues ever We expect this to continue throughout 2021 and look forward to many more informative roundtable discussions LONDON FARM SHOW CONNECT It s surprising to think that the 2020 London Farm Show was the last of our in person events as the effects if the pandemic took hold just one week after the show in March This year the London Farm Show took it s annual event to the internet with London Farm Show Connect a speaker series held over three days March 3rd 4th and 5th The speaking sessions focused on a broad range of topics including Law Awareness Agricultural Waste Recycling Off Farm Income Strategies Roots Not Iron The Digital Divide Rural Internet Infrastructure and more OMIA was delighted to secure the Presenting Sponsorship of the event on behalf of Ontario Mutuals An even nicer surprise was that proceeds from the ticket sales went to support 4 H Ontario of which Ontario Mutuals is a significant corporate sponsor Save the date for the return of the farm show March 9 11 2022 April 2021 5
OM NEWS APRIL A Message from OMIA s Past Chair My theme 2020 Vision Setting Our Sights on Future Success wasn t chosen with a pandemic in mind But who would have ever thought the biggest success of 2020 would be to get to the other side of the COVID 19 pandemic We aren t quite there yet but we will succeed When you re reading this my year as Chair will have come to an end It has been an honour and privilege to be Chair of the Ontario Mutual Insurance Association for the past year And if I get recognized as that guy who was the pandemic chair I m ok with that Even though I couldn t have planned for how this past year turned out I still feel very fortunate I have my health I have an awesome job and my family my friends and my staff have all stayed healthy As most of the insurance conferences and conventions were cancelled I somehow seemed to stay very busy The world didn t stop turning and OMIA kept on plugging away Our OMIA board didn t miss a scheduled board 6 meeting date and there were even a couple of extras thrown in early 2020 because of the pandemic All of the OMIA committees carried on with most having more meetings virtually than what a normal year would have had Mutual success starts at OMIA The staff and management at OMIA need to be commended for stepping up and leading us all through this past year John Taylor you should be very proud of your team in Cambridge I started the year off with a little bit of Terry trivia and I will end it off with an exit interview with Lisa Hunter Hopefully all of you learn just a little bit more about me As always stay safe and stay healthy Yours in mutuality Terry Knight
OM NEWS APRIL A Little More About Terry Knight Many in our mutual community lost the opportunity to really get to know Terry Knight during his year as Chair The conferences conventions events and meetings that mark a typical year of relationship building were put on hold or moved to a virtual environment It s a shame since Terry is one of those people we should all be so lucky to meet Here are some questions we asked Terry to give you a bit more insight into who he is Which living person do you most admire It has to be my sister She is the family glue What is your greatest extravagance Likely my coin collections What is your current state of mind Living through this pandemic likely doesn t help my state of mind I m fearful of catching COVID I m saddened to not see my family and friends in person I m anxiously hoping the vaccines will work and the pandemic will be over soon and I m grateful to have the job I have and to be able to do it every day So after saying all that I think I m ok What quality do you most like in a person Patience followed closely by a sense of humour Which words or phrases do you most overuse Whatever Last Christmas I got a mug as a gift with that written on it Which talent would you most like to have To be an artist a painter What is your favourite pastime or hobby In warm weather golfing fishing In cold weather cross country skiing snowshoeing What do you consider to be your greatest achievement Being a father to four great kids If you could be an animal which animal would you be An eagle so I could soar over nature s landscapes Where in the world would you most like to live I do like living in Brantford I have a cottage in the middle of the city but I loved Costa Rica when I had a chance to go so it would be a close second What is your most treasured possession My photo album of my kids growing up What do you most value in your friends I consider everyone in the mutual insurance world my friend so I value the opportunity I ve had to have many friends over the years However my best friend who is retired acts as my travel agent and he knows when it is time to slow down and take vacation time which has been very tough to do this past year with the pandemic What genre do you most like to read Crime novels both fiction and non fiction James Patterson is my favorite author Who is your hero of fiction For all the kids out there it has to be Shrek If you could visit and explore any time in history which time would you choose I think I would just go back in time one generation to be able to spend more time with my Grandparents I only knew one of the four so to get to know the rest would be awesome What food do you most dislike Anything too spicy What is your personal motto Keep it simple April 2021 7
Donation to Home Horizon Barbara Weider House NEW TEAM MEMBERS Welcoming New Faces to the Mutual System KENT ESSEX MUTUAL We would like to welcome Kelly Williams to our team Kelly has joined us in the role of Claims Coordinator Kelly is familiar with the mutual way and has several years experience working within various insurance company departments We are pleased to welcome Nicole Mills Property Underwriter to the Kent Essex Mutual team Nicole has been in the insurance industry for the past four years with a focus on personal insurance We re pleased to welcome Jen Cogghe Property Underwriter to the team Jen has 20 years of insurance experience and is a great addition to our team We re pleased to welcome Deanna Murphy Ladd Auto Underwriter as a new member of our team Deanna has been in the insurance industry for the past four years with experience in both personal and commercial insurance WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We are pleased to announce that Deneka Crich has joined our company in the position of Administrative Assistant Deneka is a graduate of the Office Administration program at Lambton College and is new to the insurance industry We re excited to have Deneka on our team DUFFERIN MUTUAL We would like to welcome Tina Elrick Shelton to our staff as she will be taking on the role of Underwriting Assistant Tina comes to us with many years of administrative experience and we believe she will be an excellent addition to our company We re looking forward to getting to know Tina and having her be a part of our team Welcome Tina BCM INSURANCE Please join us in welcoming our newest Agent Peter Wilding Peter comes to us with over 25 years of sales experience working most recently in tractor equipment sales He brings to us a strong ability to develop and maintain client relationships and is described as having a great heart for people Perhaps honed during his time as a police officer in the UK Peter is hardworking motivated and a team player which will come in handy as he learns about insurance He does come with some pedigree as his father worked in life insurance Peter and his wife Alison live in Mount Hope and have been active in leading youth groups through their church We re excited for the experience Peter will bring to our professional successful and team oriented agent roster Welcome Peter 8
NEW TEAM MEMBERS NORTH KENT MUTUAL is pleased to welcome LeighAnn Schiman to the team LeighAnn started at NKMi on Dec 2nd 2020 as an Admin Assistant LeighAnn is a lifelong resident of CK currently living just outside of Ridgetown on a small hobby farm with cattle LeighAnn is married with 3 children and has previously worked in the banking and childcare sectors Please join us in welcoming LeighAnn NORTH KENT MUTUAL We are pleased to announce that Amy Allingham joined the NKMi team as an Accountant administrator October 26th 2020 Amy lives in Chatham with her husband and two daughters They love the outdoors especially family hikes in Rondeau and beach days Amy worked many years with CIBC Mellon in the Pension and Benefit Department and more recently with Union Gas now Enbridge working as Admin Assistant on the Pension and Benefit team Amy have heard great things about North Kent Mutual and is happy to have joined the team Welcome to the NKMi family NORTH KENT MUTUAL is very pleased to welcome Mary Beth Broad to the team Mary Beth joined NKMi as an Underwriter November 2nd 2020 Mary Beth was born and raised in Wallaceburg and currently lives with her husband on a Farm just outside Florence Mary Beth has 4 children and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her 10th Grandchild Mary Beth s career in insurance started in 1993 at Martin Insurance first as a broker and then an underwriter We are very pleased to welcome Mary Beth to the team COLLECTIVFIDE We re very pleased to announce that Lana Triemstra joined us in November 2020 in the role of Controller Lana was previously employed as a Senior Financial Analyst at ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc She was involved with quarterly analysis and external reporting monthly review of division results and division support of accounting issues Lana started her career in public accounting at BDO Canada LLP Starting as a co op student and working up to senior accountant she gained over four years of experience auditing mutual insurance companies Lana graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and subsequently obtained her CPA CA designation in 2018 She resides in Woodstock Ontario with her husband Charles and their Samoyed Titan Please join me in congratulating Lana on joining the team COLLECTIVFIDE We re very pleased to announce that Bettina Urban joined the team in March as Human Resources Business Partner Bettina brings over 10 years of Human Resources experience working in a variety of industries such as municipal software engineering services and insurance Her roles have often had dual responsibility for both tactical and strategic HR This allows her to roll up her sleeves in the day to day aspects of HR but also work with the leadership team to help shape and connect the business people strategy She brings a unique perspective to Collectivfide having worked on both the company side and the brokerage side of the insurance industry She has also served as the Vice Chair and Head of the HR committee for a not for profit In her role she will work with both the Collectivfide team and with brokerage partners managers to help navigate the complex human resources landscape She currently lives in Kitchener with her husband Mark Please join us in congratulating Bettina on joining the team April 2021 9
NEW TEAM MEMBERS DUMFRIES MUTUAL Duncan Cowell joined our team as a Property Underwriter to start the new year Duncan spent most of his career flying airplanes including giving lessons at the Waterloo airport and flying the Airbus A330 for Air Transat He is excited to embark on this new journey in the insurance industry When not working Duncan enjoys an active lifestyle with his wife and two children DUMFRIES MUTUAL Chris Di Lullo started his career as a Risk Inspector at Dumfries in January He is a master electrician who has worked in the trade for almost 20 years including operating his own company since 2015 This experience has wellequipped him to help mitigate risks on our policyholders properties Chris enjoys spending time with his family HALWELL MUTUAL Meet the Newest Additions to Our Underwriting Team Katie Witt joins us as an Intermediate Underwriter She lives in Cambridge with her husband two daughters and chocolate lab Rolo She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Education and has been in the insurance industry ever since most recently with the Co operators She has extensive personal lines knowledge having sold and or underwritten home and auto policies and developed and presented personal lines training to brokers for the past eight years Katies is looking forward to joining the Halwell team and learning new lines of business She is also counting the days until she can get back into the garden Welcome Katie Adrienne Leung joins us as an Underwriting Assistant She is from Waterloo and has been in the insurance industry for five years having worked in Group Life and Disability and more recently Commercial P C on the broker side She lived in Vancouver for a year and a half and while she loved it out west she s happy to be back home with family and friends Adrienne enjoys cooking baking hiking playing piano and thanks to the lockdown has recently taken up knitting and crocheting I m looking forward to joining the Halwell team and getting to know each of you 10 Tom Tsipas joins our team as an Intermediate Underwriter having most recently been with Aviva Canada where he held several roles including Licensed Advisor Agent Underwriter and Business Analyst Tom loves to meet new people and learn new things His passions are sports cooking and playing video games He is married and has two cats and a canary and he says you will 1000 hear them in an online meeting Tom enjoys travel and has been to multiple countries He s excited about this new journey and we are too Welcome Tom
HOWARD MUTUAL Tara Fancy has joined the Howard Mutual agent team Tara has over 10 years experience as a customer service representative and since 2018 has been a broker at a local insurance company Tara looks forward to getting to know the Howard team and growing with us Tara enjoys building and maintaining business relationships with her clients and excelling in customer care and satisfaction When not working Tara enjoys sports and traveling with her husband and two grown sons Jeremy Derksen has joined our agent team Jeremy brings over a decade of driven sales experience and he was a top performer in his previous sales role It s not hard to figure out why once you meet him Jeremy greatly enjoys interacting with people while also developing and maintaining relationships throughout the community When not working Jeremy enjoys sports cars and spending time with his family We re happy to announce that Marcy Mortier has been hired in the role of Administrative Assistant Marcy brings with her over 20 years of administrative experience working as a legal assistant and we know she ll bring so much to our team When Marcy is not working in an office setting you will find her with her husband and their five kids helping manage the family farm Howard Mutual is pleased to announce that Erin Eltervoog has joined our team of underwriters Erin comes to us from a local mutual and brings with her knowledge of the mutual industry along with experience with IBS and Cognition Erin her husband and two daughters live in the Blenheim area and enjoy being involved in the community When Erin isn t working she enjoys an active lifestyle with her family that includes travel hockey baseball camping and boating Welcome to the Team Erin Howard Mutual and the underwriting department are pleased to welcome Michelle Hueni to our team Michelle brings forth her understanding of the mutual industry and experience with IBS Michelle is working on her CIP designation and in her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends reading yoga and walking TRILLIUM MUTUAL We re extremely proud to welcome Victoria Harmer to our team to fill the position of Temporary Full Time Multi Line Underwriting Support Victoria brings two years of experience as an Underwriting Assistant and most recently she was a Junior Underwriter with Dumfries Mutual Her enthusiasm knowledge and great attitude make her the perfect fit for Trillium Please join us in welcoming Victoria HOWICK MUTUAL Meet Our New Farm Underwriters Emily Franken is a recent graduate of the University of Guelph where she obtained a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences degree Emily is active in the dairy industry is a past 4 H member and was the Huron Central Fair Ambassador While attending University she served as both Vice President and Communications Director for her OAC class Emily resides outside of Teeswater with her family on their dairy goat farm Welcome Emily Ashley Stroeder is a recent graduate of the University of Guelph where she obtained a B A Hons degree majoring in Mathematical Science and minoring in Agriculture Her work experience at a number of dairy operations has provided her with a working knowledge of the agriculture industry While attending University Ashley was very involved in the Math Stats club and was a Mathematical Science Ambassador Ashley resides with her family in Formosa Welcome Ashley April 2021 11
NEW TEAM MEMBERS AYR FARMERS MUTUAL We re pleased to announce Jerrod Boyse has joined our team as Manager of Claims Loss Prevention Services Having over 23 years experience in the insurance industry most within the Ontario Mutual community Jerrod began his career in the late 90s as an Independent Adjuster for Crawford Adjusting followed by CGU before joining Oxford Mutual in 2001 Jerrod held the role of Road Adjuster and Loss Prevention Officer until 2005 when he was promoted to Manager of Claims Services When Oxford Mutual amalgamated with Heartland Jerrod held the role of Regional Claims Manager followed by Regional Operations Manager until joining South Easthope Mutual Insurance in 2018 as the Manager of Business Development Risk Compliance Jerrod and his wife Becky live in Ingersoll with their four children Welcome Jerrod AYR FARMERS MUTUAL Chantelle Sigurdson joined us on January 1st as Manager of Human Resources Chantelle had spent the last 12 years at Labstat where she was the Senior Human Resources Business Partner Previous to that Chantelle was with ADESA Auctions in various HR roles Chantelle has her Certified Human Resources Leader Certificate volunteers as co chair for a Human Resources networking group and participates as a program advisory committee member for Conestoga College Chantelle her husband and two kids are very active in the Ayr community Welcome Chantelle Make sense of the path ahead PEI MUTUAL We re pleased to introduce David Smith as our new IT Manager David began in early June 2020 and comes to us with 25 years experience in the IT industry He worked for several years with Bell and Nova Scotia Health on complex projects in senior technical and business analyst roles In the health field he served in the role of Director Project Management Office Operations and Applications Services Delivery Dave lives with his wife and family in Charlottetown and is a very welcomed addition to our mutual team Stan Gallant longtime IT Manager retired after 25 years of service in November 2020 We wish Stan much health and happiness in his retirement The decisions your policy holders make now will define their future While you support them MNP is here to support you with accounting and investigative expertise plus the latest insights to navigate these uncertain times and strategies that get results Jas Chahal CPA CA 289 293 2371 jas chahal mnp ca MNP ca 12
ONTARIO MUTUALS GIVE BACK How Mutual Companies are Supporting their Communities HALWELL MUTUAL Halwell Hope is an initiative that was born from the trials of 2020 and the hope for a brighter future It has been made possible by the generosity of many First our reinsurer Farm Mutual Re launched their Mutual Support initiative which provided funds to the mutuals to give back to their local communities This inspired the Halwell board of directors who decided to match this contribution and allocate the company s remaining 2020 philanthropy budget towards Halwell Hope and a total sum of 100 000 With this we were able to contribute to seven local organizations Live Video Stream 3D Virtual Progress Walkthrough Remote Reinspection National KPI Capture Reporting Belfor can provide a managed compliance system for all claims This includes detailed KPI s accurate sales data and regular reviews A K R PAR TE VIRTUAL CLAIMS MADE SIMPLE VIRTUAL CLAIM SOLUTION ER TN SH IPS USBORNE HIBBERT MUTUAL On behalf of our Board of Directors Calvin Strathdee presented a cheque for 100 000 to the Ritz Lutheran Villa in Mitchell to help build the new West Perth Village Usborne Hibbert Mutual is proud to support long term care for seniors in Perth County MWO BELFOR s success with insurance and mutual clients is based on the evolution of our process to work with your model by creating a simple and accountable workflow for your virtual claim handling model Belfor utilizes a wide range of technology including DocuSketch Matterport Encircle Hover CoreLogic and Xactware to provide a seamless virtual experience 1 866 366 0493 LE ADE RS IN RESTORATION www belfor com April 2021 13
GIVING BACK DUFFERIN MUTUAL To help mark our 125th Anniversary in 2020 and in partnership with our reinsurer Farm Mutual Re we chose a number of local organizations to give back to We re happy to contribute to a community that has supported us for so many years in partnership with 2020 Partnerships that made a difference in our community Streams Community Hub Ramoth House Gold Bikes for Simon Mount Forest Cancer Patient Services Shelburne Food Bank Mount Forest Christmas Bureau Shelburne Firefighter Food Toy Drive Shelburn Christmas Hampers Orangeville OSPCA Upper Grand Learning Foundation Shelburne Legion Dufferin Oaks Santa to a Senior Program Shelburne Residence Long Term Care Christmas Program Hospice Dufferin Shelburne Splash Pad ONTARIO MUTUALS This year OMIA made a slight increase to our support of Farm Food Care Ontario on behalf on Ontario Mutuals The funds were put towards supporting their Virtual Conference and Speakers Program more specifically the sponsorship of speaker David Coletto a Marketing Research Leader and Expert om Millennials David spoke about Generational Change and the Future of Food in Canada on April 6th Farm Food Care Ontario is a registered Canadian charity and whole sector coalition made up of representatives from all farming types and associated businesses They bring farmers agricultural professionals related businesses government organizations and other groups together with a mandate to build public trust in food and farming in Ontario and across Canada 14
GIVING BACK AYR FARMERS MUTUAL We ended 2020 by providing each staff member and Agent the opportunity to experience giving back first hand and appointed everyone to the position of CIO Community Improvement Officer Staff and Agents were each given 1 000 to donate to a charitable organization or community improvement initiative of their choosing Acting as company CIO individuals were asked to deliver the donation virtually or in person while adhering to all safety protocols and take a photo of their presentation Collectively Ayr Farmers Mutual CIO s donated 57 000 back into our community This was in addition to the more than 82 000 that we were able to provide to youth sport agricultural and volunteer based organizations throughout the year NORTH KENT MUTUAL North Kent Mutual has made a 5 000 donation to The Chatham Kent Health Alliance Foundation to assist with their 2020 Campaign Pictured with the presentation Cheque are NKMi Chairman Tom McGregor and Health Alliance President CEO Mary Lou Crowley North Kent Mutual is very proud to be the sponsor for the Wallaceburg Business Community Excellence Awards Technology Award Congrats go to Aarkel Tool Die Pictured are Aarkel President CEO Larry Delaey and NKMi Chairman Tom McGregor April 2021 15
GIVING BACK BAY OF QUINTE MUTUAL We are fortunate to have been able to donate 1 5 million to the Back the Build campaign for a new hospital in Picton ON The announcement of the donation took place at the site of the new home of Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital on October 29 2020 Board Chair Steve Raymond stated Bay of Quinte Mutual Insurance takes pride in being part of the rural communities in South Eastern Ontario but Picton is where we got our start It s the reason our Board felt strongly about giving back to the community where we had our beginnings 146 years ago Bay of Quinte Mutual Insurance and Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital are similar in that they have been deeply rooted in this community for over 100 years A new hospital is not something that happens often and some may never see one in their lifetime If ever there was an opportunity for our board to support a new hospital with a meaningful gift now is the time to do so to ensure there s a hospital here for many years to come The donation is designated to help build the diagnostic imaging department inside the new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital The department will house services currently offered in the present hospital such as X Ray ultrasound and mammography and will be named in recognition of Bay of Quinte Mutual Insurance Co It s a great day when an esteemed business like Bay of Quinte Mutual Insurance expands their charitable giving and chooses to give back to a once in a lifetime project like this said Shannon Coull Executive Director of the PECMH Foundation Bay of Quinte Mutual Insurance has been a member of our donor family for over 11 years and were the first major corporation to step forward with a significant commitment to help Back the Build We are grateful for their Board s leadership and investment in continuing to support exceptional health care in our community Our entire team take great pleasure in helping to build this much needed hospital for our policyholders and community The new hospital ensures quality health care continues to be delivered close to home in Prince Edward County HOWICK MUTUAL We re very pleased to announce the continuation of our initiative to support local organizations that were adversely impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic We have now donated more than 100 000 to 33 local organizations in need Due to the overwhelming success a similar community support program will continue in 2021 16
GIVING BACK BCM INSURANCE We ve launched our third Year of Grants program In 2019 BCM Bertie and Clinton Mutual launched our Community Grants Program Since then more than 355 000 has been granted to non profit organizations across our region BCM s goal through this program is to strengthen local non profit organizations capacity to continue to do their great work in serving Niagara s communities At a recent Board meeting the directors approved allocating over 120 000 to the program for 2021 EDGE MUTUAL Our board of directors recently approved a 75 000 donation to the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation and to the Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation The Palmerston and District Hospital will use the funds to purchase three continuous ambulatory delivery device pumps a bariatric bed a transport ventilator and an ultrasound electrotherapy combo unit for physiotherapy Attending the cheque presentation were Jeremy Brown and Paul Brown of Brown Insurance Brokers Carlos Rodrigues CEO and President of Edge Mutual Dale Franklin development officer for the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation and Richard Wright member of the Edge Mutual s board of Directors The Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation LMHF will used the funds for much needed lab equipment Attending the cheque presentation were LMHF President Bob Mason Richard Wright member of the Edge Mutual s board of Directors Carlos Rodrigues President and CEO of Edge Mutual and Derek Moore Edge Mutual s Board of Directors Chair April 2021 17
GIVING BACK TRADITION MUTUAL We re proud that in conjunction with Farm Mutual Re and their Mutual Support initiative we were able to make 1 000 available to each staff member and each board of director member to donate to a worthy cause We felt that this was a wonderful way to support the many organizations that are facing challenges due to the pandemic Every person had a unique connection to the organization that they chose It was heartwarming to hear their stories of why they chose the organization and to see how each member of Tradition is connected to the community One of our members chose to donate to the Sick Kids Hospital of London because both her daughters and brother have spent time there Another chose to donate to a local community food centre where he and his daughter used to take cooking classes together Some members chose to donate to organizations that they volunteer with The Mutual Difference means that we are members of the community we serve We are a local insurance company and we re also neighbours To us this project exemplified The Mutual Difference perfectly 18
GIVING BACK HT C MUTUAL AN AMALGAMATION OF TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL AND HAY MUTUAL Scholarships Town Country Mutual generously donated 500 scholarships to local high schools Congratulations to the following recipients James Dylan Gould and Lynnai Bruggeman from Glencoe Marissa Ingratta from Holy Cross Joshua Vansteenkiste of North Lambton Lilly McLellan of North Middlesex McKenzie Sinclair from West Elgin Thomas Jonathan Leahy from Mother Theresa Catholic SS Hay Mutual happily awarded scholarships from their John Consitt Scholarship in late 2020 Four local high school recipients were each awarded a 500 scholarship in memory of the former CEO of the Hay Mutual Insurance Company These awards were presented late in 2020 due to graduations being rescheduled The winners were Sarah Knoblach of St Annes Jacob Gingerich of South Huron District High School Nolan Gagnier of Central Huron Secondary School and Lindsay Wright of Goderich District Collegiate Institute Congratulations to the chosen recipients Christmas Contributions Although many Christmas events were cancelled it didn t stop our legacy companies from giving generously to their local communities Toy Drive donations were collected to contribute to the Salvation Army hampers and staff contributed to a monetary donation that went to the Women s Rural Resource Centre The funds that would have been put towards a staff Christmas party were donated to the Huron Perth Children s Aid Society Coldest Night of the Year We proudly supported the virtual 2021 Coldest Night of the Year held on February 20th The company donated over 2 000 to be shared between the Strathroy and Exeter events Thank you to our staff who braved the cold in support of this great cause MENNONITE MUTUAL INSURANCE For us Meeting Needs Together is about community support Over the past two years MMI has had a renewed emphasis on brand awareness while growing within our member churches and conferences After all this is part of our company s Mission of supporting and strengthening the churches In 2020 MMI donated 375 000 to its 84 member churches Hearing how churches have been able to direct these donations to ministries and outreaches of their choosing energizes our staff We have also heard that these donations went to specific programs such as Christmas hampers for families in need orphans in Guatemala etc They are also using the monies for revitalizing their church buildings and grounds Overwhelmingly they are using these monies for projectors sound boards and other media so that they can stay connected with their congregation and their communities We are pleased that not only are we able to meet the insurance needs of our policyholders but we are able to partner with them in the work they are doing through their various church congregations April 2021 19
GIVING BACK TRILLIUM MUTUAL ROOTS COMMUNITY FUND Tanner Steffler Foundation Trillium Mutual s ROOTS Community Fund is pleased to donate 2 000 to the Tanner Steffler Foundation to improve access to support for youth aged 12 24 across Huron County They work with families and individuals to help them navigate the mental health system while providing mental health and addiction resources and services Wilmot Township Our ROOTS Community Fund is proud to announce a donation to the Wilmot Fire Department in order to purchase a new rescue saw The rescue saw will be used for specific tasks including providing ventilation during fires forcible entry through doors and garages and structural collapse situations This new equipment will not only help protect the community but also keep first responders safer in an emergency situation Bruce Peninsula Health Services We are pleased to announce a 5 000 donation to the Bruce Peninsula Health Services Foundation to support the purchase of two new X ray machines Providing up to date equipment allows health care professionals to offer the best possible care close to home The new machines will be made available 24 hours a day seven days a week and will be the most used diagnostic tool that the hospital has access to Minto Mental Health We are incredibly happy to announce a donation of 8 000 to Minto Mental Health and the IYSN collaborative project The support will be used to purchase musical instruments and items for their new Palmerston location This centre will be one of seven locations in the IYSN that are committed to providing a safe space for youth to access services and resources that bring awareness to and foster positive mental health NEW ROOTS COUNCIL MEMBER Please join us in welcoming Doug Yeo as our newest ROOTS Council Member Doug is a retired educator who was raised on a mixed farming operation Over the years he has volunteered with many different organizations including his past role as President of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies For more information or to submit an application to Trillium s ROOTS Community Fund please visit our website here www trilliummutual com roots community fund Your Outsourced Investment Governance Expert Inquire about our proven expertise in Governance documents Portfolio assessments Money Manager assessments Complete Quarterly Monitoring Services Contact Jeffrey Hand at 905 336 1879 or info bonnycastle ca Maximize your subrogation recoveries and free time for your staff to focus on more critical adjusting work Specializing in Subrogation We offer affordable 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 ca 20
The Umbrella Project has been honoured to form a strong partnership with the Ontario Mutuals community together supporting the mental health of hundreds of communities across Ontario In the past year here are a few highlights Thanks to a generous donation by Grenville Mutual the Umbrella Project was able to support close to 20 additional schools in two school boards with The Umbrella Project Curriculum and mental health professional development for their staff The impact of this donation has been wonderful to see With the support of Edge Mutual we were able to develop Umbrella Project banners that are colouring the halls of schools within The Upper Grand District School Board These banners remind students to care for their own wellbeing and the well being of their peers and community We continue to work closely with the mental health leads of both the public school board and catholic school board in this area Together with the support of Edge Mutual every school in the Guelph Wellington region will have access to the Umbrella Project curriculum as of September 2021 For the 2021 22 school year with the support of Cayuga Mutual we are also launching a pilot project in the Grand Erie District School Board This initiative is particularly exciting as it will focus on the role of our Umbrella Skills in forming strong and supportive relationships for students educators and families In addition Westminster Mutual supported the mental health of their community by sponsoring a well being lecture series for parents The COVID 19 pandemic has certainly demanded a lot of parents and these workshops were developed with the goal of providing both parents and educators key stakeholders in the social and emotional development of younger generations some much needed well being support Finally thanks to OMIA s generous support on behalf of Ontario Mutuals this April we are pleased to be launching The Umbrella Project Awards for a second year These awards recognize and celebrate students educators and communities who are working to actively strengthen their coping skills and who are bravely taking on life s challenges The Umbrella Project Youth Leadership Day We ve been facing some very difficult times but these challenges are also opportunities to strengthen our wellbeing This is the foundation on which The Umbrella Project is built By understanding and practicing our coping skills not only will we get through this rain but we will also better prepare ourselves for life s ongoing challenges Kids between the ages of 12 14 are at a stage of life that has always been tricky to navigate but the challenges they are facing are even greater now With that in mind one of our core endeavors for the fall of 2021 is a virtual Youth Leadership Conference for Grades 7 and 8 It will be open to all students schools and classrooms across Ontario The conference will be built with input from youth and will host speakers artists and musicians that choose well being promote mental health awareness and understand and actively demonstrate their coping skills As an extension to the conference and in an effort to provide participants with further support we will be providing schools that sign up for the conference access to The Umbrella Project SEL Curriculum In this way the conference will provide an inspiring start to the year engaging youth in the desire to build their coping skills and will leave a curriculum that will allow them to do just that We are currently raising funds to support this event and would welcome an opportunity to work with you to bring it to life We believe that The Umbrella Project and Ontario Mutuals share a common vision To support our communities and help them flourish by equipping them with useful tools that will protect them from the rain of life Thank you for your continued support Your generosity has been invaluable in getting us here To participate in supporting Youth Leadership Day or for more information please contact kate umbrellaproject co April 2021 21
GIVING BACK AGSCAPE OMIA on behalf of Ontario Mutuals is a proud supporter of AgScape an organization that empowers Ontario students with impartial and accurate information to increase awareness of the agri food system and ignite interest in related careers Please see below for details on their 2020 achievements IMPACTS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT 2020 Student Impact 409 339 students were reached through interactive agriculture and food learning experiences Teacher Reach 5 214 educators requested AgScape programs and resources Diverse Online Content 36 733 lesson plans videos live digital events resources and activities reached teachers and students across the provinces Agility Impact in a Year of Change AgScape allowed our class to have an interactive engaging and thoughtprovoking opportunity to understand local farming practices that they would unlikely have I know that for many of our students today this resonated and while they do not choose the foods they eat now it planted a seed for the future THANK YOU Grade 8 Teacher Fisherville Senior Public School Toronto District School Board What Students Are Saying I found this lesson valuable because agriculture is not well recognized in school or as looked up to as other subjects I learned so much more about Ontario s foods and how indigenous people used nature to sustain themselves Overall I think that this was a good lesson to learn and it definitely opened up more future possibilities for me Grade 10 Student Iroguois Ridge High School Halton District School Board We sincerely thank you for kicking off another amazing year of ag education 22 THE OPA AND IPM The Ontario Plowmen s Association OPA is the parent host of the International Plowing Match IPM of which Ontario Mutuals is a Presenting Partner 2020 was a challenging year and saw the postponement of the IPM for only the third time in its 103 year history We were heartened by the generosity and sense of community of the OPA when they made a Christmas donation to the United Way on behalf of the Ontario Mutual Insurance Association OPA Executive Director Cathy Lasby noted We hope you will feel the spirit in which this is given and know how very much we truly value your partnership Directors and staff of the OPA are aiming to hold an in person IPM in 2021 We will continue to honour and respect the health situation and health regulations caused by COVID 19 and the organizers will be simultaneously planning both the traditional IPM and a re envisioned IPM Local and Provincial volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors to the Municipality of Kawartha Lakes from October 13th to 16th
GIVING BACK 4 H ONTARIO Ontario Mutuals are strong supporters of 4 H Ontario For over a century 4 H Ontario has built youth into leaders in their communities and positive contributors to the world With roots in rural Ontario today 4 H Ontario is open to all youth of all backgrounds across the province 4 H brings together youth aged 6 21 and passionate engaged volunteer leaders to learn about selected topics through fun hands on activities and mentorship There are also provincial camps conferences competitions and national and international travel opportunities available In 4 H youth find a place they can be involved accepted valued and heard while developing valuable life skills in leadership business self confidence and more OMIA is pleased to recognize the hard working and dedicated staff and volunteers who went above and beyond to move their in person activities and events to a virtual environment during a this challenging time From 4 H Ontario 2020 was quite a year Kids across Ontario rose to the challenge Hundreds embraced the online Explore 4 H and Cloverbuds Home Projects as part of online learning They supported their communities helped those around them made a difference and found new ways to Learn to Do By Doing 4 H Ontario volunteers stepped up in a big way and carved a path for 4 H youth to experience 4 H in a new way This was all made possible from the generosity of our individual donors and our corporate partners From all of us at 4 H Ontario thank you FARM MUTUAL FOUNDATION Many thanks to everyone who donated items to our virtual auction and to those who successfully bid on the items The auction raised just under 8 000 The Foundation would also like to thank those companies who generously donated monetarily in lieu of auction items The grand total 13 999 The Farm Mutual Foundation is extremely pleased as we were unsure how successful this virtual auction would be As always the mutual community rose to the challenge Together we are stronger April 2021 23
C I B C WO O D G U N DY HINES INVESTMENTS A PURPOSE DRIVEN OBJECTIVE AND OUTCOME FOCUSED PARTNERSHIP A Bespoke Approach Customized to define and align your investment objectives Unbiased Objectivity Dedicated research and monitoring on specialized asset class managers Gerald Hines First Vice President Senior Portfolio Manager Sheldon Hines Portfolio Manager Local Service Global Reach Access to top investment management firms from around the world Oversight Ongoing due diligence monitoring and risk management of Managers to ensure value added Results Long term performance with a competitive and transparent fee 844 887 4995 hinesinvestments cibc ca www hinesinvestments ca References Long standing OMIA clients as references CIBC Private Wealth Management consists of services provided by CIBC and certain of its subsidiaries including CIBC Wood Gundy a division of CIBC World Markets Inc CIBC Private Wealth Management is a registered trademark of CIBC used under license Wood Gundy is a registered trademark of CIBC World Markets Inc If you are currently a CIBC Wood Gundy client please contact your Investment Advisor SERVING ONTARIO MUTUAL INSURERS FOR OVER 32 YEARS We have successfully conducted thousands of investigations in Southwestern Ontario on behalf of mutual insurers national insurers and independent adjusters Each of our investigators has more than 25 years of surveillance experience in insurance investigations PUT OUR TEAM TO WORK FOR YOU 519 641 3140 24 RivardInvestigations com jrivard RivardInvestigations com
April 2021 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Still Standing For a Reason OMIA Chair John Stirk Reflects on What Keeps Us Strong pg 4 N E W S L E T T E R
MEET YOUR OMIA OTHER NEWS Information Technology Team Karolina Prominski Shah Shirzadi Steve Dupe How long have you worked at OMIA KP 20 years SD 5 years SS 7 years What has surprised you most about working at OMIA KP The evolution in our job responsibilities and management approach SD The most surprising aspect of working at OMIA is the work life balance I had owned a computer consulting firm for 15 yrs and it was always work first then life SS It truly mesmerizes me how OMIA collaborates like a family yet they make such an impact How does your department help Ontario Mutuals succeed KP Working in both Stats and IT it really varies Stats focuses on helping mutuals with reporting and data quality where as IT focuses more on OMIA staff equipment technology to make sure everything runs smoothly in order to perform work for mutual companies SD We have 72 servers with a host of added hardware My role is to ensure the network is current with the latest applications and technology including and most crucially security to protect data SS We provide IT support both internally to our staff and externally to our member companies to access the members website stats website and collaborative website What is your favourite part about your job KP I absolutely love my new tasks in the IT help desk department It s interesting challenging and satisfying when issues get resolved SD My job is very technical with many responsibilities including the risk of hackers on my doorstep I enjoy making the OMIA network one of the best in the business and this gives me self satisfaction of a job well done SS We have a small team and our job requires us to wear many hats to support our members and staff in many different levels and environments What is one thing you wish member companies knew about your department KP One thing would be that we are not underwriting experts in the Stats Department SD My goal is to work with mutuals and come together as an IT support group I have been able to work with a few mutual IT departments to solve infrastructure questions and I m here to help any mutual company with infrastructure issues SS It s interesting how rapidly our member companies are growing We doubled our website users in roughly seven years We are always happy to support our members What is one interesting fact about yourself that you would like to share KP One interesting fact would be that I built up my confidence in IT support SD I have a few hobbies Drinking beer lol snowmobiling maintaining my 1969 convertible muscle car but my most favourite thing to do is go to Algonquin and portage into the interior SS I enjoy spending time in nature with Whiskey Whiskey is my puppy but I never say no to a glass of whiskey either 26
UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTS 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 Please know that we are closely monitoring the COVID 19 situation as new information becomes available If changes to education sessions are necessary information will be updated on omia com as soon as possible COURSE DATE NAME COURSE DATE NAME April 22 AM PM TBD Greening Your Mutual Insurance Company May 26 AM Commercial and Farm Underwriting Roundtable April 27 PM Automobile Underwriting Roundtable May 28 AM Ontario Mutual Loss Prevention League OMLPL April 28 29 AM Farm Liability Coverage Review April 30 AM Ontario Mutual Loss Prevention League OMLPL May 4 AM Board Chairs Vice Chairs Roundtable May 4 AM Sales Business Development Managers Virtual Meeting May 5 6 Evening Introduction to the Role of a Director May 6 AM HR Roundtable May 12 AM Regulatory Compliance Roundtable May 13 AM Claims Managers Adjusters Roundtable May 31 June 1 2 TBD Managers Conference June 3 Insurance Finance 101 June 4 AM Chief Operating Officer or equivalent Networking Opportunity June 8 PM Insuring Residential Condominium unit Owners June 8 15 PM The Power of Positive Emotion to Foster Resilience June 10 AM Contractors Coverage Review June 11 18 25 AM Discover Your Strengths May 13 AM Accountants Roundtable June 17 AM Auto Accident Benefits Claims Handling Workshop Technical Training May 14 AM Agent Session June 17 AM Underwriting Managers Virtual Gathering May 14 21 28 AM Building a High Performance Team June 22 PM Automobile Underwriting Roundtable May 18 PM Automobile Underwriting Roundtable June 23 AM Farm Produce Session May 20 AM Underwriting Managers Virtual Gathering June 24 Business Continuity Disaster Recovery May 26 AM Commercial and Farm Underwriting Roundtable June 25 AM Ontario Mutual Loss Prevention League OMLPL New for Members E learning Courses Online Anytime Intro to Insurance Intro to the Mutual Insurance System Intro to Privacy PIPEDA Privacy PIPEDA for Directors Understanding the Role of the Adjuster Problem Solving Time Management www omiaelearning com April 2021 27
April 2021 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Still Standing For a Reason OMIA Chair John Stirk Reflects on What Keeps Us Strong pg 4 N E W S L E T T E R
April 2021 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Still Standing For a Reason OMIA Chair John Stirk Reflects on What Keeps Us Strong pg 4 N E W S L E T T E R
APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES Transforming the Mutuals THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL We re pleased to announce that Jennifer Hope has been promoted to Director of Underwriting Since joining The Commonwell in 2014 Jennifer first led the Business Development team before moving to lead the Underwriting team in 2016 Recently under Jennifer s leadership the Underwriting team has gone through several transformations such as UW conversion increasing operational efficiencies and delivering increased benefits such as enhanced SLA s for The Commonwell s broker partners while also ensuring the growth and development of her team We congratulate Jennifer and commend her dedication to the insurance industry and her continued personal and professional growth at The Commonwell 30 HOWICK MUTUAL We are very pleased to announce that Tammy Fischer Martin has been appointed to the role of Underwriting Manager effective December 1st 2020 Tammy has a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Agricultural Business from the University of Guelph She also has her CIP designation and is actively working towards her FCIP designation Tammy s education background and her experience at Howick as a Farm Underwriter over the past five years have provided her with a solid foundation to progress in her career Tammy is also an active volunteer in her community gaining leadership experience through various board and committee positions Congratulations Tammy
APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES AYR FARMERS MUTUAL POSITION CHANGES Kristine Guthrie has been appointed Team Lead Administration Underwriting Operations Kristine will continue to support coach and mentor all members of the Underwriting team while overseeing the company s document production and printing functions Kristine joined Ayr Farmers is 2008 as a Farm Underwriter We re pleased to announce that Travis Seaman has been appointed our Vice President of Customer Experience and Enablement Travis began his career with Ayr Farmers in 2006 as a Claims Representative and in 2011 became the Manager of Claims and Loss Prevention Services In his new role Travis will be responsible for the overall leadership of the company s Agents Marketing and System Functionality and Processes The Ayr Farmers Mutual customer experience is very closely tied to the experience brought on by our new operating system Guidewire in enabling desired outcomes with great ease and efficiency Paula McMahon has been appointed the fulltime Corporate Secretary for Ayr Farmers Mutual effective January 1st 2021 Paula will continue with her responsibilities as Executive Assistant to the CEO and the internal Compliance Coordinator Paula joined the company in 2013 Jay Penney has accepted the position of Senior Network Systems Administrator at Ayr Farmers Mutual Jay has been with the company on a contract since February 2019 Since that time he has been instrumental in designing and delivering various improvements to our systems network and security infrastructure Jay has over 25 technical certifications and has over 30 years experience as an IT technician and systems administrator at various organizations including the Government of Ontario Equitable Life Rockstar Games and a number of law firms MIDDLESEX MUTUAL We are excited to announce that Ken Poort has been promoted to the position of Senior Underwriter Ken joined the Middlesex Underwriting team in 2018 as Intermediate Underwriter with over five years of insurance experience Ken has shown his dedication to Middlesex our policyholders and the community which makes him the perfect person for this position MIDDLESEX MUTUAL We are happy to announce the promotion of Quinn Gibson from Claims Trainee to Claims Adjuster after a full year of working with the claims team She is a quick learner and has demonstrated leadership in taking on new losses and adjusting them promptly Her note taking and clerical work is excellent Congratulations Quinn OMIA We are pleased to announce the promotion of Shawn Zhang to the role of Manager Statistics Information Shawn has been working towards this transition for some time and it coincides with increasing pressure and demands for both insurance and financial data a wider range and frequency of reports and system conversion expertise Congratulations Shawn April 2021 31
APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES FARM MUTUAL RE Lindsay Johnson was promoted to Claims System Process Analyst effective January 4th 2021 Lindsay joined Farm Mutual Re and the Claims Department in January 2017 in the role of Claims Coordinator Since then Lindsay has shown great dedication to Farm Mutual Re our members our values and the claims team Lindsay took on the role of Business Product Owner in early 2018 for the Claim Department s continued enhancements for both OnBase and the Gateway and has done a tremendous job identifying and documenting business requirements conducting user acceptance testing providing internal and external training and leading the department through these significant changes In Lindsay s new position she will be responsible for the day to day oversight for all claims operational systems and processes She will act as the liaison with the IT department on new systems system enhancements and the resolution of system issues Lindsay will also work with member company claims staff to identify effective changes to the Member Services Gateway to continue to create efficiencies and increase the ease of doing business In her role Lindsay will also continue to support the Claims Coordinator team as required Lindsay holds a Legal Office Administration diploma from Conestoga College and is working toward achieving her CIP designation and Leadership Development Certificate PEI MUTUAL Jennifer Pilkington has accepted the position of Agency Manager at PEI Mutual Jennifer is well known to us as a valued contributor throughout her time with the company She has served in the role of Officer Agent and Underwriter at PEI Mutual for fifteen years She has served on the Underwriting Committee and has extensive knowledge of the role and function of our Agency Force as well Jennifer is a Past President of the Insurance Institute of PEI and held a seat as Governor with the Insurance Institute of Canada She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Hons Chartered Insurance Professional designation and a certificate in Commercial Insurance Studies Jennifer lives in Wilmot Valley with her husband and family Congratulations on your new position Jennifer 32 FARM MUTUAL RE Jiayi Zheng was promoted to a full time position in the role of Actuarial Analyst effective October 5th 2020 This promotion recognizes Jiayi s dedication to Farm Mutual Re as well as her positive attitude and multiple contributions to the Analytics and Actuarial Departments Jiayi started with Farm Mutual Re in January 2019 as an Actuarial Analyst Intern within the Actuarial Department She then accepted a contract position in the Analytics Services team in May 2020 FARM MUTUAL RE Jackson Smith was promoted to an eight month contract in the role of Product Services Administrator in the Product Services Department effective November 2020 Jackson had previously completed four summer internships at Farm Mutual Re in the Claims Department He recently graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in Kinesiology HALWELL MUTUAL Dale Stuart has been promoted to Claims Team Leader His industry experience and almost seven years with Halwell make him the perfect fit for this role Please join us in congratulating Dale and wishing him the best in his new role Tiia Planert has been promoted to Intermediate Underwriter Tiia who is now an award winning CIP graduate see page 28 has been invaluable to Halwell since she started in 2018 Please join us in congratulating Tiia and wishing her the best in her new role Eric Nagy is celebrating not one but two promotions He was promoted to Senior Underwriter then to Lead Underwriter Personal Lines which is now his current role Please join us in congratulating Eric and wishing him the best in his new role
OTHER NEWS EVENTS TRILLIUM MUTUAL We re proud to announce the launch of our new podcast The Back 40 Join us and host Mike Brine as we explore the world of Ag through the eyes of farmers industry experts and many other great guests while discussing topics and issues surrounding Ontario Agriculture You can listen to The Back 40 on http the back 40 castos com You can also subscribe and listen on Amazon Music Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts and Spotify Episode 1 with Kelly Daynard Farm Food Care ON The Disconnect Between Farmers Consumers Episode 2 with Marty Seymour FCC A Look Behind the Scenes at Canada s Ag Day Episode 3 with Andrew Campbell Fresh Air Media The Importance of Telling Your Story Episode 4 with Pierre Andre Meunier Let s Talk Fire Prevention OTHER NEWS FARM MUTUAL RE We re proud to be recognized as one of Waterloo Area s Top Employers 2021 Waterloo Area s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada s Top 100 Employers This special designation recognizes the employers in the Kitchener Waterloo area that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work Employers are evaluated by the editors of Canada s Top 100 Employers using the same eight criteria as the national competition 1 Physical Workplace 2 Work Atmosphere Social 3 Health Financial Family Benefits 4 Vacation Time Off 5 Employee Communications 6 Performance Management 7 Training Skills Development and 8 Community Involvement Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward thinking programs FARM MUTUAL RE All the hives are wrapped up for the winter and the bees are buzzing together in their communities Their current agenda is to stay dry and warm while they passionately await warmer weather At that time we ll meet them again with the return of spring light warm sun and floral joy Farm Mutual Re is also proud to announce that nine jars of honey were collected from our property during the 2020 season April 2021 33
OTHER NEWS NOVA MUTUAL Engaging innovating RIBO accredited webinars NovaDoesThat If the past 12 months has taught us anything it s that the virtual space is here to stay Nova Mutual has evolved and adapted to put connecting virtually with our stakeholders top of mind In November we hosted our inaugural webinar discussing Nova s Garage Auto program and offering our Broker partners a RIBO Technical Credit We shifted the focus to self care in February inviting our resident expert Broker Experience Director Rhonda Reist to share her tips This webinar really struck a chord with our Broker partners inspiring a few of them to take time off for the first time since the pandemic began While also RIBO accredited 1 Personal Skills Credit we also offered this session to the general public because everyone can benefit from a bit of self care right now At the end of March we brought on E O expert Hugh Fardy to chat about claims trends in Broker E O This session focused on the responsibilities and exposures facing Brokers through a review of current claim statistics and trends Participants received a RIBO credit of 1 5 management hours For more information on Nova s webinar series including a TBA session slated for May we encourage U to connect with us on LinkedIn 34
OTHER NEWS SUPPORT THE RENEWABLE FUELS INDUSTRY IN ONTARIO INTEGRATED GRAIN PROCESSORS CO OPERATIVE INC IGPC 7 DEBENTURE MATURING JULY 31 2023 IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE To request a 2020 IGPC Offering Statement please contact Brendan T N Caldwell Director 150 King Street West Suite 1710 P O Box 47 Toronto ON M5H 1J9 1 800 387 0859 416 862 7755 bcaldwell caldwellsecurities com www caldwellsecurities com YOUR FORENSIC ENGINEERING ALLIES Unearth Expert Insights Whether you re handling a kitchen 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 Forensic s team of engineers and investigators particularly prides itself on the cultivation of client relationships and unparalleled investigative expertise Clear Effective Partners cep experts ca April 2021 35
OMIA ANNUAL MEETING THE 2021 OMIA ANNUAL MEETING OMIA S 139TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WAS HELD ONLINE ON MARCH 25TH 2021 OMIA For the second year in a row we held our Annual General Meeting in a virtual setting This was our 139th AGM and although we seem to have gotten the hang of holding virtual meetings we do look forward to the day when we can see our mutual colleagues in person again We kicked off the morning with an inspirational keynote presentation by Drew Dudley internationally acclaimed leadership speaker and best selling author Drew shared the insights he has learned through close to 20 years in the field of leadership development He spoke of his Day One Leadership Process from his time running the leadership development program at the University of Toronto and through his decade traveling the world increasing the leadership capacity of some of the world s most dynamic organizations The group was led through the Annual General Meeting of the Fire Mutuals Guarantee Fund facilitated by Chair Neil Petreny Dumfries Mutual Director and the OMIA AGM commenced shortly after Chair Terry Knight led us through the day including providing his Chair s Report where he reflected on his unusual year and the resonance of his theme 2020 Vision Setting Our Sights on Future Success Treasurer Sharon Dittmer provided a report on the 2020 Financial Statements and incoming Chair now current Chair John Stirk closed the session by introducing his theme for the year Still Standing for a Reason It was certainly a unique experience and the challenges of the year were not lost on the day s speakers During his President s Report John Taylor remarked In coming years as I look back at what we were talking about as mutuals in 2020 I will think of your commitment to policyholders your commitment to your community and your commitment to employees partners and colleagues Every conversation and every question this year was guided by those three considerations It is easy to be overwhelmed by media reports on many things including the future of insurance and disruption But in its simplest sense the strength of mutuality lies in each mutual s willingness to do what s best for the policyholder the community and our people And that is at the heart of the mutual model We do not exist to be insurers we exist to be mutual insurers We look forward to seeing you again soon 36
OMIA ANNUAL MEETING DIRECTORS CERTIFICATIONS OMIA recognizes those mutual directors who have successfully completed the OMIA Director Certification Program This program was relaunched nine 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 AYR FARMERS Cathy Formica Dave Thompson Elizabeth Baldwin Jason Vernooy BCM John Dekker CTM Brian deJeu Susan Clarke CAYUGA Allan Hedley Harold Meadows Mark Comley Walter Hyslop CLARE Charelle Saulnier DUFFERIN Frank Barretto GERMANIA Bev Schenk Gary Becker GRENVILLE Ian Wade Ron Greaves HALWELL Avon Giddings Kenda Nurse Randy Carter HOWARD Ken Scott HOWICK Bil Graham Jacquie Bishop Niel Edgar Steve Wright HT C Bill Gibson Brian Eedy John Coleman Robert Pertschy Tom Hartman HTM Dave Rutherford KENT ESSEX Brain King KINGS Barry Maxner Don Cox Ian MacCara Lynn MacLean PEEL John Sanderson PEI Brian MacKinley Jim Doyle Joan Dennis Shane Mackinnon STANLEY Gilbert Campbell James Pinnock TRILLIUM Ben Rier WEST ELGIN Ken McCallum Norm Miller Victor Lapadat WEST WAWANOSH Lloyd McGillivray WESTMINSTER Dan Boehm Fred Neukamm AWARDS The Presidential Merit Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies the best elements of the 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 field They are generous contributors to their fellow mutuals and have a favourable influence on other members of the association RECIPIENT ROB PEARSON HT C MUTUAL FORMERLY TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL The Outstanding Contributor Award is presented each year to a member company that has demonstrated leadership in supporting the mutual system 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 benefit of all policyholders throughout the mutual system In recognizing the Outstanding Contributor each year we recognize the spirit of generosity and cooperation RECIPIENT DUMFRIES MUTUAL SHEFFIELD ONTARIO View the videos celebrating our award recipients at www omia com Events Annual Convention April 2021 37
IN MEMORIAM Remembering Our Mutual Family Members GARRY HITCHINS Garry Hitchins passed away suddenly at his home on Amherst Island on November 8 2020 at age 72 Beloved husband of the late Anne Marie and loving father of Tracy Troy Heidi Jody and the late Reginald Extremely proud grandfather of Cole Trent Reece Denver Jade and Ryder Fondly remembered by so many family and friends Garry was Chair of the Board of Amherst Island Mutual at the time of his passing He had served on the board since 1982 Garry was a dedicated member of our insurance board replacing his father Henry Hitchins on the board at the time of his retirement Garry will be greatly missed around the meeting table and in the community Our sincere condolences to Garry s family ALLAN ROBERT LOWRY We are saddened to advise of the passing of Allan Lowry on February 14 2021 Allan was a former board member for the Commonwell Mutual Allan joined the board in January 2014 after having served on the Board of Directors of Lanark Mutual in Perth Ontario for four years Allan was Chair of the Lanark Mutual Board in 2013 during our amalgamation Allan retired from The Commonwell Board of Directors in March 2019 Many of you may have met Allan over the years at mutual and farming events He was a true gentleman a consummate professional and a committed Board member Allan and his wife Donna resided in Almonte Ontario and together operated a dairy and cash crop farm with particular focus on their purebred Holstein herd Our prayers and condolences go out to the Lowry family 38
IN MEMORIAM GRAEME CHARLES CRAIG The mutuals truly lost a great one with the passing of Graeme Craig on February 8 2021 Graeme was an agent for McKillop Mutual from 1984 until his retirement in 2016 Beyond his years as an agent Graeme lived such a full life He was a life resident of his century farm in Walton Ontario His first passion in life was music and he entertained many people singing and playing guitar at church weddings and family celebrations For many years Graeme was a familiar face in the OMIA choir He was a graduate of Ridgetown College and started his first career as a technician for United Breeders in Wingham In 1984 Graeme changed careers to become an Insurance Agent for McKillop Mutual Insurance Company in Seaforth He loved the relationships he made with his clients he always had a joke and a light hearted approach that was also genuine and sincere In true non partisan fashion Graeme was appointed the Federal Returning Officer for Huron Bruce in 2003 He had many political friends from all parties and he ran as the Liberal candidate in 1978 Graeme had many extra curricular interests throughout his life He held many positions with the local and Ontario Plowing Matches This included a term as President of the Ontario Plowmen s Association Chair of IPM 99 in Dashwood and Treasurer of the Canadian Plowing Match Graeme also enjoyed 12 years as Trustee and Chair on the Huron County Board of Education He truly valued the friendships through all parts of his life He made a positive impact on everyone he touched Once you met him you were a friend for life DONALD VICTOR WILEY Donald Victor Wiley passed away suddenly at his home in his 86th year on December 6 2020 Don was born January 20 1935 in the rural area of west St Catharines He was a proud farmer and well known member of the Rockway community Don took an interest in community and fellowship serving with various Masonic lodges the West St Catharines Businessmen s Association and the Bertie and Clinton Mutual BCM Board of Directors He was an enthusiastic baseball fan and enjoyed a good game of euchre or cribbage Don will be greatly missed by his beloved wife of 64 years Bette Walpole his sons David Mary Greg and Jamie Sharon and his grandchildren Philip Sarah and Rachel Wiley Don was one of six sons of George and Elsie Wiley Davis He was predeceased by his brothers John Ruth Keith Helen and Clair June He is survived by his brothers Warren Catherine and Bill Barb Don attended Mountview Public School and St Catharines Collegiate He completed a year at General Motors Institute in Flint Michigan now Kettering University before returning home to farm in partnership with his brothers Don always supported innovative changes in the farming business and believed in making improvements for the future In his 86th year he still worked actively on the farm as time permitted Don will be missed Our heartfelt condolences go out to Graeme s family April 2021 39
April 2021 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Still Standing For a Reason OMIA Chair John Stirk Reflects on What Keeps Us Strong pg 4 N E W S L E T T E R