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August 2020 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Giving Back Facing These Challenging Times Head On pg 10 N E W S L E T T E R 2020 CHANGES HOW FALL EVENTS ARE SHAPING UP PG 5 New Partnership An Update from Collectivfide pg 31
Going Through Phases No doubt the last few months have challenged us all but how encouraging it s been to see the ways in which working together can bring about big change We ve all moved through the various stages of this global event with caution and great care and now we seem to be headed in the right direction together The mutuals haven t surprised us at all with their continued efforts to support their communities through COVID 19 and other life challenges These pages offer a small glimpse of that May we all move forward with a renewed sense of what s important and a familiar feeling of support from our mutual friends and colleagues 2
OM In this issue August 2020 A Successful Umbrella Project Initiative 24 5 FEATURES 4 A MESSAGE FROM OMIA CHAIR 26 MILESTONES 6 NEW TEAM MEMBERS 28 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 29 IN MEMORIAM 30 EDUCATION CALENDAR 30 OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS 36 RETIREMENTS 38 APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES 10 10 Terry Knight Welcoming New Faces to the Mutual System GIVING BACK Mutual Companies Support Their Communities Giving Back Recognizing Anniversaries and Changes Celebrating Achievements in the Mutual System Remembering Our Mutual Family Members OMIA Education at a glance More Mutual News Celebrating Those Who Have Helped Ontario Mutuals Thrive Transforming the Mutuals 31 Collectivfide
A Message from OMIA s Chair Terry Knight I simply can t believe we re here in August already Summer is half gone Perhaps it s an understatement to say that it s been an interesting few months as your OMIA Chair Most of our annual events have been cancelled or gone virtual including our AGM golf tournament NAMIC and CAMIC events and various other meetings As the compass is an important piece in my theme and logo I was glad to see COMPASS was able to continue as a virtual event and from what I ve heard it was a very successful undertaking We may be seeing the seeds planted for another future mutual success story With fall quickly approaching and the continued uncertainty of the pandemic the P M meeting will likely look very different this year as well Stay tuned I m extremely happy to note that OMIA staff management the board and committees have all maintained their day to day operations at the high level we have all come to expect even while practicing physical distancing It s been so wonderful to see everyone working together to make the best out of a challenging situation It has also been incredibly heartening to see the mutuals come together and give back to their communities in such an overwhelming show of support This has been an example of true mutuality at its finest I hope in these trying times and with summer quickly coming to an end that you take the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather and spend time with your families Continue to be safe and healthy everyone Yours in Mutuality Terry Knight North Blenheim Mutual OMIA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Watch Winners Even though the OMIA AGM was held digitally we couldn t go a year without drawing winners for our famous OMIA watches We re happy to share that this year s winners were Robert Chambers Brant Mutual Bonnie Barkley Grenville Mutual John Aitken Kent Essex Mutual Ken McCallum West Elgin Mutual 4 Congratulations everyone
UPCOMING EVENTS OMIA is pleased to facilitate the Ontario Mutuals presence at significant community and industry events This year the fall event schedule will look a little different for us Please see below to see some of the changes taking place CANADA S OUTDOOR FARM SHOW IS GOING DIGITAL FOR 2020 September 15 18 2020 www outdoorfarmshow com Canada s Digital Farm Show will deliver interactive content from the field giving participants a unique vantage point to see equipment and agricultural technology in a way they have not been able to before OMIA will be exploring every opportunity to participate as sponsors of the event on behalf of Ontario Mutuals Explore more at www outdoorfarmshow com THE IPM IS POSTPONED UNTIL 2021 www plowinmatch org THE IBAO CONVENTION IS GOING DIGITAL FOR 2020 www ibao org The Ontario Plowmen s Association OPA made the difficult decision to postpone the match until October 13 16 2021 It will take place at the Lindsay Fairgrounds and neighbouring farms in Lindsay The IBAO cancelled their in person Convention but recently posted to their website that they will be hosting a digital event on October 21st and 22nd OMIA will watch for more details and seek out sponsorship opportunties on behalf of Ontario Mutuals This is only the third time that the event has been cancelled since its beginning in 1913 Ironically the first cancellation was in 1918 when the flu pandemic struck Ottawa The second was during the Second World War For more information visit www plowingmatch org For more information visit www ibao org events annualconvention THE PRESIDENTS MANAGERS MEETING IS GOING DIGITAL FOR 2020 The Presidents Managers Meeting P M originally scheduled to take place in London from October 25th 27th will be a digital event this year Although we ll certainly miss the social aspects of the P M we hope that as we ve all become more comfortable with our digital environments we can make the event educational and interactive OMIA will share more details as they become available August 2020 5
WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We re excited to welcome Aimee Townsend to our personal lines underwriting team Aimee has worked in the insurance industry for 23 years She became interested in insurance during a co op placement in high school at an independent adjusting firm Aimee went on to graduate from the Business Insurance Program at Mohawk College She started her career as an insurance receptionist for HB Group Insurance and later spent 14 years as a Personal Lines CSR in her home town for ElliottNixon Insurance Brokers now ORR Insurance Brokers In addition to her sales and service background she also has over eight years of auto underwriting experience coming from another mutual McKillop Mutual Aimee s attention to detail work ethic and positive communications skills will serve her well in her new role Welcome Aimee NEW TEAM MEMBERS Welcoming New Faces to the Mutual System 6 Angela Pasquale Janis Willan Michayla Regnier KENT ESSEX MUTUAL Angela Pasquale has joined us as Auto Underwriter coming to us with several years experience in the insurance industry Janis Willan CIP also joined us as an an Auto Underwriter Janis brings over 25 years of insurance expertise to the team Michayla Regnier joined us recently as Loss Control Coordinator Michayla brings several years of experience in administrative and customer service Welcome Angela Janis and Michayla We re excited to have you join the K E team
NEW TEAM MEMBERS CAYUGA MUTUAL We would like to welcome Trent Byleveld who joined us in June as a Sales Agent Trent was raised in Cayuga and grew up a few blocks away from the office We can t wait to see how his truly local experience inspires his success In true mutual fashion we re very pleased to welcome one of our 1999 co op students Melissa Marcoux back to Cayuga Mutual in the role of Chief Financial Officer Melissa spent several years in the mutual insurance community Welcome to Cayuga Melissa DUFFERIN MUTUAL We would like to welcome Karen Grehan to our team Karen joined us in February as a Multi line Underwriter Karen joins us with over 30 years experience in the insurance industry bringing with her a wealth of knowledge to the company We are looking forward to getting to know Karen and having her be a part of our team Dufferin Mutual s sales office in Mount Forest is pleased to welcome Devon Madden to our team Devon joined us as a Customer Service Representative at the beginning of March 2020 Devon joins us from the events industry coordinating and executing trade shows across Canada as well as programing various live festivals and events throughout the GTA Welcome to Dufferin Mutual Devon We look forward to working with you TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL We re pleased to welcome Christine Tina Brown as a member of our underwriting team Tina is a graduate of the Insurance Business program at Fanshawe College and is actively working towards attaining her CIP Tina brings with her over 10 years of experience in the customer service and hospitality industry Her exemplary customer service focus and ability to foster positive working relationships will be an asset to our team We re happy that Tina has chosen to join our mutual family and look forward to helping her grow and develop within our company BRANT MUTUAL We re pleased to introduce Trevor Partridge to the role of Controller effective April 6th Trevor brings a great perspective to the company with public auditing experience including with various mutual insurance companies Trevor graduated from Wilfrid Laurier in Waterloo with an Honours Bachelor of Arts double major in Economics and Accounting He has also obtained his CPA designation through CPA Canada Trevor and his Fianc are excited to tie the knot despite COVID disruptions Welcome to Brant Mutual Trevor 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 August 2020 7
AYR FARMERS MUTUAL We re very pleased to announce that Maggie Middleton has joined the company as Manager of Human Resources effective June 22nd Maggie has 15 years in various Human Resources roles She has led a wide range of HR projects and programs including for the bulk of her career at Blackberry before taking some time away from the corporate world to run a fitness business that catered to new parents She has recently returned to the corporate world working as an HR Business Partner with Kik a messaging app company and Carta which provides a suite of cloud based equity management products Maggie is a graduate of Psychology Human Resources at the University of Waterloo HOWARD MUTUAL We would like to welcome our newest member to the Team Alison DeLyzer Alison joins us as an Underwriter and brings with her over 10 years of insurance experience Alison looks forward to advancing her skillset as she grows with us in the underwriting department We re very excited to have Alison join our team ENCOURAGING TOMORROW S YOUNG LEADERS Ontario Mutuals Co op Students FARM MUTUAL RE Jackson Smith rejoined the Claims Department in April as a Claims Intern to assist Chris Serran with Medical Rehabilitation Analysis Jackson recently completed his Kinesiology Degree at Wilfrid Laurier University This is Jackson s fourth work term here Laura Boost returned to Farm Mutual Re in May this time with the Claims department as a Claims Intern Laura is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Political Science program at the University of Guelph with a minor in Criminal Justice and Public Policy Last summer Laura was a Communications and Governance Intern with us 8 8 Logan Clendenning joined the Reinsurance Department in May as a Reinsurance Assistant Co op Logan is currently pursuing a double major at Wilfrid Laurier University in Economics and Philosophy Previously Logan worked as an office assistant at Wilfrid Laurier Catherine Ye joined the Actuary Department in May as an Actuarial Analyst Intern Catherine recently completed her Honours Bachelor of Science degree double majoring in Actuarial Science and Statistics and minoring in Economics at the University of Toronto Catherine has completed 3 SOA Exams Previously Catherine worked as an Actuarial Intern Life Health Portfolio Management at Hannover Reinsurance Company
C I B C WO O D G U N DY HINES INVESTMENTS 844 887 4995 Email hinesinvestments cibc ca www hinesinvestments ca Gerald Hines First Vice President Senior Portfolio Manager Sheldon Hines Portfolio Manager Higher Returns with Lower Volatility and Lower Risk Disciplined Conservative Blue Chip Investing Mandate 1 YR 3 YR 5 YR 10 YR Return Quartile Return Quartile Return Quartile Return Quartile Hines Global Dividend 9 55 1 7 19 1 8 51 1 9 01 3rd Hines Global Growth 11 28 1st 11 01 1st st st st Hines Investments Composite Annualized Performance Returns as at May 31 2020 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 Yields rates are as of May 31 2020 and are subject to availability and change without notification Minimum investment amounts may apply Gerald Hines and Sheldon Hines are Investment Advisors with CIBC Wood Gundy in London Ontario The views of Gerald Hines and Sheldon Hines do not necessarily reflect those of CIBC World Markets Inc If you are currently a CIBC Wood Gundy client please contact your Investment Advisor August 2020 9
ONTARIO MUTUALS GIVE BACK How Mutual Companies are Supporting Their Communities FARM MUTUAL RE SUPPORT INITIATIVE Farm Mutual Re announced the launch of Mutual Support on May 27th With this initiative Farm Mutual Re provided each of their 48 voting member companies and one wholly owned subsidiary with a one time payment of 41 000 so they are empowered to support local charitable causes during this challenging time In total over 2 million will be donated back into communities across Canada The COVID 19 pandemic is unprecedented and has threatened the health and well being of our families friends and neighbours We know our mutuals want to support their communities and we appreciate that they know best how to make the most impact said Jean Pierre Gagnon Farm Mutual Re President and CEO This payment will enable mutuals who may not otherwise be able to contribute philanthropic support to local relief efforts Rather than donating the total 2 million to a Farm Mutual Re chosen cause the Mutual Support initiative is our way of distributing charitable funds to our members so they can control where it goes It s what mutuality is all about Our strength lies in our solidarity Together we can help Canadians overcome the current difficulties and advance to a brighter future 10
GIVING BACK CTM CARE CAMPAIGN As a longstanding corporate citizen CTM supports local agriculture and community services sponsoring local fairs youth sports soil and crop improvement societies and senior support organizations With the suddenness and severity of COVID 19 our surrounding communities have felt a harsh impact over the last several months The aim of our CTM Care Campaign is to support efforts in the local communities served by CTM with respect to mental health food security healthcare seniors support and support for victims of domestic violence or other vulnerable persons So far our campaign has successfully donated 33 500 to our surrounding communities The recipients include Salvation Army Simcoe and Strathroy CMHA Brant Haldimand Norfolk and Middlesex CMHA Brant Haldimand Norfolk Church Out Serving Women s Rural Resource Centre VON Middlesex WAYS Foundation Anova London Waterford District Food Cupboard Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen Simcoe Delhi Waterford Port Dover Simcoe Caring Cupboard The Child Nutrition Network Mount Brydges Community Cupboard Thunder Trust Haldimand Norfolk Women s Services SAC Brant Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital Foundation August 2020 11
GIVING BACK HALWELL MUTUAL At the end of 2019 we were so pleased to be able to support The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital and help them expand the special care nursery in the Family Birthing Unit With this donation Halwell is proud to be able to protect families in the Guelph Wellington communities THANK YOU FRONT LINE WORKERS We also wanted to give back to our local communities and protect those who are working so hard to keep us safe during the COVID 19 pandemic We ve donated 10 500 disposable masks to local community hospitals and long term care homes in need Pictured Halwell President CEO Marg Torrance prepares the donation to the Foundation of Guelph General Hospital TRADITION MUTUAL We re proud to pledge our support again to the Stratford Perth Hospice Foundation Hike for Hospice happening later this year 12 FARM MUTUAL RE OMIA Despite the office being closed and employees working from home the Farm Mutual Re OMIA Garden was still planted this spring Members of the Green Team are on a rotating schedule to maintain weed and harvest healthy vegetables to be donated at the Cambridge Food Bank
GIVING BACK THE COMMONWELL We are pleased to announce the introduction of Pay It Forward an initiative developed in response to the COVID 19 pandemic We are proud to count more than 84 000 households in our membership at The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group said President CEO Tim Shauf We want to honour their support of us with a special one time payment of 100 that may be used to ease personal financial pressure or Pay It Forward by donating to others in need in their community As a community insurer we are stepping forward to help our communities in a time of challenge that is affecting all of us Our Pay it Forward initiative stems from the fact that we have been able to carry on business as an essential service while others have not It recognizes that while we can t fix all problems each of us through individual decisions and individual actions can make a difference The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group team has developed a multi faceted COVID 19 Member Response Plan We have introduced several measures to create more flexibility for individual members who are experiencing financial hardship as well as actively facilitating policy changes for members whose circumstances have changed and wish to reduce their monthly premium As part of its Member Response Plan the company s community support program C A R E Create a Ripple Effect has been refined to focus more on the urgent needs of frontline workers and local food banks and has provided more than 120 000 nutritious meals to these groups Each Commonwell team member receives an annual C A R E allocation of 100 which can be contributed to charitable organizations supporting health children or safety initiatives This year we offered to match this donation and our employees chose to donate their 100 to our frontline heroes in longterm care facilities and to food banks We are looking forward to more announcements about how we plan to continue to support and strengthen our communities CAYUGA MUTUAL Staff and agents alike pooled contributions this year in an effort to have a bigger impact on our community With our board of directors matching the amount and our marketing committee contributing a top up we were able to donate 5 000 each to the West Haldimand Hospital the Dunnville Hospital and to Senior Support Services We were especially concerned with helping our highly vulnerable seniors Each group will be putting the donations towards PPE and COVID necessary machinery Leila Thompson from Senior Support Services with Anthony Guevarra Systems Administrator and member of Cayuga Mutual s Marketing Committee August 2020 13
GIVING BACK HAY MUTUAL We ve been doing our part to support the frontline healthcare workers in our communities We donated 12 500 to each of our four area hospitals to assist with the costs of equipment staffing and resources to help in the fight against COVID 19 In addition two family health care clinics and nine Long Term Care facilities were each given 2 500 to be put towards resources to help the staff and residents stay safe during the pandemic On top of the initial donation the LTCs were also given the opportunity to request further funding for specific initiatives related to COVID 19 These funds totaling over 85 000 have been used to purchase new beds extra equipment cover staff overtime and assist in proactive planning efforts in the event that a facility should have to isolate a resident We are very thankful for all the work our healthcare workers do in taking care of our loved ones and their efforts to keep our communities safe LAMBTON MUTUAL In response to the COVID 19 pandemic The Board of Directors for Lambton Mutual Insurance authorized a donation of 75 000 to three of our major city food banks namely The Inn of The Good Shepherd Sarnia The London Foodbank and United Way of Chatham Kent This represents the areas where most of our policyholders hail from Each of the main hubs overseeing food banks in Sarnia London and Chatham received 25 000 to be spread among the smaller counterparts within each hub Organizations which benefitted from this included foodbanks in Watford Alvinston Petrolia Forest Oil Springs Walpole Island and Corunna In addition they were able to supply food items to other agencies such as St Joe s Hospice Huron Boy s Home The Hub The Women s Interval Home Family Service Kent for Partnership Bundles Word of Life Soup Kitchen Chatham Kent Student Nutrition Emergency Fund St Vincent de Paul and many of the Salvation Army charities in South Western Ontario GRENVILLE MUTUAL On April 24th the staff at Grenville Mutual joined the entire nation in wearing red to honour the victims of the senseless and tragic killings in Nova Scotia just one week before In a show of support employees donned red and tartan and shared photos to demonstrate solemn encouragement to the people of Nova Scotia most deeply affected by the tragedy Employees were working from home as a result of the emergency measures to keep people safe during COVID 19 14
GIVING BACK HOWARD WEST ELGIN MUTUALS COMING TOGETHER On June 9th West Elgin Mutual and Howard Mutual came together to provide a gift of isolation gowns to the Pediatrics Mother Baby Labour Delivery and NICO units at Chatham Kent Health Alliance Making these gowns was a collaborative effort West Elgin Mutual reached out to Howard Mutual to see if they would like to be involved in a project to supply gowns to the Chatham Kent Health Alliance who provides important services to policyholders from both mutuals The Hat Brigade from West Elgin Mutual has been working throughout the COVID 19 crisis to make PPE that they have donated to a number of organizations Howard Mutual has been helping various sewing groups in Chatham Kent and Lambton County by supplying funds for their materials and distributing the PPE they created This was a perfect match for a very worthy cause With a financial donation from Howard to help buy fabric and the generosity of Brenda at Evelyn s Sewing and Things in Dutton The Hat Brigade from WE Mutual was able to make 67 gowns It was a very emotional presentation for all involved KENT ESSEX MUTUAL K E recently donated 1 000 to the Colchester Guardian Rescue which is a non profit organization that provides marine rescue service dedicated to saving lives through safe boating activities TRADITION MUTUAL COVID 19 has hit everyone in our community differently and we feel it s important for us to react where needed We know that some in our community depend on the foodbank and we want to support them We recently gave 15 000 to the Salvation Army Foodbank with 5 000 earmarked for each location Stratford St Marys and Mitchell We are all in this together and we all need to work together Kent Essex Mutual Krusaders participated in the annual C K Hike for Hospice event raising 1 900 Way to go team Our company and staff donated funds to a local University student who began producing medical grade face shields for frontline healthcare workers and others in the community We also donated 25 000 to various charitable organizations that are bringing relief to people most impacted by COVID 19 August 2020 15
GIVING BACK MIDDLESEX MUTUAL For the past five years we have hosted an annual Community Appreciation BBQ for our policyholders and community at large As with so many other events social distancing and the well being of our employees and policyholders were major considerations in the decision of how to proceed with our 6th Annual BBQ We are proud of the decision our board made to reimagine our 2020 event In lieu of the BBQ this year s budget was donated to the Ailsa Craig Area Food Bank This is in addition to donations Middlesex Mutual made in March to the London Food Bank Ailsa Craig and Area Food banks and our participation in April with Middlesex Centre Mayor Aina DeViet s COVID Cut Challenge to raise funds for the Ailsa Craig Food Bank We believe we can lessen the impact of coronavirus on our community as a whole by offering extra support to local area food banks during this time Stay tuned In the coming weeks our Middlesex Mutual Community Spirit Pledge committee will meet to put a proposal together for the Board on how best to utilize our 2019 Spirit Pledge funds and Farm Mutual Re s Mutual Support Initiative funds We are grateful to Farm Mutual Re for the additional funding MMIC will be looking at local initiatives to determine how we can best support COVID 19 relief efforts in our community TRILLIUM MUTUAL The ROOTS Community Fund is pleased to support the Wingham Trail Committee Planting Project in the amount of 2 200 This funding will assist with the development of the Wingham Community Trail and Ecological Park Photo taken February 21st 16 The ROOTS Community Fund is pleased to support the Township of Wellington North Mount Forest Aquatic Fundraising Group in the amount of 2 500 Funding has been put towards The Let s Build It Campaign for the new splash pad This 2400 square foot activity center will be inclusive for mobility challenged youth and will engage children of all ages and abilities Photo taken February 21st
GIVING BACK MY MUTUAL The ongoing relationship between our town its residents and its businesses created the platform of trust and cooperation necessary to embark on the process of bringing fibre optic internet to the town of Waldheim Saskatchewan The team at My Mutual Insurance saw the impending need for the upgrade in order to better serve policyholders The Board of Directors was quick to confirm and approve this new directive The town also saw the great benefit this would bring to the community and proactively stepped up to help shape a plan that would extend the access of fibre optic internet to their community This shaped up as a rare opportunity to bring an increase in internet speed and service that would meet the goals and needs of all parties involved My Mutual Insurance reached an agreement with Redbird Communications to bring fibre optics to the town After the mainline was established access to this incredible internet service would be made available to the town and its residents NORTH BLENHEIM MUTUAL We made a contactless donation of 2 500 to the Blandford Blenheim Helping Hands Food Bank on April 24th Pictured above is Mark Peterson Mayor and Denise Tew director at North Blenheim Mutual TRILLIUM MUTUAL We re once again very proud to be a partner of the Crime Stoppers of GreyBruce Golf Tournament Unfortunately the tournament had to be cancelled but we are very happy to announce that 13 000 was still raised for the Crime Stoppers Organization Thank you to all and we look forward to 2021 The project began in August of 2019 and the installation of the fibre optic main service line was completed in April 2020 As we enjoy another beautiful Saskatchewan summer this innovative solution to a small town problem will be made available to Waldheim s residents It shows that a small town is a perfect place for a business that can think outside the box August 2020 17
GIVING BACK TRILLIUM MUTUAL Many organizations desperately need volunteers and Trillium Mutual is proud to support it s employees in any and all volunteer efforts Paula Culbert volunteered at Harleys Pub and Perk to make meals for the Meals on Wheels program in Mildmay Hanover Walkerton and Ayton Meals were also put together by Tracy MacDonald and Bonnie Thompson as part of the Breakfast Club being delivered to students Each week breakfast is delivered to families across the Grey Brice region to help support those in need Kurt Tosetto volunteered with OSHaRE in Owen Sound which is a non profit community organization that comes together to serve the people of Owen Sound and surrounding areas Since their facility is currently closed Kurt helped by packing lunches for takeout for those in need Jessie Poulin volunteered at the Food Bank in London sorting and organizing donations that had come in MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES Trillium Mutual donated 50 000 to 4H Ontario to support their Taking Our Mental Health to Heart Program This donation offers 4 H Ontario the ability to develop and implement a long term program that will improve the mental health of over 6 000 youth across the province Through strategies and training that will be included in both local and provincial opportunities 4 H will ensure that youth have the resilience tools necessary for long term success 18 We also donated 5 000 to WES for Youth Online to help them provide free online counselling services to youth in need Since COVID 19 began the number of youth accessing WES for Youth s services has tripled to over 290 and they have provided over 400 hours of online counselling in the last three months Having access to mental health resources during this time is critical for many youth and we believe that we can contribute by helping provide resources for those most in need These online services allow youth to connect with qualified professional counsellors in a safe environment to discuss and explore issues that they are facing Youth do not require a doctor s referral to register for their service and due to the fact that counselling is offered online they can access this service anywhere and anytime We also donated 50 000 to the Canadian Mental Health Association CMHA Ontario Division to support the role out of the In the Know mental health literacy program developed through the University of Guelph The In the Know course is an evaluated mental health literacy training program for farmers and people who work with farmers that has been shown to increase participants mental health knowledge and confidence in recognizing mental health struggles speaking about mental health and helping others who are struggling The course provides education on topics such as stress depression anxiety substance misuse and how to start a conversation around mental well being CMHA Ontario will be working closely with the OFA the province s largest general farm organization to ensure maximum outreach and benefit to Ontario s agricultural community
GIVING BACK WEST ELGIN MUTUAL Back in March Kelli An DeCook approached Rae Perry knowing that one of her hobbies was sewing to ask if she would be interested in making masks for essential workers Rae suggested that scrub hats would be a better option and as a result the WE Mutual Hat Brigade was formed With an initial donation of 500 for fabric and a call out for help from staff family members and friends the boardroom at WE Mutual was soon turned into a sewing room On a daily basis from mid March through to mid June staff working in the office headed to the boardroom to create scrub hats to donate to senior s homes in Elgin County Skill level didn t matter there was a job for everyone Fabric was cut out buttons were sewn on elastic was threaded Even our President and CEO Brian Downie did some ironing Sourcing elastic and buttons became hard but our amazing community stepped up with donations from their personal collections Local fabric stores gave us some fantastic deals on fabric and Agent Andy McTaggart showed us what his 3 D printer was capable of by making buttons when we were getting low As a result of the time we were able to gift 327 scrub hats and 270 headbands to longterm care facilities Bobier Villa Dutton Elgin Manor St Thomas Terrace Lodge Aylmer and Caressant Care St Thomas In addition our talents were put to use to make over 210 masks for the residents at a seniors home in Dutton who had lost one of their own residents to COVID this gentleman was a long time policyholder of WE Mutual We also contributed to the Kiwanis Home in Rodney and the West Elgin Community Health Centre After taking a break we re now going to start making masks for our own staff so that on their return to work we can help them stay safe Thank you to everyone who helped out in every way with this project It was an amazing team building activity in uncertain times August 2020 19
GIVING BACK WEST ELGIN MUTUAL We d like to give you an update on our Growing for our Community project we mentioned in the April issue of OM News COVID 19 really threw a spanner in the works For a number of weeks we didn t know if we could proceed with the garden as we could no longer use the local school to help build the garden beds for us soil delivery was unheard of availability of plants was unknown and the Government had restrictions in place regarding community gardens At the end of April however we were given the green light to proceed with strict protocols in place In a race against time and with the support of many volunteers we managed build fill and plant 15 raised beds work up and plant a small amount of ground area and plant trees for a future pollinator garden Volunteers have been tending to the garden adhering to the necessary protocols and in mid June we started to harvest our first produce spinach and radishes Over the last few weeks the amount we have had available has increased and last week we made deliveries of fresh produce to local food banks and a group of seniors We eagerly await the coming months as more of our various crops come ready for harvest 20 FARM MUTUAL RE COVID COMMUNITY RELIEF To help support our local community during the COVID 19 pandemic and beyond Farm Mutual Re has made a series of physical and monetary donations to organizations in the Tri City area In April Farm Mutual Re donated 5 000 to each of the local food banks Cambridge Food Bank Guelph Food Bank and Waterloo Region Food Bank Farm Mutual Re also donated 9 500 to each of its three local hospitals Grand River Hospital Cambridge Memorial Hospital and St Mary s Hospital Over 35 of employees also directed their 200 allotted annual charitable contribution to the three local hospitals totaling 7 000 In total 35 500 was donated Additionally during the PPE shortage in late March and April Farm Mutual Re donated 550 one ounce containers of hand sanitizer originally purchased for the AGM convention attendees as well as 30 N95 masks from their Loss Control team to the local hospitals to assist them through the shortage
GIVING BACK WEST ELGIN MUTUAL Our reinsurer Farm Mutual Re generously provided their 48 voting member companies with a lump sum payment to distribute within their communities The WE Mutual Board of directors allocated 25 of our lump sum to staff so we could donate to organizations of our choice So far money has been distributed to food banks animal rescues and Big Brothers and Big Sisters and yesterday another donation was made Everleigh Pierce is a very courageous 9 year old girl who has been living with Pulmonary Hypertension since she was a toddler and her only hope for a long life was a doublelung transplant A few weeks ago she underwent that transplant and has been amazing her family doctors and friends with her strength and resilience Everleigh has been discharged from hospital but has to live in Toronto for three months to be close to her health care Melanie and Carrie two of our staff decided to give their donation amount to Everleigh to help her family with additional expenses being incurred and yesterday Everleigh s grandmother Lorilee accepted a cheque on behalf of the family If you want to know more about Everleigh or would like to help in some way check out her Facebook page Our Sweet Everleigh This little girl is a real warrior NOVA MUTUAL Community might be our most cherished Core Value here at Nova says Nova s Brand Ambassador Emily Gibson Since March Nova Mutual has shared over 27 000 with local groups facing the COVID 19 crisis headon through their WorkingTogetherMatters project Nova s Chief Brand Officer Gloria Field told us Even through something as difficult as this pandemic there has been plenty of positive growth and new opportunities through those challenges One of these new opportunities is the Help NorFarms project out of Delhi Ontario a grocery and supply distribution warehouse for migrant farm workers Nova is the Facilities Sponsor for this season covering the building costs such as rent and utilities Want to learn about this project Visit www novamutual com our community involvement August 2020 21
GIVING BACK SASKATCHEWAN MUTUAL We have been a very big supporter of United Way for the past couple of years and this year we chose them as our Major Donation recipient distributing 40 000 to the United Way chapters across Alberta Saskatchewan and Manitoba This year United Way of Saskatoon and Area asked SMI to participate in the annual Day of Caring on June 9th The Day of Caring hosts partnerships between United Way of Saskatoon and Area business and labour groups local sponsors and community partners and programs by demonstrating our commitment to building a stronger more caring community We are so excited to announce that we have partnered up with Cosmopolitan Industries Cosmo enhances the quality of life for adults with intellectual disabilities As a social enterprise they feature day programs focused on vocational activities which challenge capabilities and build self esteem Their community based approach includes quality of life programs to help participants live a better more meaningful and more productive life Cosmo has asked SMI to create a positive message that we can send to their members staff and volunteers Because most of the SMI staff is working from home we have decided to create a collage message that we can send to Cosmo showing our support of such an amazing organization This collage was created by SMI staff members to show that even though we can t be there to show our gratitude in person we still have Cosmo Industries in our thoughts SOUTH EASTHOPE NORTH BLENHEIM MUTUAL A MUTUAL EFFORT FOR A GREAT CAUSE South Easthope Mutual and North Blenheim Mutual recently teamed up to provide a donation to TAP Tavistock Assistance Program TAP serves the highway 59 corridor from about Hickson to Shakespeare and provides confidential assistance to families in need The money will be used to provide both grocery and gas cards and in some cases may be allocated to aid in the payment of some household bills for those in need Pictured from left South Easthope Mutual Director Jeff Schultz and North Blenheim Mutual Director Terry Ross used a hockey stick to maintain safe social distancing while handing off the donation to Tavistock Assistance Program Director Deb Wagler 22
GIVING BACK 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 Committed to Our Mutual Community CONGRATULATIONS To our 20 clients that have gone live on Cognition Thank you for your dedication and all of the great feedback you have provided We are excited to confirm that clients will be starting their Cognition Property implementation projects and going live through the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2020 In addition our teams are working diligently on the development of our Claims and Accounting modules We are grateful and appreciate our Mutual community for your continued commitment to Cognition and to your communities during this unique and difficult time At Cognition we would like to assure you that as always we will continue to work hard to support you and your clients needs If you would like to learn more about our products and services please contact jperry gocognition com Thank you August 2020 23
Mental Health Awards Scholarships The Umbrella Project Mental Health Awards Scholarships were created to recognize and celebrate students and educators who have shown others how to choose well being by actively strengthening their coping skills and bravely taking on challenges Through the 2020 support of Ontario Mutuals The Umbrella Project is able to honour recipients with the following awards and scholarships School Community Award Recipient Shannon Mercer FE Madill Secondary School When she saw the need in her town and after the death of a student by suicide Shannon began an organization called Mental Health Matters Wingham Her consistent involvement with this organization shows her desire to spread positivity and coping strategies to those in need Her efforts have resulted in raising awareness in the school community and beyond The organization s mission has now expanded to include education and training connection and support With her success Shannon has helped many with health and wellness events including most recently opening a walkin centre in downtown Wingham called Cup of Hope Educator Award Recipient David Voight Laurelwood Public School David is an Educational Assistant at Laurelwood Public School David is known throughout the entire school community as an exceptional leader who empowers students to be the best they can be He is personable and takes students interests to heart He makes everyone he talks to feel better just by being the kind hearted person he is From Administration to staff to students to parents everyone has something great to say when they describe David He goes above and beyond the expectations of his job showing that his heart is at the centre of this school community 24
Student Scholarships Grade 1 8 Logan M Maitland River Elementary School Logan is a student at Maitland River Elementary School He has learned and is determined to use his Umbrella Skills daily Because of some physical challenges due to CRMO a rare inflammatory condition Logan has the grit and determination to advocate for himself and become more and more resilient each day Logan is currently in a super school in a small town in Grade 4 which uses The Umbrella Project From listening during morning announcements assemblies and hearing his teacher talk he has learned different ways of coping during some of his more challenging times He has learned and continues to learn to become more self sufficient with his emotions and when to speak up and ask for help Logan s mother Sherry Karly G Karly received the Student scholarship award because she has St Teresa of Avila Catholic built her umbrella and she knows how Elementary to use it Karly says that resilience School is her superpower and she uses her Umbrella Skills all the time to get through life s challenges This school year was different from any other and Karly was prepared with all The Umbrella Skills that were taught at St Teresa of Avila School If she wasn t quite sure what to do with them or when she would need to use them she sure found out this year when distance learning started Her umbrella was shielded with Gratitude Grit Mindfulness Self Compassion Purpose and much more She also realized that there are some things we cannot control like our current situation but she focused on the things she can control like her attitude towards learning and being grateful for the things she has Cheryl Karly s Grade 1 2 Teacher Student Scholarships Grade 9 12 After struggling a bit during middle school Molly came to see her challenges as an opportunity in high school Molly is known by her teachers as having a strong work ethic and a determination Molly K to inspire other students Huron Heights Secondary Now when Molly s anxiety Schooll interferes with her ability to complete school work she relies on one or more of her learned strategies to help her Molly has used such strategies as meditative breathing with a biofeedback device walking and holding manipulatives to help her regain a sense of calm that allows her to return to the task at hand Molly actually uses these strategies in front of her peers modeling for them positive ways to manage stress Molly is a determined student who is comfortable to advocate for herself and to ask for help when she is uncertain She models this behaviour frequently for her classmates She has normalized asking for assistance so that other students feel more comfortable reaching out to do the same She would love to share her story with others in hopes that it could be just the thing that helps other people to cope Kristy Molly s Teacher Isabella began grade 9 geography as a shy and timid student She struggled with anxiety and experienced some learning difficulties New material did not come easily for her and as a result created stress Rather than make excuses or shy away from adversity she challenged her own learning difficulties Isabella L and anxieties Isabella undeterred and St Paul Catholic Secondary without complaint about having to work harder School than others persevered and developed an incredible work ethic This was evident when she achieved her first level 4 on a unit test and displayed a sense of pride in her efforts that only mature students recognize Her self confidence started growing as a senior student She went on to study chemistry and not only demonstrated a high level of achievement but also showed engagement and participation Throughout her course work Isabella has displayed a tremendous ability to grasp new concepts due to her willingness to put in countless extra hours of practice and extra help She has developed a determination to succeed by identifying her needs as a learner setting goals and following through to completion Isabella realized that she needed to work harder than most to achieve academic results She then came to understand the importance of other things like kindness and generosity and how important these are in life She showed a great perspective on the fact that success and perfection do not need to exist together David Isabella s Teacher www umbrellaproject co August 2020 25
ONTARIO MUTUALS MILESTONES Celebrating Achievements in the Mutual System BCM INSURANCE Congratulations to Christa Nixon Agent on her 20th Anniversary at BCM Insurance in June We celebrated with a social distancing porch visit to recognize this amazing milestone Christa is a second generation BCM Agent taking over the reins from her dad David Nixon on his retirement She has continued the legacy of dedication and professional service to her policyholders Christa is a valued ambassador for BCM Insurance with her policyholders and in the Niagara Community Thank you Christa for your commitment and dedication to BCM Insurance 26 DUFFERIN MUTUAL TURNS 125 It was 1895 when a group of men met at the Shelburne Town Hall and formed the beginnings of Dufferin Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company The group decided that the company would cover the Dufferin Area and that Shelburne would be the location of the head office Seventy three names appeared on the first subscription list It was a humble beginning for a company that would grow to more than 4 000 policyholders It s our multi generations of policyholders that have helped to shape the company into who we are today The pandemic has thrown off our plans for celebrating the company s 125 year milestone However this is a year in which our policyholders and community want us to step up to the plate and we plan on doing just that Our board recently approved a significant increase for our charitable contributions this year and considering our heritage is in Shelburne and Dufferin County that s exactly where our efforts will be concentrated This is such a milestone and we have to say thanks to all of the people who came before us at Dufferin Mutual To our founders to the generations of policyholders to our fellow employees who dedicated their entire careers at Dufferin and to the Directors who have served in the past our thoughts are with them for we owe them a great debt of gratitude LAMBTON MUTUAL In today s fastpaced modern world it s rare to find people who have worked at the same place for decades Recently we had three ladies celebrating noteworthy milestones We would like to acknowledge our President and CEO Deb Van Eyk for her incredible milestone of 35 years our dedicated Lambton Mutual Claims Adjuster Cindy Blythe who is celebrating her 30th Anniversary and experienced Auto Underwriter Cheryl Muxlow who is celebrating her 25th Anniversary Congratulations on your anniversaries ladies and thank you for your commitment to Lambton Mutual Insurance
Get to know the OMIA Marketing Coordinators How long have you worked at OMIA B 5 years T 3 years next month What has suprised you most about working at OMIA B The overall support that I receive from the organization is great I have truly been set up to succeed The people I ve met in the mutuals are some of the kindest and most genuine people out there and it s nice to be surrounded by that on a regular basis Brandon Mina Tavia Tobey T How vast the mutual system actually is Working at the Association means that I am fortunate that I get to interact with different mutual companies every day It s interesting to see how each company is so different and yet they re all connected through their similar values which creates a thriving system that truly benefits Ontario s rural communities How does your department help Ontario Mutuals succeed B We provide over arching marketing support to all mutuals while fostering relationships with community stakeholders at farm shows and other Agriculture related events We ve created print digital and radio ads to help mutuals deliver their message and we provide additional support where we can T We are like a very small marketing agency dedicated to helping the mutuals with their marketing projects in any way that we can We also promote the Ontario Mutuals brand at trade shows through sponsorships and over social media What is your favourite part about your job B My co workers We have an awesome team that works really well together I also really enjoy being able to hop in and out of different projects and events for different mutuals Variety is the spice of life T Every day is different You never know who is going to call or email with a new project request I also get to help out at a variety of different events I go from wearing wellies in a field at farm shows to wearing heels in a ballroom at Convention What is one thing you wish member companies knew about your department B We re here to help While we certainly have our own projects and events to run we are still here to help the membership in any way we can There are a tonne of resources available to the member companies and an abundance of ways that we can help them with their marketing goals T We do more than farm shows If you need help with anything marketing related just reach out to marketing omia com Although our department is small you might be surprised by all that we can do What is one interesting fact about yourself that you would like to share B I coach basketball in my spare time and was fortunate enough to see the Raptors training camp last year when they won the Championship I ve been a fan since day one and it was really cool to see it come together T Brandon totally has a slam dunk answer that I won t be able to compete with I guess I ll share some of my favourite pastimes I enjoy playing volleyball baseball swimming hiking baking crafting and reading I am also a huge animal lover and my favourite place to be is on a dock in cottage country August 2020 27
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Congratulating Mutual Members on Their Professional Developments FARM MUTUAL RE We have been named one of Canada s Greenest Employers for the third year in a row Now in its 13th year Canada s Greenest Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness Winning employers selected by editors of Canada s Top 100 Employers are evaluated using four main criteria 1 unique environmental initiatives or programs they have developed 2 whether they have been successful in reducing their own environmental footprint 3 whether their employees are involved in these programs and contribute unique skills 4 w hether their environmental initiatives have become linked to the employer s public identity attracting new employees or customers Contact us for all of your promotional marketing needs 519 623 5101 or sales arrowmarketing ca 28 CTM We would like to congratulate Alison Goodrum on achieving her CIP designation Ali has been with CTM since 2009 and for many years she was the smiling face that greeted anyone who walked through our doors She has since taken a position in underwriting expanding her insurance career Way to go Ali HALWELL MUTUAL Congratulations to Tiia Planert Junior Underwriter on the recent completion of her CIP Not only this but she completed it with honours in every single course Congratulations Tiia HAY MUTUAL We are very happy to share that Director Bill Gibson has completed his Farm Mutual Director Certification FMDC Program from NAMIC We are very fortunate to have Directors who are passionate about our industry and wish to further their education to serve as confident members of our Board Congratulations Bill and thank you for your dedication to Hay Mutual TOWN COUNTRY MUTUAL We would like to congratulate Julian Ghloum on achieving his CIP designation Julian also received an award as he was the top CIP grad in the Southwestern Ontario Chapter Congratulations Julian
OntarioMutuals ca Has a Fresh New Look We educate families and connect them to the resources available to support children who are experiencing mental health issues After a delayed launch due to COVID 19 we re happy to share that the new Ontario Mutuals website is live We launched the website along with our Mutual Difference video which you can watch there too Visit www ontariomutuals ca Questions Reach out to marketing omia com Our goal is to help build empathy understanding and resiliency Let s start a conversation that makes everyone feel supported Find Out How You Can Get Involved Paula Jesty 519 719 9708 www miunderstanding ca IN MEMORIAM Remembering our Mutual Family Members THE COMMONWELL MUTUAL We are saddened to advise of former Director Dwight Proudfoot s passing on July 22nd Dwight joined the Board of Directors of The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group on its very first day January 1 2014 after having served on the Board of Directors of Glengarry Mutual Insurance Company in Alexandria Ontario for 3 years Dwight retired from The Commonwell Board of Directors in March 2019 Many of you may have met Dwight over the years at mutual events He was a true gentleman a consummate professional and a committed Board member Our prayers and condolences go out to Dwight s family WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL We are saddened to inform you of the passing of former Director Mike Rogers on April 26th Mike and his wife Betty were both very involved in the community Mike helped resurrect the Maitland Air Squadron in Goderich and was also a two time president of the Rotary and lifelong member He had a farm property outside of Goderich and loved animals eventually getting into the sheep industry Mike was well known in the agricultural community for his many years of working at Farm Credit Corporation Even today farmers in the area remember Mike Rogers as the man who gave them their first mortgage to buy their farms He retired at the age of 55 and enjoyed his retirement to the fullest Our sincere condolences go out to Mike s family August 2020 29
August 2020 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Giving Back Facing These Challenging Times Head On pg 10 N E W S L E T T E R 2020 CHANGES HOW FALL EVENTS ARE SHAPING UP PG 5 New Partnership An Update from Collectivfide pg 31
The first half of 2020 has flown by and suffice to say it was a very eventful one We are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel as most of the Province of Ontario moves into stage two of re opening Nonetheless we will continue our focus on executing the Collectivfide strategy in the second half of the year As for many businesses the events over the past three months have been challenging but it has certainly not stopped our momentum With that said Collectivfide is pleased to announce the closing of our first acquisition on June 1st 2020 protecting over 3 2 million of volume with four mutuals We are very excited to welcome Doner Horsley Insurance Brokers Ltd and all of its employees to the mutual family Doner Horsley has been in business in Simcoe County for over 100 years with an excellent reputation of servicing Alliston and surrounding communities We look forward to growing the brokerage as it becomes our very first purchase and cornerstone brokerage Laurie and Blaire Hadwen will remain minority shareholders and operate the brokerage to ensure the smooth transition and participate in the future growth of the business The Hadwens are life time residents of the community and have experience in the P C industry of over 20 years with the past decade as part owners and operators of Doner Horsley Insurance Brokers Ltd Doner Horsley is very excited about our newly formed partnership with Collectivfide We believe this union is going to allow Doner Horsley to build and strengthen its relationships with insurance carrier partners allowing the brokerage to offer a wider variety of products for our clients Collectivfide is made up of various farm mutual insurers that share the same values that Doner Horsley has practised for over 100 years Those values go outside of the insurance realm to include building strong relationships within our community We look forward to Collectivfide taking our organization to another level of expertise Laurie Hadwen President Doner Horsley Insurance Brokers Ltd We believe that an investment in Collectivfide is an investment in the future for the mutuals and welcome any questions that your mutual may have Please feel free to contact Tony Ngo for further details tony ngo collectivfide com Upon reflection over the past six months and especially the three months in quarantine I have come to realize how important it is to unite as one mutual community Although we all have our opinions on different matters related to our business it has become apparent from listening and having conversations with the members that we remain steadfast to our cause of mutuality and our commitment to the communities we serve Collectivfide was founded on that premise and we continue to carry those values in the work we do for the benefit of the entire mutual network Tony Ngo CEO A PARTNERSHIP WITH A PURPOSE August 2020 31
OTHER NEWS EDGE MUTUAL Get To Know Your Edge Mutual Colleagues as They Reflect on Working From Home We thought we would have some fun in this challenging time and help you get to know us a bit better by asking staff what they like most about working from home and what they like the least about working from home Here are some of the responses DAVE M What has changed for me is the realization that work life balance is crucial Work continues pretty much as normal if slower because everyone is suddenly online but life is totally out of whack not being able to do the things in the evenings and on weekends that were so important and taken for granted dinner with family and friends movies theatre concerts activities that involve the people and places that really matter PAULA V My most very favorite part of working from home is my unrushed relaxed mornings spent with my son before work and school begin AGSCAPE HAS A SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL AGM As the voice of Agriculture in the Ontario Classroom AgScape provides factual balanced curriculum linked food literacy programs and resources to Ontario s educators and students Ontario Mutuals is a member of AgScape and a sponsor of the AgScape AGM This year s theme was Farm Food and Beyond Building partnerships is crucial to enhancing our organizational capacity and overall impact on agriculture and food literacy in Ontario classrooms The AGM content from April 27th to May 13th highlighted that impact and allowed us to connect and continue open minded conversations across the sector to foster our shared success We wish to share a big thank you for Ontario Mutuals support of the event We know it s been an interesting year with COVID 19 and the move to virtual but we believe this actually provided even greater exposure for our event and sponsors through the ability to hold multiple segments with live meetings and videos as well as through our newsletter website and social media especially with everyone being 32 HARRIET P What I like most about working from home is easy access to junk food That s what I like least too NANCY F What I enjoy most about working from home is my quiet unrushed morning and that there is no commute What I don t like about working from home is that I miss the daily interaction with my colleagues GRACE R I ve learn to be resourceful and autonomous because I don t have my workmates beside me I started to develop the skill of searching for my own answers Of course I can still ask questions and get help if I need to There s not much I do not like about working from home during the pandemic but if I had to mention something it would be not seeing my co workers face to face and the staff bonding gatherings activities are missed much more active online lately The videos themselves will continue to provide exposure for Ontario Mutuals and other supporters as they are shared through our YouTube channel We had a great turnout for our live speaker and panel session and business meeting with over 85 attendees from various organizations and diverse areas of the sector and our video segment views continue to grow with already well over 100 viewers for each segment With the success we had from last year s event in kicking off one of our most successful years yet for outreach and partnership we know that this year is already looks incredibly promising We can t thank you enough for your support of our AGM and your ongoing membership involvement I m excited to share more updates throughout the year as we build out new creative programs for this new virtual age with the hopes of a return to in classroom visits as well when times are safer Taylor Selig Development Manager AgScape ca
OTHER NEWS OTHER NEWS FARM MUTUAL RE MUTUAL HISTORY IN A TABLE In mid 2019 Farm Mutual Re began contemplating renovations to change the shape of its boardroom to allow for better viewing hearing and collaboration The search for a new board table was underway In August 2019 Jean Pierre JP Gagnon Farm Mutual Re President and CEO toured the Maritimes visiting MAMIC members During his visit to SE Mutual Insurance he found a treasure Shaun McPhee CEO of SE Mutual Insurance said they were about to dispose of their former table It was the perfect shape for Farm Mutual Re s new boardroom A few months later that very table is in Cambridge refinished rewired and ready to welcome the board in the newly renovated boardroom A fine example of mutuality and sustainability Pictured The boardroom table at SE Mutual above and the refinished boardroom table at Farm Mutual Re also left to right Amy Butler Jeff Consitt and Kevin Cameron physically distanced in May as they prepared for the annual AM Best meeting Make sense of the path ahead 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 Contact Jas Chahal CPA CA at 289 293 2371 or jas chahal mnp ca MNP ca August 2020 33
OTHER NEWS FARM MUTUAL RE KEEPING THE CULTURE ALIVE Just because Farm Mutual Re employees are working from home during the COVID 19 pandemic doesn t mean they can t enjoy team building experiences Since the office closure in March they have held many themed days including Wear Red Day in support of the Nova Scotia Strong initiative Pajama Day and Crazy Hat Day They have also held two physically distanced events at the office Ice Cream Day and Lemonade Day which was an event held in conjunction with OMIA They also created a Spotify playlist curated for employees by employees Thank you to Neil Shay and his team at CTM Mutual for inspiring the idea with their CTMers Spotify playlist Pictured Left Farm Mutual Re Ice Cream Day Right Angela Boost Maja Marosevic Amanda Cox catch up on Lemonde Day FARM MUTUAL RE THANK YOU DAYS Farm Mutual Re employees have been working productively throughout the pandemic They ve embraced new technology and overcome unique challenges To thank them they were given Thursday July 2 and Friday July 3 off to unplug and recharge Their staff shared some photos of what they got up to during their Thank You Days Looks like lots of relaxation and fun was had NOVA MUTUAL On July 9th Nova hosted their very first Virtual Broker Event Since COVID has placed a damper on in person gatherings Nova didn t want to miss out on the opportunity to connect with our Brokers share updates on the business and provide them with some truly valuable content They asked motivational speaker Chris Koch to talk to the group on the subjects of resiliency adaptability and maintaining a positive mindsetsomething that we re all working hard to practice these days The event was very well received and Nova s Brokers are looking forward to the next one already Check out Chris on Instagram ifican chriskoch HALWELL MUTUAL STAFF APPRECIATION The Halwell staff have been working harder than ever throughout this pandemic To thank them for their perseverance CEO Marg Torrance announced that every Halwell employee would get two extra days off giving everyone an extra long Canada Day weekend 34
OTHER NEWS OTHER NEWS MIDDLESEX MUTUAL On May 27th MMIC held its first virtual AGM While the format was different all other elements remained the same from opening remarks made by our Vice Chair Paula Bodkin to the President CEO Nancy Preston s financial report to the Auditors annual report In January 2020 our members passed a by law at a Special General Meeting to reduce the size of the Board of Directors from nine to six We took the opportunity to thank retiring directors Ruth Talbot Dave Dixon and Karna Brennan Middlesex Mutual has benefited from their contributions over the years and very much appreciate all the hard work and dedication they gave to our Mutual Here is Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co s Board of Directors for 2020 It is our pleasure to introduce and congratulate Paula Bodkin and Gary Goertz as our newly elected Chair and ViceChair respectively Middlesex Mutual would also like to thank all of our Directors for their continued dedication to our policyholders and the communities we serve TRIILUM MUTUAL We re very proud to announce that we have partnered with Crawford Company s WeGoLook to provide a contactless claims solution to better serve our members across Ontario This innovative member orientated platform helps us provide enhanced customer service WeGoLook is an incredibly simple app that allows insurance policyholders to submit their own damage photos when filing a claim and enhances the claims experience for our members August 2020 35
August 2020 O N T A R I O M U T U A L S Giving Back Facing These Challenging Times Head On pg 10 N E W S L E T T E R 2020 CHANGES HOW FALL EVENTS ARE SHAPING UP PG 5 New Partnership An Update from Collectivfide pg 31
RETIREMENTS DUMFRIES MUTUAL Gordon Taylor retired from our Board in the spring after serving for three full decades Gordon took pride in acting on behalf of our policyholders and their needs He will always be appreciated for his devotion to mutual insurance his strong agricultural background and outgoing personality Gordon has held many roles in our community over the years in the areas of municipal government plowing matches heritage preservation and more We thank Gordon for helping our company progress to where we are today DUMFRIES MUTUAL Anne JonesAbel also transitioned into a welldeserved retirement from our Board this past spring As a proud policyholder since 1980 Anne became a director in 1987 She served diligently throughout her 33 years including during her terms as Chair and as a member of many committees Anne is a retired school teacher who continues to be active in her community and family s lives We thank Anne for her many contributions and the positive impact she had on our company THE COMMONWELL We would like to congratulate and thank Sally Imrie Leader Personal Lines Underwriting on her May 1st retirement At 45 years of service Sally s career with The Commonwell is one for the books She has witnessed many transformations moving from electronic typewriters to personal computers smart phones awash with apps and most recently a new system Sally is a highly respected member of our leadership team and we will miss seeing her daily The team said farewell by driving and waving past her home and the entire company joined in a video call HTM The Board of Directors of Hamilton Township Mutual Insurance Company announces that after nearly 35 years of dedicated service Terrye Calnan retired from her employment with HTM on June 26th Terrye has been valued and loyal employee who has been integral to HTM s growth and success over the past three decades We wish Terrye well as she moves on to a new and exciting chapter of her life Terrye will be assisting with the transition of her duties as CFO to Donna White leading up to her official retirement date and will be reducing day to day duties and responsibilities accordingly Please direct any active inquiries to Donna White Please join us in thanking Terrye for her contributions to the organization and offering congratulations on her retirement HAY MUTUAL We would like to thank Marlene Munn for serving 10 years as a dedicated Director on our Board Her leadership and guidance while acting as Board Chair for two years was much appreciated by our organization Marlene s passion for our company and the mutual insurance industry is second to none and we wish her well after retiring as a Director at our AGM held earlier this year CAYUGA MUTUAL Agent Mike Cowan is looking forward to the next stage of his life as he retires in August of this year We would like to thank Mike for over 13 years of service and wish him well in his retirement August 2020 37
APPOINTMENTS POSITION CHANGES Transforming the Mutuals CAYUGA MUTUAL We re pleased to announce that Starr Doleman has moved into the role of Sales Agent with Cayuga Starr worked for seven years at Cayuga Mutual in automobile underwriting Congratulations Starr We look forward to your success in this role CAYUGA MUTUAL We re pleased to welcome Michael Horvath who was recently appointed to our Board of Directors Michael owns a digital marketing agency helping local businesses grow their profile online We look forward to his guidance on our board Welcome Michael BRANT MUTUAL We re pleased to introduce Dolores Hallett who was appointed to our Board of Directors on March 19th Dolores has a B B A from Wilfred Laurier University completed her F M A F C S I C I W M and most recently completed an Elder Planning Course E P C FARM MUTUAL RE Jiayi Zheng was promoted to a new eightmonth contract as an Actuarial Analyst on the Analytics Services team in May This promotion recognizes Jiayi s dedication to Farm Mutual Re and our values and will allow her to further develop and implement her knowledge and skills in the Actuary field Jiayi started with Farm Mutual Re in January 2019 as an Actuarial Analyst Intern within the Actuarial Department In September of 2019 Jiayi s internship was extended to May 1st 2020 She is a very successful businesswoman who co owns a branch of Assante with her business partner Maria Mateyk A happy and thriving business partnership of 26 years She s also honoured to be able to work side by side with her husband Barry of six years of whom she shares three lovely children with Welcome to Brant Mutual Dolores 38
APPOINTMENTS GRENVILLE MUTUAL Our Board and Staff are delighted to announce the appointment of Pam Marson to the role of President effective June 1st With more than 30 years experience in personal lines commercial property and casualty insurance and most recently as Vice President Strategic Planning and Execution with a global P C insurer Pam s experience will prove central to her role She will work closely with our current CEO Ross Lincoln and the leadership team on strategy and business execution As part of our company s strategic succession Ross will be retiring from Grenville Mutual at the end of this year Pam brings to Grenville Mutual vast experience in both personal and commercial lines of insurance She has also managed brokerage offices throughout Eastern Ontario and has also been a change leader in a variety of environments from steady state operations to large scale transformations In particular she brings a keen understanding of the competitive digital insurance landscape and the changes required in elevating customer expectations while integrating digital technologies into their operations As Grenville Mutual continues to strengthen its core business lines Pam s wide ranging knowledge and understanding of the trends and pressures facing the insurance sector from the distribution and customer facing view will be valued assets in the years to come Her energy skills and people oriented leadership are compatible additions to the Grenville team Please join us in welcoming Pam to our company August 2020 39
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 notification that goes out when a new issue is available And keep that news coming Address 350 Pinebush Road Cambridge Ontario N1T 1Z6 519 622 9220 Fax 519 622 9227 Mail P O Box 3187 Cambridge ON N3H 4S6 www omia com