Insurable Interest Canadian Insurance Blog

Westland continues to grow across Canada with two acquisitions in Alberta Surrey, BC (Jan. 4, 2024) – Westland Insurance is pleased to announce that it has acquired Dyberg Insurance Inc. and Prairie Villa Insurance, effective January 1st. Prairie Villa Insurance has roots going back to 1973 in Northern Alberta, now with three longstanding offices located across the Peace Country. Maintaining a firm local focus, they’ve formed deep and lasting ties to their communities. This strategic acquisition grows Westland’s distribution presence in Northern Alberta with a team of talented professionals who can support clients with personal, commercial, and farm insurance solutions. Established in 1953, Dyberg Insurance is a family-owned brokerage located in Edmonton, AB. Renowned for its exceptional personal and commercial insurance services, Dyberg Insurance has built a strong presence within its community. Dyberg Insurance will be integrated with Westland’s existing Edmonton operations. “I’m very pleased to welcome Prairie Villa Insurance and Dyberg Insurance to the Westland team,” says Jamie Lyons, Westland’s President & CEO. “With a shared dedication to exceptional customer service and community involvement, we’re poised to create formidable partnerships with these two brokerages. We look forward to working with their passionate teams of employees to continue making a...

Ottawa, ON (Jan. 4, 2024) – Canadians are deeply alarmed about speeding in our neighbourhoods, even as a sizeable number admit to doing it themselves, according to polling released today by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). Nearly 9 in 10 Canadians (88 per cent) say they are deeply worried about speeding in residential areas, while 1 in 5 (22 per cent) admit to doing it at least sometimes, CAA’s polling found. Meanwhile, speed-related collisions are on the rise, accounting for a quarter of fatal collisions in the last year for which federal government data is available. “Canadians are right to be alarmed about speeding,” says Ian Jack, vice-president, public affairs, CAA National. “Speed-related collisions are preventable. That is why CAA is asking Canadians to slow down in 2024 and keep everyone safe.” According to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, travelling even 10 km/hr over the speed limit increases the likelihood of a collision by 60 per cent, while saving the average driver only four minutes on a trip. “Don’t forget speed limits are posted for ideal weather. Especially while most of the country is in the thick of winter, we should all really try to respect the speed limit or...

Instant Language Assistant launched Toronto, ON (Jan. 3, 2024) – Crawford Technologies, a leading provider of innovative document solutions that streamline, improve and manage customer communications, announced the general availability of Instant Language Assistant (ILA) as part of its AccessibilityNow® platform. AccessibilityNow provides software solutions that offer a wide range of tailored services to meet the document accessibility and inclusion needs of organizations and governments of all levels. Crawford Technologies’ ILA, the company’s latest accessible communication solution, is a dual-screen device that breaks down communication barriers by allowing users to communicate via text, speech, American Sign Language (ASL) and/or braille, all in any language desired. Using ILA, users can speak, spell aloud or type their words and the entire conversation is immediately communicated to the other party in their chosen language, using the most sophisticated language-based AI technology on the market. Real-time conversations are instantly translated. Numerous countries, including the U.S., have enacted laws and regulations mandating language access services in various industries. ILA easily facilitates this and provides complete accessibility using external Bluetooth® devices such as keyboards, braille displays and hearing aids. Additional benefits of Crawford Technologies’ ILA include: Speech and captions in more than 120 languages, including ASL and various...

Start Slideshow When your client has a decision to make and money is involved, you want to be their first call. This means you must be top of mind: the first name they think of when they need advice. Your competition might be their accountant, other financial advisors, family members and financial professionals they know in the community. How do you stay top of mind con a consistent basis? For 11 ideas, see the gallery. These are only a few examples of easy ways you can stay top of mind with your clients. Once you see these, you’ll think of plenty more. Credit: fizkes/Adobe Stock Start Slideshow

Winnipeg, MB (Dec. 29, 2023) – Every year, auto insurance fraud in Manitoba costs customers more than an estimated $50 million. To raise awareness of this cost, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is sharing its top five attempted frauds from 2023, as investigated by the Corporation’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU). “Our experts in SIU investigate suspicious claims to give customers the peace of mind that the right claims are being paid for the right amount,” said Satvir Jatana, MPI’s Chief Customer Officer. “This annual list showcases some of the most unique ways people attempt to commit fraud, and the techniques MPI’s experts use to stop them, helping to save our ratepayers millions of dollars.” Last year, MPI’s SIU closed over 3,000 investigations, which resulted in claims savings of over $10.5 million for customers. No. 1: Memory lapse A customer opened a collision claim for their vehicle but could not confirm what had occurred to cause the damage. They reported they were only made aware of the need for repairs when they went to an impound lot to obtain their belongings from the vehicle. They also denied consuming any alcohol, drugs or medication in the 12 hours before the incident. Based on...