On The Scene

PAUL DAVIS SYSTEMS CANADA, LTD. (PDSC) has added Ralph Gottschalk as the newest franchisee to its network. Ralph will be operating the Paul Davis Systems of Peterborough & Kawartha Lakes franchise providing restoration services to the Peterborough community and surrounding area. 

 Property and casualty insurance firms in Canada need to focus on recruiting aboriginal and internationally-trained professionals, and on flexible work arrangements to retain workers in their 30s, according to a recent report. The Insurance Institute of Canada published the study, dubbed Demographic Analysis of the Property & Casualty Insurance Industry in Canada 2012 – 2022. An executive report is available on the Insurance Institute web site. Written by R.A.L. Consulting Ltd. president Richard Loreto, the report is based on surveys of human resources professionals and of employees in the industry. It also uses information from a demographic analysis of the P&C industry workforce, based on data both from individual companies and from provincial regulators. 

Audatex, a provider of information data, technology software, and services for the automobile and insurance claims processing industry, has appointed Darcy Gorchynski as Director of Business Development (Western Canada) for its Insurance Claims Services division. 

Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. has once again been selected as one of the Top 15 Employers in the Waterloo Region in an announcement that was made in a special editorial feature of The Waterloo Record newspaper in November 202. The list recognizes exceptional employers that offer excellent career prospects to their employees.  

STRONE, an emergency, restoration and remediation company headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, has acquired TCR of Muskoka, with its full scope of restoration services.With this acquisition, STRONE also adds soft contents restoration to its service line-up, gaining the Esporta wash system, offered by TCR. 

Cunningham Lindsey Canada has launched a new division, Cunningham Lindsey Research Services Inc (Research Services), offering investigative, surveillance and information services to the insurance industry. The new division is geared toward the Canadian insurance industry but also services the needs of corporations, lawyers and private individuals, the company says. 

As of early February, Australian general insurers had already received more than 65,000 claims, with insurance losses conservatively estimated at $674 million, from four catastrophes declared by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) in three states over the past few months. The majority of those claims have come from the state of Queensland, which has been affected by severe flooding and cyclone storm damage. More claims are expected over the next months, the ICA noted.  

Property and casualty insurer RSA has appointed Paul Lucarelli as vice president of its Large Commercial and Specialty business in the Ontario Region. In this new role, Lucarelli will also lead the company’s Large Commercial and Speciality upper Mid-Market business in Ontario. 

There were more than 90,000 impaired driving incidents in Canada in 2011, about 3,000 more than the previous year, Statistics Canada reported in January in an analysis of its latest figures, but fewer of those people charged went to jail. “The rate of impaired driving was 262 per 100,000 population, 2% higher than in 2010 and the fourth increase in five years,” StatsCan stated in an article on its websites. Until 2007, the impaired driving rate in Canada had been steadily declining since the 1980s, the agency noted. In 2011, impaired driving-related deaths, however, were the lowest in 25 years. During the year, police reported 121 incidents of impaired driving causing death, and 839 causing bodily harm, StatsCan said. 

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) and the Toyota Canada Foundation have launched a new education program to teach the public more about vehicle safety features, as the groups suggest that only a third of Canadians understand how such features really work. “Cars today are equipped with more safety features than ever before. Knowing more about them is an important part of making the most of your car’s safety features,” Stephen Beatty, director of the Toyota Canada Foundation noted in a public statement. “We want to empower Canadians to learn more about how their cars work and to use that knowledge every time they get behind the wheel.”

Known as Brain on Board, the program includes a website that aims to dispel myths about safety features and teach Canadians more about them, in the hopes of reducing collisions overall. The site uses tools such as plain language descriptions of common safety features, details about the human factors that contribute to safe driving, and other educational materials.  

John Seyler, National President of the Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association (CIAA) is pleased to announce Cunningham Lindsey Canada’s recent choice to participate and support the ideals and values of the association. 

“We are very excited to welcome Cunningham Lindsey back into the fold. CIAA members make a real difference to the industry through their strong belief in corporate social responsibility as a source of opportunity and innovation. Although competitors, CIAA’s volunteers set competition aside and are dedicated to working together for the advancement and preservation of the independent adjusting profession.  This significant increase in resources and expertise will be of considerable benefit for all members.” 

Rob Seal, President of Cunningham Lindsey, stated “We believe there are some positive initiatives underway and have come to an agreement to rejoin the CIAA. We want to take an active role in pushing these initiatives and look forward to participating.”

Since 1952, CIAA has been providing leadership for Canada’s Independent Adjusters through advocacy, education and recognized standards of professionalism through a defined code of ethics and fair practice policies.