Views (January 01, 2006)

Clearing their closets for a good cause, members of the insurance industry formed a clothing collective that donated over 1,800 lbs of gently used women’s business clothing and accessories to the first annual industry clothing drive to benefit Dress For Success Toronto. The Dress for Success not-for-profit organization helps financially disadvantaged women dress for interview success, acquire jobs and restore financial self-sufficiency. Seven major Greater Toronto Area insurance companies and associations – Aviva Canada Inc.; Pilot Insurance, the largest contributor having donated 30% of clothing through several GTA offices; Dominion of Canada; ING Canada; Insurance Bureau of Canada; Toronto Insurance Women’s Association; and Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company – participated in October’s clothing drive, which was organized by the Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN). “Many women who visit our clothing bank are survivors of family abuse and the majority are moms who earn the primary wage for their families,” Toran Harbin, founder of Dress For Success Toronto, said. “For them, the expense of quality, professional business clothing is a luxury they often can’t afford.” As key sponsor of the clothing drive, CRDN brought a festive December delivery of donations to the doorstep of Dress For Success clothing bank in Yorkdale Mall, Toronto. Next year CRDN hopes to make contributions to the Dress For Success clothing banks in Vancouver and Halifax, through CRDN members in each province.

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Generosity shone brightly at the Fellows of the CIP Society’s 11th Annual Charity Gala held in May 2005. The 11th Annual Gala exceeded its goals to truly became the event ‘where wishes and dreams can come true’ by presenting all of the evenings $190,000 proceeds to the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation. The Gala’s goal could not have risen above expectations without the donations from five Presidents’ Level Sponsors, each making a financial commitment of $10,000. The very dedicated special club of President’s Level Sponsors include: Lombard Canada Ltd.; The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Co.; Pilot Insurance Company; Discount Car & Truck Rentals; and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. In special recognition of their shining contributions, a Starlight Starbright Fun Centre is being donated in each of their names to the paediatric ward at a hospital of their choice. Vice president of sales and custom marketing for Lombard Insurance Dean Morrissey as well as chair of the Starlight Gala Camille Alexander and the pediatric ward staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital all took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony that commemorated the opening of a Fun Center donated to the hospital’s pediatric ward by Lombard Canada.

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Helping heal humans, the Ontario Risk Insurance Management Society (ORIMS) contributed $10,000 of the proceeds raised at its annual Seasonal Luncheon, held on Dec. 9 at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel, to Doctors Without Borders/Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF). Of the substantial donation to MSF, $3,000 was raised through raffle ticket sales. The remaining $7,000 was contributed by ORIMS. Lucky raffle prize winners took home over $4,200 in prizes. Prior to dining on fine cuisine, the 455 ORIMS members and guests enjoyed the musical jazz styling of Lam-Chops Music Group. Founded in 1971, MSF is an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, disasters, or inadequate health care. MSF volunteers typically work in the most remote and dangerous parts of the world, providing emergency medical assistance in more than 70 countries.

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Teaming up with Toronto Maple Leafs’ alumni Peter Zezel and Mark Osborne, the Insurance Institute of Ontario (IIO) welcomed students to The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto for the annual “Feed the Minds of Youth” event. Providing some food for thought, the event teaches children about career choices in the property and casualty insurance industry and the importance of education. Zezel and Osborne spoke to the eager students about why insurance professionals are important to the sports world. This year marked the first time that the Insurance Institutes and Chapters across Canada opened their doors to host free breakfasts and luncheons to Grade 9 students and their parents or guardians as part of the Take Your Kids to Work Day. More than 200,000 Grade 9 students from across Ontario participated in the Nov. 2 event that is part of a larger program called Career Connections. This year-round program is provided by the Institute as an educational initiative that explains the P & C industry and highlights all the career possibilities the industry has to offer.

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The forces of nature were on the side of the Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association (CIAA) this September, as the sun shone favorably on the CIAA’s 21st Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The convention committee, lead by Brian Gough, of Marsh Adjustment Bureau Limited, put together a program surpassing expectations. The four-day event highlighted the election of the 2005-06 CIAA National Executive as follows: Craig J. Walker, president; J. Miles O. Barber, 1st vice-president; W.E. (Ted) Baker, 2nd vice-president; Fred R. Plant, secretary; John R. Smith, treasurer; Carol A. Messervey, past-president; and directors Fred Silvestri, Rod G. Palmer, Brian D. Harris, John Jones, and Fred R. Plant. Receiving the designation of Fellow of The Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association (FCIAA) was the honourable and exemplary candidate Lorne H. Montgomery, Crawford Adjusters Canada, Toronto, ON. Highlighting the annual event was the traditional passing of the hat, when outgoing president Carol Messervey passed her Officer’s hat on to incoming president Craig Walker and replaced it with her new Bus Driver’s hat. Timely educational sessions and presentations gave attendees something to talk about, namely the weather. Jim Abraham, senior meteorologist with Environment Canada, gave an in-depth analysis of recent catastrophic weather events that are causing ripples throughout the insurance industry regarding claims expenses of insurers, as well as the challenges for insurers and independent adjusters alike with regard to catastrophe planning.

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Intent on improving the insurance industry’s image, the Toronto Insurance Women’s Association (TIWA) once again engaged in its annual attempt to reach out to consumers and explain the benefits of insurance. The October 25 Insurance Information Campaign event, organized at the Community Centre at First Canadian Place, focused on the words “Why Insurance? Security & Insurance.” Volunteers from every segment of the property and casualty insurance industry, including Dalia Sabour, Michelle-Cole Kennedy, Yvonne Lincoln, and Lori Duclos, successfully passed out over 500 insurance and safety information bags that TIWA prepared for the potential 80,000 consumers that stroll through First Canadian Place each day.

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CARSTAR Collision Repair Centres across the country raised $201,196 for cystic fibrosis research by supporting the FrightLites campaign and other fundraising initiatives in 2005. The official CARSTAR cheque was presented to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) on Friday, Nov. 18, at the CARSTAR Charity Casino Night held at Carmen’s Banquet Centre in Hamilton, Ontario (also in support of CF research). The Gala evening featured a Vegas appeal – complete with gaming tables, elegant buffets and special performances – that was enjoyed by franchisees, suppliers and insurance industry partners.

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Boasting a 50-year career in the property casualty insurance and collision repair industries, Norm Clark was presented with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from CARSTAR Automotive Canada. The award, presented at CARSTARS’s 8th Annual Industry Conference held at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa this August, was presented to Clark in recognition of his commitment and dedication
to the insurance and collision repair industries. Clark, who has retired as vice president of mediation services at CARSTAR Automotive Canada, spent 10 years of his career in the automotive repair industry. In 1965, he joined the Co-operators Insurance claims department where he spent 12 years in development of appraisal operations as physical damage coordinator, ON. Clark moved to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and spent 16 years working with senior claims officials in the development of a nation-wide network of Drive-In Appraisal Centers. In 1993, Clark joined Hamilton-based Ontario Auto Collision Management as director of franchise development. Just a year later the Canadian rights to CARSTAR Automotive Canada were awarded to Ontario Auto Collision Management and Norm was named Director of National Insurance Relations. Amongst his roster of achievements, Clark also introduced and implemented the Insurance Claims Emergency Response Plan and worked with Insurance Industry Committees as manager of insurance services. Adding to this stellar resum, Clark also served as a member of the Canadian Insurance Claims Managers Association (CICMA) and held positions on the board of directors for Collision Industry Associations, I-CAR and C.A.R.T.

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Blue Goose Ontario Pond hosted their 7th Annual Pool Tournament at the Crooked Cue on Nov. 23. The first place winner in the 30-team battle for the pond trophy was the Newtron Group. Signum Investigations came in a respectable second place. Approximately 70 insurance professionals showed up for the event, which raised over $2,500 for the 2008 Grand Nest convention in Niagara Falls. The Pond also raised over $400 through raffle ticket sales, which will be donated to WICC.

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The Shumka Group recently hosted a ‘rock’n’ industry appreciation evening at Toronto’s Revival Club featuring the band ‘GOES211.’ GOES211 is an Alberta-based Rock band supported by the Shumka Group of Edmonton as well as Brown and Ward Insurance Brokers of Lacombe, Alberta. The rockers have been rollin’ in the insurance world for over a year, playing at various industry and non-industry functions. Combining select cover tunes and their own material that is currently in recording, their genre is a raw and edgy rock. The band features: Patrick Garuk, lead guitar (Shumka Craig and Moore); Jason Randhawa, vocals and guitar (Shumka group); Brian Lawrence, bass (Forensic Investigations); and, Lorne Rye, drums (Brown and Ward Insurance Brokers).