Views (March 01, 2008)

The CIP Society, a division of The Insurance Institute of Canada, has named Jack Lee, vice president and national marketing manager of BFL Canada, the 2007 recipient of the Greater Toronto Area Fellow of Distinction Award. “Jack has been a mentor and role model for countless people in his more than 40 years as an insurance broker,” said Carla Blackmore, chair of CIP Society-Ontario. “He has served in leadership roles for his employers, participated on industry panels, written insurance articles, worked on the development of a new course for the Insurance Institute and led industry committees. During this time, he has continually strived to update his knowledge and really is an inspiration for others.”

Rt. Honorable Adrienne Clarkson, former governor general of Canada, was the keynote speaker at The Insurance Institute of Ontario’s Toronto Convocation & Awards Night on Jan. 24, 2008. She spoke to the group of nearly 200 graduates and their guests about her journey of triumph and turmoil from a war refugee to governor general of Canada, inspiring graduates as they prepare to embark upon their own careers. About 800 guests and graduates attended the graduation of new Chartered Insurance Professionals, Fellow Chartered Insurance Professionals, General Insurance Essentials students and Continuing Professional Develop-ment students. It was held in the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Following the Insurance Institute of Ontario’s convocation ceremony, the Institute hosted a reception in the Constitution Hall of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to toast the new graduates and allow for industry guests to network and mingle. • The partners and staff of McCague Peacock Borlack McInnis & Lloyd, the Ontario member of the Canadian Litigation Counsel, recently hosted their 12th annual ‘Christmas in January’ party at the Design Exchange in Toronto. An industry favourite, this event attracts people from all sectors of the insurance industry throughout North America. •

CICMA/CIAA Ontario’s 40th Annual Joint Conference was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Jan. 29. Emcee Brian Maltman opened the meeting and introduced the various speakers of the day. The session began with a few words from CIAA Ontario president John Seyler and CICMA Ontario president John Saragosa. Speakers of the conference included: Peter Thorn (The Co-operators); John Sharoun (Crawford & Company [Canada] Inc.); John Chippendale (Integro Insurance Brokers); Brian Elkin (Lavery deBilly LLP); Peter Hohman (Insurance Institute of Canada); and Mike Jones (Mike Jones & Associates). •

More than 400 participants attended the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) held in Toronto on Jan. 26. CCIF chairman Tony Canade (Assured Automotive) and CCIF administrator Mike Bryan opened the one-day session. The topics and speakers included: National Accreditation -Jay Perry (ABC Consulting); Key Industry Trends -Greg Horn (Mitchell International); Leadership and Driving Change -Rocco Neglia (The Economical Insurance Group); Low VOC / Waterborne Conversion -Jim Quick (Canadian Paint & Coatings Association); and ‘The Future of DRPs’ panel discussion, moderated by Larry Jefferies (CARSTAR Automotive Canada). •

Guests from the insurance industry, claims managers from the CICMA/CIAA Joint Conference and participants of the OIAA Claims 2008 event on Jan. 29 all gathered to attend “A cocktail party for claims professionals- Accidents Deconstructed.” The event was held at The Loose Moose and hosted by Giffin Koerth Forensic Engineering; Blouin, Dunn LLP and Cameron & Associates. •

More than 150 exhibitors from across Canada were ‘working the show’ and ‘showing their work,’ showcasing the latest services and products for the claims industry at the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association (OIAA) Claims 2008 Conference and Exhibition. The extremely popular event, held Jan. 30, 2008 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, provided insurance claims professionals a full day of education, enrichment and networking. •

The Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association (OIAA) held their Claims 2008 Conference & Professional Development Seminars on Jan. 30 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Held in conjunction with the conference, OIAA once again hosted a Claims 2008 Career Fair, bringing together insurance company and independent adjusting firm employees. More than 100 insurance-program students from both Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario and Fanshawe College in London, Ontario attended the annual event. •

OIAA president Alan Gallagher presented a cheque from the OIAA for Cdn$12,400 to Big Brothers/Sisters of Canada at the Claims 2008 conference luncheon. Attendees were treated to a talk from Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space, about his experiences traveling in outer space. Garneau shared a series of photographs of the earth taken from the shuttle, clearly highlighting the impact climate change has made on our planet. •

WINMAR recently held a site tour / open house at the LM Group of Companies location in Mississauga to celebrate WINMAR Corporate announcing the sale of WINMAR Toronto to Luis Salazar, president of LM Group of Companies (LMGP), David Machado, president of WINMAR Brampton, and Jad Stammers and Mario Muscat. This strategic alliance brings WINMAR together with LMGP, a supplier of drying and climate control equipment and diesel power generators. The venture puts full-service mitigation and contingency under one roof, and creates the flagship for the WINMAR network with the largest fleet of commercial restoration equipment on Canadian soil, according to a WINMAR release. “LMGP has been providing equipment rental service for large corporations, property managers, institutions, retail and other markets for more than 25 years,” the company notes. “Its expertise in providing diesel power in a capacity of 50kW to 2000kW and climate control equipment in emergency situations unifies the franchise.” Plans to raise the WINMAR and LMGP commercial equipment flag in the Atlantic coast are already underway, the company reports, and plans for Western Canada are in the works. “The Toronto firm will offer a boutique service for residential and commercial insurance carriers across the country,” the company reports. “Its ability to mobilize quickly with highway tractors and straight trucks will give the team the capacity to empower any WINMAR franchise across Canada with a full range of commercial equipment, enabling WINMAR customers to plan for disasters.” • Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. held its annual Crawford Cares WICC cocktail reception on Feb. 6 at P. J. O’Brien Irish Pub & Restaurant. At the reception, Crawford announced that the end of 2007 marked a milestone in its Crawford Cares charitable initiative program. Since its inception in January 2004, Crawford has raised a total of $200,000 for WICC. “Crawford’s employees have contributed countless hours to make their communities a better place to live and work,” said John Sharoun, Crawford & Company (Canada)’s chief executive officer. “I’m extremely proud of all of the work they have done and everything they have accomplished in such a short period of time.” At the reception, Sharoun presented WICC with a cheque for $40,000 on behalf of Crawford employees and the Crawford Cares program. These donations were made possible through the fundraisers organized by Crawford’s employees such as bingo games, silent auctions, casual Fridays and client events. Many employees also participate in Crawford’s optional payroll deductions. These donations are matched by the corporation. Crawford’s clients have also raised over $40,000 over the years though Crawford’s annual char
ity golf tournament. In December 2003, Crawford introduced its community relations program, Crawford Cares, which combines charitable donations and employee volunteerism from Crawford offices across Canada. Its goal is to focus support on one charity per year and give employees an opportunity to make a difference for that charity. “WICC has been selected every year by our employees as Crawford Cares’ charity of choice, in honour of our many coworkers and loved ones who have been impacted by this terrible disease,” said Sharoun. In 2007, employees once again reached their annual goal of $50,000, bringing the total donation since Crawford Cares’ inception to $200,000. “Our success with Crawford Cares is amazing and it is all due to our employees’ hard work, dedication and persistence,” said Sharoun. “I would like to thank all of our employees and clients who have supported us for their time, generosity and commitment to this incredibly important cause that touches us all.”