Topic Manitoba
Public auto insurer to issue pandemic rebate cheques
February 26, 2021 by Jason ContantSaskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is the latest public auto insurer to announce customer rebates for drivers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) announced rebates in January and…
How to avoid turning the mishandling of a claim into a six-figure bad faith award
February 3, 2021 by David GambrillA Manitoba court decision ordering the province’s public auto insurer to pay a bad faith award of $350,000 serves as a cautionary tale to the industry that bad faith awards for mishandling a claim can be made even after a…
Canadian auto and property insurance rates headed in opposite directions
February 1, 2021 by Jason ContantAverage personal auto premium rates in Canada decreased 2.6% in 2020 Q4 compared to the same period in 2019, but some provinces did see an increase, according to the latest results from Applied Systems’ premium rate index. On average, both…
Brokers negotiate major role in this province’s digital auto insurance distribution
January 14, 2021 by Greg MeckbachManitoba’s brokers will provide input on designing a system for online auto insurance in the province and will be involved in every digital transaction, says the provincial broker association. A recently-signed, five-year agreement between Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and the…
Western broker: Don’t chop off the head of oil industry
December 9, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAlthough the impact of carbon emissions on climate is a major concern for carriers, western Canadian brokers are concerned about efforts to reduce Canada’s reliance on oil and gas. “Oil and gas is not going away any time soon, and…
Western Perspective
December 4, 2020 by Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorMeet Clint Smith, chief operating officer of Manitoba-based Andrew Agencies Ltd., which recently acquired several brokerages in Saskatchewan. Smith gave us his take on the challenges brokers face in Western Canada, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the inside…
Two ways COVID-19 affected this large brokerage’s M&A strategy
November 20, 2020 by Jason ContantThe COVID-19 pandemic required one large Canadian brokerage to take a “very different approach” to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. COVID affected the M&A process in two significant ways, Jamie Lyons, president and chief operating officer with Westland Insurance Group…
Westland brokerage moves in an easterly direction
November 13, 2020 by Jason ContantWestland Insurance’s mergers and acquisition strategy continues in an easterly direction from its roots in British Columbia. Just days after closing its first-ever brokerage acquisition in Ontario, Westland Insurance Group Ltd. announced its second acquisition in Manitoba. On Nov. 10,…
Brokers ready for new round of lockdowns
November 13, 2020 by Adam MalikManitoba went into lockdown Thursday morning after the province’s COVID-19 numbers ranked among the worst in the country and its healthcare system approached capacity. But this time, unlike the first go-around in the spring, brokers say they are in an…
Winter tire use cut an auto insurer’s claims costs by this much
November 12, 2020 by Greg MeckbachVehicle damage claims frequency appeared to be 6% lower for vehicles with winter tires than those without winter tires, Manitoba’s public auto insurer concluded in a recent study. “The estimated 6.3% reduction in claim frequency due to winter tire use…
New CEO for Manitoba government auto insurer
November 4, 2020 by Greg MeckbachManitoba Public Insurance has hired Eric Herbelin, a former senior strategist for Zurich Insurance, as its new CEO, effective Jan. 4. Herbelin worked in Switzerland for Zurich from 2001 through 2016, according to his LinkedIn profile. MPI announced Herbelin’s appointment…
How auto insurers are promoting National Teen Driver Safety Week
October 20, 2020 by Greg MeckbachTeenagers are 3.1 times more likely to follow too closely than drivers older than 45, Manitoba’s auto insurer is warning. Teens are also 3.6 times more likely to lose control or drive off the road than drivers aged 45 and…