What’s New: In brief (May 10, 2006)

Baird MacGregor extends a cordial invitation to attend an opening cocktail reception in recognition of the Company’s first annual Bond Fountain Charity Art Exhibit. The cocktail reception will be held at the Bertossini Gallery at 783 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON, on May 24 and 25 from 5pm to 7pm. The art exhibit itself runs from May 23-29, 2006. Baird MacGregor says it’s hosting this show “in honour of two cherished co workers; Joe Bond and Carol Fountain Last April, in the midst of Carol’s battle with breast cancer, Joe died suddenly of a heart attack. Carol passed five months later.” Bond spent 25 years of his career working for Baird MacGregor while Fountain (wife of Joe Bond), worked with the Company for 17 years. In celebration of Fountain’s love for painting, Baird MacGregor chose to honour the couples memory with an art exhibit. One of Fountain’s own paintings will be on exhibit at the show. “We also felt this venue would help promote local artists while at the same time raising funds for: The Red Door Shelter, our neighbour and the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade.” The funds raised will be donated equally between these charities. A variety of works will be on display including: A drawing by artist Jozef Milczarski titled ‘Soulmates,’ which was commissioned exclusively for the show. Numbered and signed prints of ‘Soulmates’ drawing will be on sale at the gallery during the show.

Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) and ING’s recent challenge to the insurance industry to get involved in the ING Ottawa Marathon and raise money and awareness for WICC has to-date, resulted in over $12,000 in online pledging for the marathon runners at wicc.ca. Last year ING Ottawa Marathon runners raised over $20,000 for WICC and this year they hope to raise $30,000. This should be a reachable goal as WICC says the new option to pledge online makes it easier to sponsor a colleague or take part in the challenge. Those interested in both showing support or joining the race event are encouraged to visit: www.wicc.ca/ingmarathon. Here, you can either support a co-worker or team and pledge a runner or, if you are taking part in the event, you can set up your ‘Runner Profile’ and fundraising goal. In order to set up a profile, participants must register for an event first at www.ingottawamarathon.ca.

The Property Casualty Underwriters Club (PCUC) will hold a ‘Panel Luncheon’ on Future of P&C Insurance on May 17, 2006 at The Toronto Board of Trade, 1 First Canadian Place, Toronto, ON. The panel will focus on the topic “Coming challenges the property and casualty insurance industry is facing.” The issues of consolidations on the broker side reshaping the competitive arena, to the changing exposures faced by P & C underwriters, as well as the catastrophe capacity in the post-Katrina reinsurance market, will be discussed at the PCUC 2005 2006 season’s final Panel Luncheon discussion. Panel speakers include: Gregory Belton, president, HKMB International Insurance Brokers, Peter W. Weightman, senior vice president, commercial lines, ING Canada Inc., and Andr Fredette, senior vice president & general manager, CCR Canada. The panel reception begins at 11:45 am and the luncheon will follow at 12:15 pm. The cost is $40 for members and $50 for non-members. This seminar is accredited with RIBO Credit of one hour in the ‘Technical Category.’ The deadline to order tickets is May 15th noon. Reservations should be e-mailed to rchen@commonw.com and payment’s should be forwarded to Rong Chen Commonwealth Insurance Company, 150 King St W. Suite 1601, P.O. Box 66, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1J9.