What’s New: In Brief (July 24, 2007)

The intersection at the corner of the Trans-Canada Hwy and Willingdon Ave. in Burnaby, B.C., ranks first among a list of the provinces Top 10 crash sites, according to an annual list compiled by ICBC.
The list of British Columbias 10 worst crash sites, based on collisions and fatalities reported to the provincial police, is posted at www.icbc.com.
More than 60 communities across the province were represented in the ICBC survey.
ICBC said that by highlighting the high-crash locations, it hopes to draw attention to the larger issues of high-risk driving behaviour and how driver behaviour impacts the cost of insurance.
Three hundred and fifty-two collisions were reported in 2006 at the Trans-Canada/Willingdon Ave. intersection.
Second on the list, with 304 reported crashes, was the corner at Knight St and SE Marine Dr. in Vancouver.
The Knight St. Bridge location in Richmond, B.C., finished third on the list with 257 crashes.

Allstate Insurance Company of Canada has unveiled its new Allstate Insurance Agency, which will be used to sell and distribute Allstate insurance products.
“Allstate has been a very successful property and casualty insurer in Canada for over a half a century, but we have reached a fork in the road,” Mike Donoghue, the president and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, said in a press release.
“If we are going to continue to deliver on the high-quality customer service that our customers have come to expect and deserve, as well as meet our business goals and remain competitive then we must chart a new course.”
Allstate is redesigning the look and feel of its Neighbourhood Agent Offices. According to the company, the new offices, which will first appear in Quebec in 2007, will create a consistent delivery model that will enhance a customer’s experience with Allstate by providing access to a team of experienced and knowledgeable Allstate agents who will each be accountable for managing specific aspects of a customers needs.
The first new Allstate Insurance Agency should roll out in Quebec in the fall of 2007. Additional Allstate Insurance Agency offices are expected to be opened in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in 2008 Q1, and in Ontario and Alberta throughout 2008.