What’s New: In Brief (December 07, 2007)

Seven people were arrested this week on charges related to a theft ring in which more than 500 vehicles were stolen, crushed and sold for scrap, according to CanWest News Service.
Acting on a tip from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Quebec’s provincial police and municipal police forces completed a 10-week investigation. One of those charged in connection with the investigation was the owner of a towing company in St. Lin, PQ, north of Montreal, CanWest reports.
The IBC had noticed a surge in the number of vehicle thefts, but not those normally targeted by thieves, CanWest notes.

Allstate Insurance Company of Canada has opened a second insurance agency in Hull, PQ.
“Our new Allstate Insurance Agency here in Hull will not only help pave the way for our organization to be a successful and competitive insurance company in the years ahead, but it will improve the level of service we provide, one customer at a time.” Allstate vice president Christianne Dostie said. “Lifestyles change and so do people’s insurance needs. That’s why we created a distribution model where agents work in specialized roles in order to meet and respond to specific needs of consumers.”
Before the end of 2007, six more insurance agencies are expected to open in Quebec and 12 more in the first quarter of 2008.