What’s New: In Brief (January 04, 2008)

Western Financial Group has acquired Early Insurance in Thompson, Manitoba, and Southern Insurance Management in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Southern Insurance Management has been operating as a family-run business in Lethbridge for more than 50 years, with services and products in both commercial and personal lines.
“We now have a significant presence in two more key locations in western Canada,” Scott Tannas, president and CEO of Western Financial Group, said in a release.
“Thompson is a thriving community with a large natural resource base including mining and hydro operations, and is the hub for Canada’s eastern Arctic. Lethbridge is one of Alberta’s most important cities, one which has been on our ‘most desirable’ list for a long time,” he added.

The Co-Operators has raised Cdn$539,500 for 56 United Way chapters across Canada.
The grand total exceeds last year’s United Way donation by more than Cdn$93,000, a release says.
Campaigns at Co-Operators offices across the country included fundraising events, individual donations and pledged payroll deductions to support local chapters.
The campaign in Regina raised Cdn$147,000 and was the second largest for the organization.
The campaign in Guelph, Ontario, where the group of companies is headquartered and which has the most employees, raised Cdn$195,500.