What’s New: In Brief (January 29, 2008)

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is the target of an attempted fraud in which telephone solicitors offered to renew Autopac policies.
People posing as telephone solicitors contacted several people in Southern Manitoba recently and offered to renew their Autopac policies, an MPI statement says.
The caller claimed to be acting on behalf of MPI and instructed the customer to press a number on the telephone to continue with the renewal.
“Manitoba Public Insurance does not conduct business this way and brokers never call customers individually to renew coverage,” said John Douglas, vice-president of MPI’s public affairs department.

The Co-Operators is selling off its office-building portfolio.
A strategic review of The Co-Operators investment strategy determined that real estate assets are not a core element, the company said in a statement.
The Co-Operators group of companies owns office buildings, commercial and retail properties across Canada.
“The organization will benefit from a sharper, more strategic focus on our core businesses of providing insurance and financial services to Canadians,” said Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-Operators.
BMO Capital Markets Real Estate Group will begin marketing the portfolio.