In this section you will find the most recent edition of the RIBO Bulletin along with archived copies from the spring edition 1999 onwards. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

Winter 2000 - Volume 21 - No.86

President's Message

Qualification and Registration Committee Report

Practice Advisory

Annual Meeting 2000

Election Results

New Board Members

2000-2001 Ribo Council Executive

2000-2001 Directors

Investigator's Corner: Principal Brokers Beware!

Addition & Deletions from the RIBO Register
(September 25, 2000 - Nov 29, 2000)

Members of Council

Member Assistance Directory

President's Message

Darren Hamilton Darren Hamilton

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President for the coming year. I welcome the challenge and look forward to working with Council and staff to guide the brokerage community and protect the public interest. I can assure you that 2001 will be a very busy and exciting year.

As my term as President begins, we welcome three new members to RIBO Council. As you will read in the following pages, Joanne Brown, Toots Everley and Art Langley were elected to Council in November. These three individuals bring extensive industry experience and diversity that will be a great asset to us all.

Our Annual General Meeting was a great success. It gave Council and staff members the opportunity to meet with brokers and update them on what's been happening around RIBO. The meeting also gives brokers the chance to ask questions and voice their concerns. For those who did not attend, a copy of Art Despard's speech is included in this issue of the Bulletin

In February, Council and senior staff will meet for the annual strategic planning session. During this meeting, we will look for ways to continue to effectively guide and support you the broker. The Spring Bulletin will provide you with a synopsis of our strategic planning session.

I look forward to the next 12 months and can assure you that Council and staff are committed to serving the public and the brokerage community. Happy Holidays to everyone and a prosperous New Year!

Yours truly,

Darren Hamilton

Qualifications and Registration Committee Report

Barry Downs

Barry Downs
Chairperson

It is an honour to serve as the Qualification and Registration Committee Chair for the coming year.

It has been an extremely busy quarter in the Q & R Department. Staff had the immense task of following up on 1,100 individuals who had not fully completed the continuing education requirement. I am pleased to advise that by November 8 that number was drastically reduced to 48. These brokers are currently under suspension for non-compliance with the continuing education requirements.

We also lapsed 27 individuals who were suspended October 1, 1999. They will now be required to write the entry-level examination should they wish to reapply for registration. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on our accreditation process. All courses and seminars listed on our Website and in our Continuing Education Summary have been individually reviewed in relation to the Broker Skills Report which outlines the skill set necessary for a broker's duties and responsibilities.

Over the year we do receive and evaluate many seminar evaluations. We would welcome any feedback especially if you are not satisfied with the quality of a program. RIBO will address the concerns with the provider, protecting anonymity.

I am pleased to advise that effective October 1, 2000, the Q & R Committee approved the removal of the additional 6-hour insurance technical continuing education requirement for individuals who had previously been granted the exemption to hold a mutual fund license.

The Qualification and Registration Committee continues to maintain the position that Year 2000 exclusions are unacceptable on Brokers' Errors & Omissions coverage. Some E & O carriers have chosen to charge a premium for removing the Y2K exclusion. The committee has recommended to Council that the endorsement removing the restriction must remain in force.

Over the last three months we reviewed 55 requests for secondary business exemptions of which 16 were for the sale of RRSPs. The committee reviewed and proposed to refuse an application for registration based on an individual's past criminal record. We also reviewed three requests to waive the Level II Technical Examination two of which were granted and one proposal to refuse. The decision was granted for both individuals because of their extensive background in commercial lines and both had various industry designations such as their AIIC (CIP), FIIC (FCIP), CAIB and CRM.

As the new Q & R Committee Chair, I both welcome and encourage any feedback. I wish you and your family a very happy holiday season and the best for the year to come.

Practice Advisory

We are seeing an increase in requests from brokers who will be handling national programs in which the associations head office is located in Ontario. Regardless of the associations head office location a broker must be licensed in each and every province when dealing with any member of the public in that province.

For reference the following are the Provincial licensing telephone numbers:

Alberta(780) 421-4148
British Columbia(604) 688-0321
Manitoba(204) 988-6800
New Brunswick(506) 453-2512
Newfoundland(709) 729-2595
Nova Scotia(902) 424-6331
Northwest Territories(867) 920-8056
Nunavut(867) 975-5805
P.E.I.(902) 368-4564
Quebec(514) 849-4844
Saskatchewan(306) 347-0862
Yukon(403) 667-5257

Annual Meeting 2000

November 8, 2000

President's Address
Art Despard

Please let me begin by saying thank you for this opportunity to serve as your President. I consider the experience to be one of the most fulfilling adventures of my 50-year career in the insurance industry and I will look back on this year with fondness.

Now, on behalf of RIBO Council, I'd like to tell you about our experiences at RIBO over the past year.

The majority of Council and staff's time was spent reviewing current regulations and discussing issues relevant to brokers. In this time of technological and financial change it's becomes increasingly clear brokers will have to alter many of the ways we do business in order to stay competitive. As a regulatory body, we need to stay on top of these changes and find new methods of monitoring brokers if we are to keep up with our responsibility to regulate the profession and protect the public.

As far as RIBO's finances are concerned, I'm pleased to report that RIBO was able to offer a discount on fees again on this year. This is in due in large part to the fact that our operations continue to run efficiently and that we did not experience any unusual regulatory situations that we could not handle quickly and cost-effectively.

In order to provide strong leadership, RIBO continues to meet and work with industry leaders. This year we have reinforced our relationship with associations across the province and throughout Canada to unite and enhance the future regulation of insurance brokers. Thank you to Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario, the Toronto Insurance Conference and the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada for their continued support. I would also like to thank the Financial Services Commission, especially Dina Palozzi, CEO and Superintendent of the FSCO, for her guidance and dedication in strengthening our regulatory partnership. Our participation with each of these bodies gives us the opportunity to discuss developments as they emerge. It is through this exchange of information and ideas that we find new ways to effectively regulate our profession.

By now you've all heard about the merger between FSCO and the Ontario Securities Commission. The merger is already in progress and is expected to take about a year to complete. FSCO has also proposed altering the sole occupation and ownership restrictions. They should be releasing a discussion paper dealing with both issues soon. We'll advise you of the details when they become available.

As our industry continues to evolve RIBO strives to come up with new methods of keeping both members and the public up-to-date on industry issues. We've now added a "News and Updates" section to the Website so we can post any new information as it emerges. Our site also provides a copy of the latest "Bulletin", information on the role of a registered insurance broker and details information on licensing and registration.

On the subject of continuing education, we continue to see an increase in the number of courses offered across the province and the number of providers who have interesting courses to offer. It is important that brokers continue to provide RIBO with comments and critical feed back for our effort to maintain quality control.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to attend industry functions and events across Ontario. After meeting and speaking with brokers face-to-face, it's become increasingly obvious that the majority of our members are heavily affected by the changes that are taking place within our industry and are nervous about the changes to come. Our members are looking for direction and strong leadership. That is where RIBO must play a leading role.

Change isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it can work to our advantage. With the dedicated team of brokers elected by our membership, together with our strong public representation. RIBO can and will play a crucial role in the future regulation of the insurance business. Council and staff must act as visionaries. RIBO must forecast change and develop strategies to guide our members into the future. Each RIBO Council meeting is dedicated to addressing these issues, looking for better methods of protecting the public and regulating the profession.

RIBO has been recognized on a number of occasions as a model for excellence in self-regulation. We should be proud of the progress that has been made and look forward to a promising future. RIBO will continue to consult with our members, reaching out for input and guidance. As a team we can face the challenges that lie ahead and continue strongly in this new millennium. We must remember that RIBO, as a self-regulatory body, is built on brokers helping brokers to regulate the profession and serve the public.

So, what is RIBO's role in helping brokers meet the challenges that lie ahead? Regardless of what the future may hold, RIBO Council will continue to review upcoming issues, meet with our strategic partners on these issues and keep members informed through the Bulletin, Website and special mailings.

In conclusion, I'd like you to know that we could not have accomplished what we have, this year and in past years, without the total commitment and dedication of our staff under the strong leadership of General Manager Jeff Bear and my fellow Council members. This group of professionals provides quality service to our members and the public.

Thank you again for this opportunity to serve as your President.

Election Results -- November 6, 2000

Elected to Council:
Arthur Langley
Joanne Brown
Elsie (Toots) Everley

Total Number of Votes Cast:8653
Total Number of Ballots Received:3486
Total Number of Ballots Valid:3426
Total Number of Ballots Spoiled:60


Congratulations to our new members of Council!

 

New Board Members

Joanne Brown, Elsie ('Toots') Everley and Arthur Langley

(left to right: Joanne Brown, Arthur Langley and Toots Everley)

Joanne Brown

Joanne Brown is a Senior Vice President of Marsh Canada working in the Marketing Department and serves on the company's Professional Standards Committee. She is a former Executive Director of IBAC (1992-1997) where she gained experience with both federal and provincial governments. Through the years she has acquired a broad knowledge of broker operations across Canada and the United States.

Joanne is also a Past President of Toronto Insurance Conference during which time she authored a paper on continuing education for RIBO. She has served on the Board of Governors of the Insurance Institute of Canada. She was a member of the CSIO Board, the Task Force Against Insurance Fraud, (which resulted in the National Coalition Against Insurance Fraud) and a former member of the Industry Alliance Group.

As an active member of Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC), Joanne serves on the National Steering Committee. In her community, she serves as a volunteer for a hospital, a library and her church.

Elsie ("Toots") Everley

"Toots" recently retired from her three-year term as a Director of the IBAO. Over the years she has been active in the local affiliate, Kenora-Rainy River Brokers Association serving as President and Director.

She is a Principal Broker for Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) where she specializes in Commercial Lines.

The experience and knowledge gained by working in the insurance industry for over 26 years, 15 as Owner and Manager of her own brokerage, has given her a good understanding of the industry today and a sense of where the industry will be in the future.

An active resident of Red Lake for 27 years Toots' community involvement is extensive. She serves as a Public School Trustee on the Board of Education; is a member of the Red Lake District Lions, secretary-treasurer of the Chunkuni Communities Investment Committee, a member of the Red Lake Legion and member of the Red Lake Chamber of Commerce. She is also the current Treasurer of her local Church Board.

Arthur Langley

Art is a Past President of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario, has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Vehicle Information Centre of Canada and the Insurance Information Council of Canada. He is actively involved in many industry projects with IBAO, AscNet, CSIO, Insurer Advisory councils, Business Technology Advisory Committee and the Insurance Community Action Network.

Art is a strong believer in education and has completed his CAIB and Associate Degrees.

Art has been active in the Scouting Organization working as a leader and various positions on Council and Local Group Committees. He also enjoys organizing and playing recreational hockey.

Art's extensive industry and community experience will be a great asset to RIBO Council.

2000-2001 Ribo Council Executive

PresidentDarren Hamilton
Vice PresidentBarry Downs
SecretaryLorie J. Guthrie Phair
TreasurerMichael A. Teixeira

 

2000-2001 Directors

Standing (left to right): Arthur Langley, Art Despard, Brian Hitchlock, Jeff Bear (General Manager), Hassan Jaffer, Al Hawco.

Seated (left to right): Jack Baizana, Toots Everley, Lorie Guthrie Phair, Gloria Shan, Joanne Brown, Darren Hamilton, Barry Downs.

Absent: James Chestnutt, Michael Teixeira.

Note: Following Brian Hitchlock's resignation from Council, Michael Teixeira was appointed to fill the vacancy in accordance with RIBO By-laws.

 

Investigator's Corner

PRINCIPAL BROKERS BEWARE!
By Nadine Austin, Senior Investigator

It's a hard pill to swallow but long-term, dedicated and faithful employees have been known to defraud their employers. In fact, the cases reported to RIBO have increased significantly in the past few years.

The following are signs that you may have a problem with an employee:

  • The employee is the first to arrive and the last to leave the office.
  • The employee insists on opening mail.
  • The employee insists on screening all calls.
  • The employee delegates himself or herself to service all walk-ins.
  • The employee never takes vacation.
  • The employee insists on control of accounts receivable and payables.
  • There is a frequency of VOID receipts in the cash receipt book.
  • The employee insists on keeping their desk locked.
  • There is a frequency of clients alleging discrepancies in their accounts.
  • Client accounts appear month after month on the over 90 day accounts receivable list.
  • Trust deficit.
RIBO staff is always happy to discuss any concerns you may have.

 

Addition & Deletions from the RIBO Register (September 25, 2000 - Nov 29, 2000)

Additions      
2995   THE PEGASUS INSURANCE NETWORK OTTAWA
2996   ST. MARYS INSURANCE GROUP ST. MARYS
2998   BAIZANA INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. NEPEAN
2999   CENTRAL UNDERWRITERS INC. TORONTO
3002   WISMER & ASSOC. INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. BARRIE
3003   IMPACT ASSOCIATES INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. TORONTO
3004   J. PIGEON ASSURANCE/INSURANCE 3817903 CANADA INC. OTTAWA
 
Deletions      
148   BEAVERBROOK INSURANCE LIMITED RICHMOND HILL
240   BRAMALEA INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED BRAMALEA
294   BUJOLD, COLBURN & DONOHUE INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. WELLAND
427   CLEARWAY INSURANCE BROKERS INC. MISSISSAUGA
474   COURTNEY & GRANT LIMITED OTTAWA
561   DE LAPLANTE INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. IROQUOIS FALLS
847   GRCS INSURANCE BROKERS INC. MISSISSAUGA
1134   BERT KERR INSURANCE BROKERS INC. OTTAWA
1146   KINGSVILLE INSURANCE BRKS.LTD. O/B WILL INS & ASSOCIATES LTD. LEAMINGTON
1478   MEESTER INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. SMITHVILLE
1622   JOHN A NIXON BROKER LTD. BARRIE
1635   NORTHLAND INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED MATHESON
1748   ALFRED PILLO INSURANCE LIMITED MARKHAM
1865   DAVE ROCHON INSURANCE LIMITED ST. LAURENT
1869   C. RODMAN INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED MARKHAM
2041   SPARKS & GILBERT INSURANCE BROKERS INC. AURORA
2056   STAM INSURANCE SERVICES LIMITED TRENTON
2281   WH & C INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. KINGSTON
2297   RIVER VIEW INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. OTTAWA
2345   WRAY BROKERS LIMITED TORONTO
2368   STANLEY J. ZUK INSURANCE LIMITED TORONTO
2445   WILL INSURANCE & ASSOCIATES LTD. LEAMINGTON
2475   BOSHCOFF & ASSOCIATES INSURANCE LTD. THUNDER BAY
2954   ANCASTER INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. HAMILTON

Members of Council - Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario

PRESIDENT
Darren Hamilton
Hamilton & Hamilton
Insurance Brokers Ltd.
1701 Woodward Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K2L 0R4
Tel: (613) 224-3200
Fax: (613) 224-5544
PAST PRESIDENT
Art Despard
Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc.
20 Bay St., Ste. 2400
Toronto, Ontario M2J 2N9
Tel: (416) 868-5500
Fax: (416) 868-5580
 
VICE PRESIDENT
Barry Downs
Partners Indemnity Insurance Brokers Ltd.
10 Adelaide St. East, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3
Tel: (416) 366-5243
Fax: (416) 862-2416 e-mail: barry@partnersindemnity.com
SECRETARY
Lorie J. Guthrie Phair
Guthrie Insurance Brokers
505 Consumers R. Suite 308
Toronto, Ontario M2J 4V8
Tel: (416) 487-5200
Fax: (416) 487-4614
 
TREASURER
Michael A. Teixeira
Axion Insurance Services Inc.
95 Mural St., Ste. 104
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 3G2
Tel: (905) 731-3118
Fax: (905) 731-4446
e-mail: mteixeira@axioninsurance.ca
 
MEMBERS
* Public members are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council to represent the public interest.
 
Jack Baizana
Jack Baizana Insurance Brokers Ltd.
1390 Prince of Wales Dr.
Ottawa, ON K2C 6N6
Tel: (613) 225-7722
Fax: (613) 226-2781
Joanne Brown
Marsh Canada Limited
Canada Trust Tower - BCE Place
161 Bay Street, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S4
Tel: (416) 868-2955
Fax: (416) 868-7588
 
* James Chestnutt
4076 Deer Run Court
Mississauga, Ontario L5C 3P2
Tel: (905) 277-2990
Fax: (905) 277-0639
Toots Everley
Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) Inc.
179 Howey Street, Box 39
Red Lake, Ontario P0V 2M0
Tel: (807) 727-3336
Fax: (807) 727-3750
 
* Al Hawco
3311 Warner Way
Osgoode, Ontario K0A 2W0
Tel: (613) 826-2804

* Hassan A. Jaffer
70 Baronial Court
West Hill, Ontario M1C 3J7
Tel: (416) 283-7468
Fax: (416) 724-8001
 
Arthur Langley
Demarco-Lucenti Insurance Brokers Limited
669 Cassells Street
North Bay, Ontario P1B 4A1
Tel: (705) 474-2420
Fax: (705) 474-9089
Gloria Shan
449 Walmer Rd. Apt. 705
Toronto, Ontario M5P 2X9
Tel: (416) 923-9222
Fax: (613) 923-3555

Member Assistance Directory

RIBO Office: (416) 365-1900 or 1-800-265-3097 Fax: (416) 365-7664
P.O. Box 45, 401 Bay Street, Suite 1200, Simpson Tower, Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4

Receptionist - Madeline Ross
General Manager - Jeff Bear (
jeff@ribo.com)
Secretary - Lise Clements (lise@ribo.com)

ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
Manager - George Martin (george@ribo.com)
Accounting & Data Supervisor
Registration/Data Entry - Valrie Bailey (valrie@ribo.com), Irene Chung (irene@ribo.com), Erica Lo (erica@ribo.com), Karla Poirier (karla@ribo.com)

COMPLAINTS & INVESTIGATIONS
Manager - Tim Goff (tim@ribo.com)
Complaints Officer - Sharon Bentley (sharon@ribo.com)
Senior Investigators - Nadine Austin (nadine@ribo.com), Crystal Skyvington (crystal@ribo.com)
Secretary - Angela Daley (angela@ribo.com)
Co-ordinator - Diana Campoli (diana@ribo.com)
Financial Investigators - Michael Buck (michael@ribo.com),
Winston Koo (winston@ribo.com)

CORPORATION LEGAL SERVICES
In-house Legal Counsel - Bradley Nairn (bradley@ribo.com)
Secretary - Angela Daley (angela@ribo.com)

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Communications Co-ordinator - Susan MacKenzie (susan@ribo.com)

QUALIFICATION & REGISTRATION
Manager - Lilian Croucher (lilian@ribo.com)
Assistant - Vivian Lee (vivian@ribo.com)
Secretary - Sonia Lyew Garcia (sonia@ribo.com)
Clerk - Laurie Reynolds (laurie@ribo.com)