Insurance Brokers Association of Waterloo Region
1165 Franklin Boulevard, Suite D N1R8E1 Cambridge, ON, Canada

We are saddened to share this news of longtime friend, Bob Tweed. https://www.legacy.com/ob/therecord-waterloo/obituary.aspx

It's #NationalSiblingsDay - tell us what you love most about your sibling? Or what annoys you most?

Keep an eye out for these red flags. Do you have experience with a client committing insurance fraud?

Head over to Twitter to engage in our live tweeting of #IBAOSummit2021

Join us tomorrow at the @IBAOntario Spring Summit. Don't miss out two of IBAWR’s Magenta Sponsors @IntactInsurance and @economicalCA Townhalls. IBAWR’s silver sponsor @Wawanesa will also be presenting!

It's time to #CleanOffYourDeskDay Share the before and after below!

We are so proud of you, Michelle! Michelle is not one for wanting to be in the spotlight but if you are interested in learning more about what she is doing, check out: http://bit.ly/2JqZtbh

Mental Health + Wellness Keynote series deadline to subscribe is January 22! Definitely something worth checking out. #OntarioBrokers

Have you started thinking about this? How to get the right technology in place? How to manage it? Let us know below! #OntarioBrokers

Did you know... We certainly didn't. https://bit.ly/3hpTeB1 #NationalTriviaDay #OntarioBrokers #insurance

President's Message November 2020 Presidents Report, 2019 - 2020 Shara Bierman... The last year hasn’t at all been what I expected it to be. I think we would all share that same sentiment. But while it wasn’t as expected, I believe the IBAWR hit the ground running and contributed a lot to our community and to the lives of our members in 2019-2020. In November we challenged member brokerages to donate IBAO blankets to a blanket drive. We had 6 brokerages participate including: Donovan Insurance, Josslin Insurance, KW Insurance, OTIP, Staeblers Insurance and Zehr Insurance. We donated a total of 240 blankets to YWCA Kitchener. In December we hosted our annual mitten drive, and collected a record breaking 434 mittens, hats and scarves etc. These items were donated to Pioneer Park Public School in Kitchener which is a school with significant population of underprivileged families. In March we were challenged by an industry friend to join in raising funds for Go Gold Cambridge in support of a local broker who had lost his young daughter to cancer last year. Through the 50/50 draw at our March meeting, we were able to donate $612 for Go Gold Cambridge in support of childhood cancer research. In March we also began our first ever IBAWR Fitness Challenge. This was a challenge geared towards raising funds for a charity as well as providing a fun environment to encourage and challenge one another towards better heart health. We had 35 brokers/industry friends participate in the challenge and in spite of entering the Covid-19 lock-down, accumulated a total of 16,180,281 steps. Participants were asked to contribute towards our donation to ‘Food 4 Kids Waterloo’. That donation amounted to $3,000 and was donated in April, which was an incredibly helpful time for them to receive those funds. This year we also launched a new opportunity for industry friends to get involved with the IBAWR through Sponsorship. We have gained 11 sponsors for the 2020 - 2021 year, with a revenue of $17,000 annually. Our sponsors include: Magenta: Carstar, Economical and Intact Gold: Puroclean Silver: Wawanesa Bronze: Edge Mutual, First Insurance Funding, Halwell Insurance, Heartland Mutual, Insurance Institute and Winmar I think this is a year we will all be glad to say good-bye to. However, the lessons learned, and wisdom gained will be valuable for years to come. We look forward to 2021 with eagerness to continue providing value to our members and sponsors and the community as a whole. Shara Bierman IBAWR President

A Message from The Career Connections Team Have you ever participated in "Take our Kids to Work Day?" as either a kid, or a parent? The Insurance Institute is providing a virtual way of participating this year. Please see their recent communication about it, and get involved if you can! Hello Industry Partners ...Continue reading

We hope you'll join us!

Our local Association lost one of our own this past week. Our condolence to John's family. https://www.legacy.com/ob/therecord-waterloo/obituary.aspx

The IBAWR is excited to host our first online contest! We challenge you to put together a costume from items you already have at home. Use your imagination to design your best costume and then snap a photo to showcase your design.... Post your costume pic to our Facebook page or email it to [email protected]. The photo with the most Facebook likes by October 29th wins! (Kids entries welcomed and encouraged!) **Winner must be an employee of a IBAWR member broker to win.

We are excited to invite you to participate in the IBAWR's good ol' fashioned colouring contest. Access the picture here and take a photo of the completed artwork. Post your colouring contest pic to our Facebook page. The photo with the most Facebook likes by October 29th wins! (Kids entries welcomed and encouraged!)... **Winner must be an employee of a IBAWR Brokerage Member.

https://vimeo.com/465835991

Please share your experience in the comments below!

#IBAO2020, what are you looking forward to, on Day 2?

The IBAO Convention is coming up on October 21 - 22. The registration deadline is October 17th (next Friday). You can attend all the sessions, or just one. The cost is $25 with all proceeds going to the Breakfast Club of Canada. Win, win! Have you registered yet? https://events.ibao.org/virtual-convention/

Join us for our first Vir-tual Conven-tion Oc-to-ber 2122! Weve tak-en a lot of what makes Conven-tion spe-cialthe Members Meeting, CEO Pan-el, In-sur-er Town Halls, Tradeshow and in-formative guest speakersand made it all available from the com-fort and safe-ty of your home or of-fice. IBAO Members can get an all-ac-cess pass for only $25, with 100% of pro-ceeds sup-port-ing the Breakfast Club of Canada

Have you ever participated in "Take our Kids to Work Day?" as either a kid, or a parent? The Insurance Institute is providing a virtual way of participating this year. Please see their recent communication about it, and get involved if you can!

Show us your cats .

Hope you all had a great short work week and are all continuing to keep safe and healthy during these trying times. At this time of year we would be heavily involved in planning the annual IBAWR Golf Tournament and we so looked forward to seeing all our Broker colleagues and Industry Friends. This year is different and challenging for all of us! On behalf of our Board President, Shara Bierman and the Board, we are sad to share after great deliberation with our board, and t...ouching base with our local brokers and industry friends, we have decided to not go forward this year with our golf tournament. We were just not able to come up with a solution that could accommodate our well attended tournament and keep within the social distancing requirements. Our Broker colleagues and Industry friends are our top priority! We look forward to our Golf Tournament next year and the opportunity to make it the biggest one yet! Keep safe everyone!

A message from our President, Shara Bierman To say it has been a challenging year, would not only be an understatement, but also an echo of just about every communication you’ve received in the last 6 months. With Covid numbers on the rise, and uncertainty about the future, we have made the decision to cancel the regular in-person IBAWR events planned for the remainder of the 2020 year. We intend to have a virtual AGM on Thursday November 5th. Your attendance is really impo...rtant for this event. Please save the date on your calendar for this important meeting. An invite will be sent out at a later date with RSVP information. Shara Bierman, FCIP, CAIB President IBAWR

While Covid-19 may have put our plans on hold, your IBAWR Board is still eager to keep you informed and connected. In order to help us with this, we are looking for a broker to join our board. The ideal broker would be social media savvy and enjoy creating and sourcing content that is interesting, relevant and useful to our broker and industry partners. If this interests you, or to get more info, please reach out to our president or executive secretary (or another board member you know). If you know someone who might be a great fit for this role, please pass this along to them! http://ibawr.ca/Contact-Us.htm

COSTUME & COLOURING CONTEST We think it's more important than ever to have a little fun! The IBAWR is excited to host our first online contest! ... We challenge you to put together a costume from items you already have at home. Use your imagination to design your best costume and then snap a photo to showcase your design. If a costume isn't your thing, you can still win with our good ol' fashioned colouring contest. Access the picture here and take a photo of the completed artwork. Post your costume or colouring contest pic to our Facebook page or email it to [email protected]. The photo with the most Facebook likes by October 29th wins! (Kids entries welcomed and encouraged!) For the Colouring Contest - Please Save and Print off the Picture below:

Happy #InsuranceNerdDay to all our members who love what they do! This day was created to break the "boring" stigma around insurance and show appreciation for e...veryone in the industry . Let us know in the comments why you love insurance! #OntarioBrokers #WeTheExperts #YouShouldTotallyBecomeABroker #InsuranceBroker

IBAO Convention is coming up, it's Virtual, have you signed up? https://events.ibao.org/virtual-convention/

Time is running out, have you registered?

Our very own IBAWR President - Shara Bierman shares her #BrokerHack s on how to stay productive while working from home. Please engage and post up your #BrokerHack s for working from home and staying productive #OntarioBrokers #IBAWR #IBAO #Ontario #Opportunity #Education #Insurance #InsuranceBrokers #WeTheExperts... https://www.facebook.com/IBAOntario/videos/261778815038257/

COVID 19 Is Not Finished With Us Yet But Good Things To Come, Due To All Of Our Diligence! Stage 2 Re-Opening! Please Continue Practicing: ... - Physical/Social Distancing Measures - Good Hygiene Measures (Washing Hands, Wearing Masks, Disinfecting Surfaces, Sneezing or Coughing into Elbow) https://www.ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario

Want to help? Be a Mentor, let's help our future brokers!

Thank you! The IBAWR would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the front line workers who are putting in tireless amounts of hours to make sure that our world continues to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The term essential worker has never been so relevant and we couldnt be more grateful for everyone who continue to selflessly contribute every day.... Be it the doctors, nurses, police officers, fire services, grocery store employees, cleaning staff, mail & courier deliverers or truck drivers, everyone is playing an equal part in minimizing the effects on our every day lives. While most of us are being told to stay home and to use social distancing, these workers are front and centre, taking care of those affected by the COVID 19 virus and preventing it from those who arent. If you have one of these extraordinary people in your family, friend circle, or in your neighbourhood, please take a moment to thank them. We are so proud of your extraordinary courage and commitment. Were in this together. We are Forever Grateful! Thank You!

Here is the first issue of the new IBAWR Newsletter "What's Up". Hope you enjoy.

Join us for our first Vir-tual Conven-tion Oc-to-ber 2122! We’ve tak-en a lot of what makes Conven-tion spe-cialthe Members’ Meeting, CEO Pan-el, In-sur-er Town Halls, Tradeshow and in-formative guest speakersand made it all available from the com-fort and safe-ty of your home or of-fice. IBAO Members can get an all-ac-cess pass for only $25, with 100% of pro-ceeds sup-port-ing the Breakfast Club of Canada

During this time and always Self Care is very important, please see our industry friends article on a presentation she did with our association. https://www.goremutual.ca/rhonda-reist-taking-care-of-your/

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2020 Take Notice that the Annual Meeting of the Members of the Insurance Brokers Association of Waterloo Region will be held as follows: In Compliance with the By-Laws of the Association, Notice is hereby given that the 89th Annual Meeting of the Association will be held ... DATE: Thursday, November 5, 2020 TIME: 5:00 p.m. EDT LOCATION: Zoom Meeting - RSVP for your Virtual attendance by Tuesday, November 3, 2020 to [email protected] For the purpose of: Receiving the Reports of the President and the Board of Directors Receiving the Financial Statement, and the report of the Auditors and to transact such other business on behalf o the Association as may be properly brought before the meeting NOTE: Details for zoom meeting will be forwarded the day before the AGM. We look forward to zooming with our membership :)

Wear Red Friday The @NPFFPN1 (National Police Federation) & @rcmpgrcpolice (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) have organized a day of mourning for today, Friday, Apr 24 for fallen Const. Heidi Stevenson & other innocent victims killed in #NovaScotia. Please join with us and all Canadians.... Those who participate are asked to share pictures and videos of themselves in red, using the hashtag, #WearRedFriday, and to take part in a two-minute pause at 2 p.m. Remembering: Heidi Stevenson Lisa McCully Sean McLeod Alanna Jenkins Emily Tuck Jolene Oliver Aaron Tuck Jamie & Greg Blair Corrie Ellison Gina Goulet Tom Bagley Kristen Beaton Joey Webber John Zahl Elizabeth Thomas Lillian Hyslop Dawn Madsen Frank Gulenchyn Heather OBrien Joy & Peter Bond #WearRedFriday #NovaScotiaStrong #RCMPNeverForget #IBAWR

We at the IBAWR, are truly hoping everyone is keeping well and staying safe! These are most certainly unprecedented times and everyone will be handling it all a little differently. Please know that we are thinking of all of you. The IBAO had released some Quarantine Recommendations that we thought we would share with you:... CONNECT: Houseparty is a free app that allows you to video chat with your friends and family and play games like trivia, heads up and quick draw. Houseparty: https://houseparty.com/ HEALTH: During this period of limbo its important to take a few moments to yourself. This guided meditation will help you sit back and relax: LET GO of Anxiety, Fear & Worries: A GUIDED MEDITATION YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EaMJOo1jks CULTURE: Chances are one of your favourite artists has or will be performing live in their homes during the pandemic. Check their YouTube, Facebook or Instagram Live to see if you can catch a free show. RECIPE: Everyone loves a fast and easy pasta dish. Late Night Host Jimmy Kimmel shared one of his go-to recipes that he cooks for his kids almost every day. Jimmy Kimmel shares his Pasta Tina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_APU5LF3-9/ #IBAWR #COVID19 #StayHome #Mentalhealth

New Dates for CAIB & CPIB Exams To those registered for the postponed May 6th exam, mark this new date in your calendar: August 5th. A free CAIB Self Study course will be made available to retain knowledge in the time between and a free CAIB practice exam will be scheduled. The IBAO is also announcing a new date for all Summer Semester courses: September 16th. Their free CAIB Self Study course will be available for Summer Semester learners as well. Those who wanted to enroll... in consecutive CAIB courses can now do so. All exams remain paper based and are required to be written at a brokerage with a proctor. Well confirm with each registrant one month prior if the exam will proceed as scheduled based on public health advisories at that time. Register Here: https://www.ibao.org/education/caib-csip-cpib-ccib/

We are trying to find ways to connect, while we are physically distanced from one another. Would you join us for a Virtual Happy Hour ? (April 2nd 6pm - 7pm)

Our March IBAWR Meeting was held at the Lancaster Smokehouse on March 5th. We had great food and a great speaker! We missed those of you who werent able to make it! Great memories on days like today!

Hello IBAWR! We hope you are well and adjusting to the difficult times we are living through. We know a lot of you are now working from home. For a little fun, post a picture of your "new" office space!

Our April meeting regrettably will be cancelled while we are all trying to remain healthy. While we need to keep our distance physically, its important we keep connected with those around us through to help support one another through this difficult time. If there are ways we can support you in this time, please reach out.

The IBAO is here for you, so please use us as a resource. Were much stronger together than we are as individuals. - IBAO President Joseph Carnevale.

Here is a post from IBAO on Covid-19 and how IBAO can help. https://mailchi.mp/ibao/announcement-284797?e=a28cf057a9

For our Fellow Broker Members: Weve all been reading and hearing about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) - now officially declared by the WHO as a pandemic - and its various impacts across Ontario, Canada and abroad. Health officials in Canada have stated that the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains very low. That said, in recent weeks the virus has been top of mind for many. The IBAWR wants to ensure that we all remain informed and diligent in our daily work and interactions with... our each other, and your valued clients. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus that spreads primarily through contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets generated when a person, for example, coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. How can I protect myself? Please remain vigilant during this period and adopt basic protective measures against the new coronavirus outlined by the World Health Organization. (https://www.who.int//novel-coronavirus-2/advice-for-public) The IBAWR encourages everyone to continue to follow precautions and good health habits: properly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol engage in proper cough or sneeze etiquette avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands maintain a clean workspace/desk top area (Keyboard, Telephone, Mouse etc.) dont share pens clean your cell phone avoiding close contact of people who are ill refrain from shaking hands/fist pumps with another person At this time we are encouraging phone calls or electronic contact (i.e. Emails) with your valued clients over face to face meetings Heres a list of useful external resources for COVID-19 (click on links): - The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Ontario Ministry of Health ( https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus ) - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Public Health Ontario ( https://www.publichealthontario.ca//resp/novel-coronavirus ) - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update, Government of Canada ( https://www.canada.ca//2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.ht ) We are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to provide information and guidance as deemed necessary.

From the IBAO Weekly (For our fellow Business Owners) Protecting Yourself and Your Business from Coronavirus Weve all been reading about the Coronavirus (COVID-19)now officially declared by the WHO as a pandemicand its various impacts across Ontario, Canada and abroad. Here at the IBAO, weve introduced a work-from-home policy for staff who feel unwell or are returning from travel to countries reporting high numbers of cases. Were also encouraging phone calls over face-t...o-face meetings and using good sanitation practices like frequent hand washing and sanitizing the workplace. Weve also changed our cancellation policy on our education sessions so that students who feel unwell at any point in their course can transfer into another session at a later date. Because every brokerage office is different, its important to customize your policy so it works for you. Here are a few links we found helpful: Corona update from the Canadian Government ( https://www.canada.ca//2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.ht ) Corona and occupational health & safety ( https://www.canada.ca//coronavirus-occupational-health-saf ) Community-based measures to mitigate the spread of Corona ( https://www.canada.ca//public-health-measures-mitigate-cov ) What should I do if I think I have Corona? ( https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-i-think-i-may-ha/ ) If you have any questions or concerns about the Coronavirus as it relates to your business, dont hesitate to reach out.

Yes its that Time of Year ... Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 2:00 A.M. Remember on Saturday night, to set your clocks forward one hour, as you dont want to be an hour late for work on Monday! Remember to change your Smoke Detector batteries too!!

This is a friendly reminder we are doing a 50/50 draw at our event tomorrow to raise money for GoGold Cambridge, a charity that aims to raise awareness and funds to cure childhood cancer. IBAWR will match the contribution going to GoGold, so please give generously! See you tomorrow!

Received this today from RIBO: Dear RIBO Member: RIBO has been informed of a telephone scam in which one of our registrants received an automated phone call seeking personal information and threatening sanctions for failing to comply.... Brokers are advised that this automated call is not from RIBO. If you receive such a call, please exercise caution and do not provide personal information. Regards, Patrick J. Ballantyne Chief Executive Officer

March 1st is almost here, and that means our Step Challenge is beginning!! We have so many registered to participate, its going to be a blast! Dont miss out! email [email protected] to register

Pulled Pork, Good. Beef Brisket, Goood! You coming? (Thursday March 5th at The Lancaster Smokehouse) RSVP needed by tomorrow!! And our speaker will be as good as the food!!

Excited to join the Insurance Institute today in celebrating the CIP and FCIP graduates in Waterloo Region.

At our March meeting on March 5th, we will be hosting a 50/50 to raise money for Go Gold Cambridge, a local charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for childhood Leukaemia. IBAWR will be matching the donation to Go Gold Cambridge up to $250. https://www.gogoldcambridge.ca/

Joanna Mendonca is the IBAO Young Broker Rep for KW as well as the Vice President of the IBAWR. She was blessed with this handsome fella a few weeks back. Congrats Joanna and Mark!! #HeShouldProbablyBecomeABroker

Register by emailing your name, and the Company-Team you are joining to: [email protected]. Open to anyone associated with an IBAWR Broker.

IBAWR 1M Step Challenge! What are you waiting for? Register today!!!

Tell us what you think! Are you planning on getting your CIPs?

Thursday, Golfs, Dinner at 6pm (members meeting 5:45pm). Need I say more? https://tenor.com/oOQw.gif

Let us know! Have you completed your CAIB yet?