Working hard for you
Community Moments
Our passion for community shines in every place we operate, and our team’s passion and character have built a warm and welcoming company culture. Below is a space for clients and employees alike to share their stories and activities in the community.
In October this year, we switched our insurance to The Standard as a direct result of the excellent service we received from Danielle Frechette. We were so happy with Dani for her support and especially her professionalism, promptness, and willingness to work with our time zone differences.
We have been very impressed with the high level of service and expert advice provided to us by The Standard. The hard work is truly appreciated, and we wish they had an office in Victoria, BC because we would even consider moving our other insurance policies to The Standard for the excellent client services they provide.
This year, each employee of The Standard was given $125 to donate to a local charity or cause of their choosing as a part of our 125 year celebration. We call these donations My125.
Lexi from our Thunder Bay office is happy to share her My125 donation to Paws for Love Dog Rescue.
“My family and I have had rescue dogs for the better part of my life. They complete our family, and I will forever support local dog rescues.”
When I went to get insurance for the first time on my new car, my broker Rhonda made me feel relaxed with her calm and easygoing attitude. I was nervous when I first walked into her office, but she made the whole process so easy.
Now, I know I can go in asking for exactly what I want, and she makes it happen! When I insured my second vehicle, it was just as easy as the first. Thank you to Rhonda and The Standard for always getting results.
This year, each employee of The Standard was given $125 to donate to a local charity or cause of their choosing.
Laurie from our Winnipeg office is pleased to share her donation to Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation. The foundation raises funds to improve the lives of children who access services through the Rehabilitation Centre for Children including assistive technology to help them do things they are unable to do on their own.
“My niece has benefited from equipment for mobility provided by this organization.”
I moved to Red Lake in 2015. I’ve been relying on The Standard for my insurance ever since and have always had great service. Hannah has been great at answering all of my many, many insurance questions. When I first moved here, she worked really hard to help me get the information and insurance I needed for my car and home. Even when I needed a service that wasn’t provided by The Standard, she would let me know where to go or who to talk to. Thank you, The Standard!
A few years back, I was involved in an accident out of town and my truck was totally undrivable. My husband just had a major surgery in Thunder Bay. I called my broker Lori and she helped me get a rental car so I could get home. The accident happened on a Friday night and I was set up with a rental by Saturday morning.
Lori also helped me get all the information to the insurance adjuster. Both Lori and the adjuster were super helpful during an extremely stressful time. They told me to focus on my husband while they took care of the rest.
After we came home, both checked up on us asking about my husband’s health and if there was anything else we needed for our rental car. These amazing people are why we have been customers of The Standard for over 40 years!
I always feel like they have my best interest at heart, and I will continue to do business there.
This year, each employee of The Standard was given $125 to donate to a local charity or cause of their choosing.
Nicole at our Thunder Bay office is happy to share her donation.
“I love animals and the Humane Society does wonderful work to help the city and surrounding areas by giving helpless animals the care, medical attention, and shelter they need, as well as another chance at the life they deserve.”
This year, each employee of The Standard was given $125 to donate to a local charity or cause of their choosing.
Hannah from our Red Lake office is proud to share her My125 donation to the Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital.
“I have had friends and family that have relied on the hospital during the pandemic and I am happy to be able to give back in some way.”
This year, each employee of The Standard was given $125 to donate to a local charity or cause of their choosing.
Kelly from our Dryden office is excited to share her My 125 donation to Princess Court Long Term Care Facility.
“I think our long term care here in Dryden can always use some support.”
In 2022, with the war in Ukraine, The Standard employees chose to make bi-weekly donations to charities and organizations helping Ukrainian refugees settle in Canada.
At the Kenora office, more than $4,000 was raised at this year’s Charity BBQ and donated to Kenora Supports Ukraine to help assist refugees coming to live in the Kenora area.
One day, I came by the office to pay my home insurance premium and noticed a white tin cup holding Standard Insurance pens. I mentioned to Pam, the front office customer service representative, that I really liked this tin cup and asked her where I could get one like that. She let me know they only get a few to use at the office for promotion.
Once my payment was made, Pam took the pens out of the tin cup and gave it to me. Sometimes these little gestured of kindness not only make your day, but make you feel great about humanity. All the people working for The Standard, from Mark Gleeson, Soraya, Nicole, Pam, etc., are super warm and friendly. They really care and listen to whatever you need them to do. I’ve been with The Standard Insurance for a very long time, and this is the reason why. Thanks for having a great team of people who are passionate about their work!
I purchased my first car in 2009 – a purple Plymouth Breeze and I was SO excited! Kelly was a fantastic help, providing me with all the information I needed to get the right insurance for me. At 17, I was nervous, but she made everything feel so comfortable.
Since that day, Kelly has been a part of all my major life purchases helping to make sure I am always covered from my first home to my subsequent new vehicles! I know I am always in the right hands and my assets are protected thanks to Kelly and The Standard!”
This year, each employee of The Standard was given $125 to donate to a local charity or cause of their choosing. Throughout the rest of the year, we will be sharing some of their My 125 donation stories.
Patrick from our Kenora office is happy to share his My 125 donation in support of Light Up Central – the campaign to rebuild the Central Community Club and rink in Kenora.
This ad was on the front page of the Daily Miner & News on May 2nd 1934. Most ads prior to this were focused on property insurance. However, big changes were coming to Northwestern Ontario in the months following.
The first section of the Trans Canada Highway 17 to open was between the Manitoba town of Whitemouth and Kenora. On July 1st 1932, an inter-provincial ceremony was held in Kenora to dedicate the new route. The next link would connect the highway through Kenora with the rough road connecting Vermilion Bay, Dryden and Dyment and opened in early 1933.
On June 15th 2022, our Dryden team held their first annual BBQ since 2019. All funds raised went to the local Dryden Food Bank.
Our Thunder Bay team participated in the EcoSuperior Spring Up to Clean Up this month to help pick up litter around the community.
It may look different these days, but our Kenora branch has always operated out of 319 Second Street South.
In 2018, The Standard and Wawanesa Mutual Insurance teamed up to donate $50,000 to the Dryden Regional Health Centre. The donation was given in support of the Dryden Regional Health Services Foundation CT Scan Fund.
The Standard is proud to continue the legacy of the Oldfield Kirby Esau Insurance brand in Manitoba. In 2020, The Standard and Oldfield Kirby Esau who were partners for almost a decade, merged into one entity. The Manitoba-based firm was originally called Oldfield, Kirby and Gardner and was founded in 1881. In 1909, the business moved to occupy what is now a historical site in Winnipeg, 234 Portage Avenue. While The Standard’s Winnipeg office has been on St. Mary Ave for a number of years now, the significance of Oldfield Kirby Esau’s influence on Winnipeg is cemented in the history of its original building on Portage Avenue.
It may be surprising to some to hear that The Standard sold real estate for many years in Northwestern Ontario. This ad in the local newspaper from 1934 is selling a dream deal – an island on Lake of the Woods for only $425!!!
Before it became our office, our Dryden location was the home of Ross Hamilton. The Hamilton family arrived in Dryden by train in 1925 and Mr. Hamilton entered a partnership to operate the Dryden Pharmacy at its present location until his death in 1952.
In 1997, The Standard received this Grandfather Clock from an insurance partner to commemorate 100 years of service. The clock is still a fixture of our Kenora office and can be found in our reception waiting area. The clock requires a weekly winding that is completed by our dedicated reception team. Tick tock tick tock tick tock – time marches on.
In May, we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of opening our office in Sioux Lookout. Pictured in this photo are Sharon Sayers (Left), Jennifer Alcock (Centre) and Jenni Blanchard (Right). All three have been with The Standard for all 25 years of our time in Sioux Lookout.
Julie Johnson helped her nephew, Brian Ingo, former CEO/President celebrate The Standard’s 100th Anniversary as they cut the cake together. The Standard was founded by Julie’s father, George Toole in 1897. The photo captures the lineage from the the Toole family to the Ingo family. Brian retired in 2013.