Author Archives: Conrad

1. A Message from Safeway Regarding Covid-19

   March 19, 2020 10:20 am Leave a Comment

   At Safeway Insurance and Financial Services, our clients come first. We continue to closely monitor the impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and we strive to ensure the health and safety of our collective employees, clients and communities.

   With more cases appearing globally and concern growing daily, we wanted to provide an update on our operations as well as share information that can help you navigate through the current uncertainty.

   We are taking important proactive measures focused on protecting our people and their families by providing work from home solutions for all able staff members with their full suite of tools and capabilities to continue supporting our clients.

   In the weeks ahead, we know that you will need support for you, your business, and your customers, and we will be there. As with many organizations trying to reduce in-person meetings and travel, the way in which we provide support may look different. We will continue to be available to you and your business via telephone and email.

   Despite these operational changes, our purpose remains the same. Safeway is committed to delivering the insurance, risk management and consulting support you need.

   Safeway remains fully committed to supporting you and your company through these challenging times. We will share periodic updates about our operational decisions as the situation continues to unfold.

   Thank you for trusting us with your business, and please reach out to our team with any questions.

    

   For our complete staff directory, please visit: https://safewayinsure.com/about-us/our-team/

2. Seasons Greetings

   December 23, 2019 5:04 pm Leave a Comment

   Happy Holidays

   The team at Safeway Insurance would like to wish
   you and yours a joyous holiday season and a
   peaceful and prosperous new year!

   Safeway Holiday Hours

   Tuesday December 24th     –    Open 8:30am – 12:00pm (noon)
   Wednesday December 25th     –    Closed
   Thursday December 26th     –    Closed
   Tuesday December 31st     –    Open 8:30am – 12:00pm (noon)
   Wednesday January 1st     –     Closed

3. The Impacts of Distracted Driving

   December 21, 2018 10:30 am Leave a Comment

   When you aren’t focused on the road things can happen fast. Too often we hear of pedestrians being struck by a car, the fortunate ones being able to walk away. Most of these incidents have one thing in common, distracted driving. The government is listening and has taken serious necessary action.

   What is Distracted Driving? Using your phone to talk, text, check maps and depending on the circumstances, can also include eating, grooming or even drinking beverages.

   Effective January 1, 2019, distracted driving charges are changing. The new penalties are as follows:

   Drivers with A to G licenses

   First Conviction	Second Conviction	Third Conviction
   -A fine of up to $1,000 -Three demerit points -A three-day day driver’s licence suspension	-A fine of up to $2,000 -Six demerit points -A seven-day driver’s licence suspension	-A fine of up to $3,000 -Six demerit points -A 30-day driver’s licence suspension

   Drivers with G1, G2, M1 or M2 licenses

   First Conviction	Second Conviction	Third Conviction
   -A fine of up to $1,000 -A 30-day licence suspension	-A fine of up to $2,000 -A 90-day licence suspension	-A fine of up to $3,000 -Cancellation of your licence and removal from the Graduated Licensing System (GLS)

    Along with these increased penalties, one of the biggest financial costs could be your insurance rates.

   Insurance companies are now beginning to treat distracted driving just as they would impaired driving, careless driving and racing.

   This means that a first offence could lead to your insurance being non-renewed, forcing you into a high risk market, with significantly higher insurance costs. In addition, you could be subjected to a 50% surcharge on top of these higher base rates.

   This ticket impacts your record for three years, so the costs for this infraction could end up costing you thousands of dollars over that time.

   For more information on these changes, please give us a call or visit: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving-faq.shtml

4. Telephone Service Restored

   June 21, 2018 8:53 pm Leave a Comment

   We are pleased to announce that our telephone service has now been fully restored. We can be reached at either 905-886-4913 or toll free at 1-800-392-5235.

   Once again, we would like to apologize for any inconvenience that this outage may have cause and thank you for your patience during that time.

   Thank you,

   Safeway Insurance

5. Important Notice – Telephone Outage

   June 19, 2018 8:17 pm Leave a Comment

   We would like to apologize to all our customers that have been unable to contact us by telephone today. We are currently experiencing a major service interruption that affects our telephone lines. The issue is now being worked on by our service provider and we hope to have it resolved as soon as possible.

   Until our service is restored, we ask that you send your requests via e-mail to sales@safewayinsure.com or directly to your customer service representative.

   We would again like to apologize for any inconvenience that this outage has caused.

   Thank you,
   Safeway Insurance

6. Emergency Contact List

   May 2, 2018 8:30 am Leave a Comment

   Creating a Comprehensive Emergency Contact List for Your Business

   Knowing who to call when an emergency arises at your business puts you in the best position to handle the crisis in a manner that protects you, your employees, your patrons and your business. That’s why it’s smart to think through the emergency contacts that should be on your list before the crisis strikes.

   Since we have assisted numerous businesses during their most critical moments, we’ve put together a list of recommended items you’ll want to include on your emergency contact list.

   1. Start With the Basics: At the top of your contact list, you should have your key business information including the business name, address, location, and phone number. Emergency services will immediately ask for this information, and you don’t want you or your employees to have to search for it and delay help arriving quickly.

   2. Facility Manager/Landlord: For emergencies involving your facility, like a fire or water leak, you’ll want to contact your facility manager or landlord without delay. They know your building better than anyone and may offer solutions that help prevent or minimize property damage.

   3. Employee Emergency Contacts: Should a medical emergency arise involving one of your employees, you need to be able to quickly contact whomever they have identified as their emergency contact.

   4. First Responders & More: This section of your list should include more than just 9-1-1. Also include the contact information for your security alarm company, poison control, and animal control.

   5. Utility Companies: For emergency incidents involving burst pipes, gas leaks, or a power outage, the utility company should be one of your first calls. Be sure to include numbers for your gas, electricity and water service providers.

   6. Odds & Ends: It’s also worth adding contact information for helpful services like a trusted locksmith or roadside assistance. That way if you need to have your locks replaced or help a customer or employee who is stuck in a ditch, you have those numbers at your fingertips.

   Remember, quick access to these emergency contacts ensures that you will be able to respond quickly and effectively when a crisis arises. So, post these numbers where you and your employees can get to them at a moment’s notice.

   Finally, as your insurance broker, we’re always here to help you navigate emergency situations, explain your coverage, and help you file a claim if necessary.

7. Insuring Timeshares

   April 18, 2018 8:30 am Leave a Comment

   Should You Insure Your Timeshare?

   If you own a timeshare or are considering buying one, you may be wondering about the best way to protect your investment in the event something happens on the property.

   First, it’s important to understand how owning a timeshare is different from owning a second home. With a timeshare, you “share” ownership with several parties. Along with your co-owners, you agree to a specific arrangement regarding when you can use the property for vacations.

   How you go about protecting your shared property depends on whether the property is deeded or undeeded. If your timeshare is undeeded—meaning you did not receive a deed at the time of purchase—you don’t own actual property. In this case, it’s a good idea to call your insurance broker and simply add the address of the timeshare as an insured location on your existing homeowner’s insurance policy. That will ensure your belongings are covered while vacationing at the property.

   If, however, your timeshare is deeded, you are a partial owner of the property and could be financially exposed if something happened at the property. For example, if the guest of a fellow co-owner had a slip-and-fall accident at the timeshare property and incurred costly medical bills as a result, he or she could hold all the owners liable. Even if you did not know the other timeshare co-owner or his guest, and were not present at the time of the accident, you could be held partially responsible in a lawsuit filed to collect damages for the injury.

   By adding an endorsement to your primary homeowner’s coverage, you can ensure that the money you need to pay legal fees and other medical expenses (up to the limits of your policy) will be there if the court finds you partially at fault for the accident.

   Keep in mind that with some insurers, you may need a separate policy to cover your deeded timeshare. Talk to your insurance broker to find out for sure and to explore all your timeshare coverage options.

8. Understanding the Difference Between a ‘Vacant’ and ‘Unoccupied’ Dwelling

   January 29, 2018 8:30 am Leave a Comment

   Did you know that informing your broker about the changing occupancy status of your home could save you a future headache and possibly save you money on your insurance? That’s why it is always a good idea to keep your broker in the loop when life changes take you away from your home for an extended period.

   If you fall into one of the following three categories, keep reading and let your broker know right away:

   • Snowbird that lives in another state part of the year
   • Military personnel or another employee whose work takes you away from home for long periods
   • Your home is on the market but you have already moved to a new place

   Unoccupied Dwellings

   For insurance purposes, your home is classified as unoccupied if you leave for a period longer than 96 hours but intend to return.

   Whenever your home is unoccupied you should take the following precautions to protect your property:

   • Let your broker know about your travel plans
   • Shut off your water and drain the pipes
   • Make your home look like someone is there (automatic lights, stop your mail, schedule yard care, etc.)

   If you travel frequently for work, it is also a good idea to install a monitored home alarm system that is equipped with temperature and water sensors. Be sure to list a local contact in case you are traveling and an emergency arises at your home.

   Taking these precautions will not only give you peace of mind when you are away, but it will also let your insurance company know you have taken care to protect your property in your absence.

   Vacant Dwellings

   Whether your home has furniture or not, insurance companies will classify it as vacant if you leave the home and do not plan to live there anymore. Some homeowners mistakenly think staging the home while it is on the market excludes it from being classified as a vacant dwelling, but the term is based on occupancy, not furnishings.

   Whenever your home is vacant you should take the following precautions to protect your property:

   • Get a vacancy permit from your insurer
   • Check the vacant property at least 3 times per week

   Vacant properties often receive minimal coverage with items like vandalism, sewer backup and water damage excluded from coverage. In some cases, where the home is vacant for six months or longer, the insurance company may decide to discontinue coverage altogether.

   To learn more about how to protect your unoccupied or vacant dwelling, contact your insurance broker.

9. Canada’s Top 10 Stolen Vehicles of 2017

   January 22, 2018 8:30 am Leave a Comment

   Coming outside to discover your vehicle is not where you left it is a frustrating experience no vehicle owner should have to face. Yet, the fact remains that more than 78,000 Canadian drivers had such an experience between 2015 and 2016 according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). To help minimize the number of auto theft cases and put certain vehicle owners on high alert, the IBC publishes an annual list of the Top 10 Most Frequently Stolen Vehicles.

   Here are the vehicles that made the list for 2017.

   1. 2015 Lexus GX460 4-Door AWD SUV
   2. 2007 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   3. 2006 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   4. 2005 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   5. 2001 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   6. 2003 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   7. 2004 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   8. 2016 Toyota 4Runner 4-Door 4WD SUV
   9. 2002 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Pickup
   10. 2006 Ford F-250 Super Duty 4WD Pickup

   If your vehicle is on this top 10 list, there are steps you can take to make it less of a target for thieves. The IBC recommends that you:

   – Never leave your vehicle running while it’s unattended.
   – Always park in places that are well lit.
   – Close your sunroof and windows and lock your doors whenever you park your vehicle.
   – Store valuables and packages out of plain sight, preferably in the trunk.
   – Keep your car in the garage at night.
   – Don’t leave personal information in the glove box. Take your insurance and ownership documents with you when you park your vehicle.

   Keep in mind that it takes less than one minute to steal the average vehicle. Thieves are looking for easy targets, so following these tips will go a long way in making your vehicle a less attractive option.

   In the unfortunate incident that your vehicle is stolen despite your best efforts to keep it safe, call the police immediately. To make it easier for the police to recover your vehicle, you should be able to provide your vehicle identification number (VIN), registration, license plate number and driver’s license information. Tip: Keep this information in your smartphone so you can access it quickly.

   After you file a police report, don’t forget to contact your insurance broker to let them know your vehicle has been stolen. Informing your broker can help protect you in case your vehicle is used to cause harm or damage after the theft.