Our History
We are the largest provider of property and casualty (P&C) insurance in Canada, a leading provider of global specialty insurance, and, with RSA, a leader in the U.K. and Ireland. Our business has grown organically and through acquisitions to over $20 billion of total annual premiums.
In Canada, Intact distributes insurance under the Intact Insurance brand through a wide network of brokers, including its wholly-owned subsidiary BrokerLink, and directly to consumers through belairdirect. Intact also provides affinity insurance solutions through the Johnson Affinity Groups.
In the U.S., Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions provides a range of specialty insurance products and services through independent agencies, regional and national brokers, and wholesalers and managing general agencies.
In the U.K., Ireland, and Europe, Intact provides personal, commercial and specialty insurance solutions through the RSA brands.
Our Early History
Intact has a long and proud Canadian history. We are one of Canada’s oldest companies. Our roots date back to 1809 when a group of business people formed the Halifax Fire Insurance Association, later known as the Halifax Insurance Company. In the late 1950s, following the post-war Dutch immigration, the Nationale-Nederlanden, then one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands came to Canada and acquired the Halifax Insurance Company.
Growing Across Canada & Around the World
1980s
Regional insurers
Acquired three well-known regional insurers - Commerce Group and Belair in Quebec, and Western Union in Alberta.
1991
ING Group
Nationale-Nederlanden merged with NMB Postbank to create ING Group, one of the first bancassurance groups in the world.
1993
ING Canada
We brought together the separate entities under the umbrella of ING Canada.
1998
Guardian Insurance
Acquired Guardian Insurance’s business in Canada.
2001
ING Insurance
Acquired Zurich Canada’s home, auto and small and medium business insurance portfolio. Halifax Insurance Company, Commerce Group and Western Union were later merged to form ING Insurance. Belair became the first company in North America to offer insurance products online under the name belairdirect.
2004
Initial Public Offering
Acquired Allianz Canada. This was soon followed by our Initial Public Offering, and we started trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange with ING Group retaining 70% ownership.
2009
Intact Financial Corporation
ING Canada became Intact Financial Corporation, with 100% of its common shares traded on the TSX following ING Group’s divestiture of its holdings.
2011
AXA Canada
Acquired AXA Canada Inc., the 6th largest property and casualty insurance provider in the country.
2012
Jevco Insurance Company
Acquired Jevco Insurance Company, a leading provider of specialty and niche insurance products for individuals and businesses in Canada.
2015
CDI
Acquired Canadian Direct Insurance Inc. (CDI), a property and casualty insurance company providing direct-to-consumer personal insurance solutions throughout British Columbia and Alberta. CDI was subsequently integrated with belairdirect, expanding its operations from coast to coast.
2017
OneBeacon Insurance Group
Acquired OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd.; a leading U.S. specialty insurer focused on small to midsize businesses. The transaction makes us a leading specialty insurer in North America with over C$2 billion in annual premiums.
2019
On Side Restoration
Acquired a controlling interest of On Side Restoration, a leading restoration company, restoring damaged homes and businesses in Canada. Intact gained full ownership of On Side Restoration over a two-year period. The transaction strengthened repair and restoration services for personal and commercial property claims customers across Canada.
2019
The Guarantee Company
Acquired The Guarantee Company of North America, a specialty lines insurer in Canada and the U.S., and Frank Cowan Company Limited, a managing general agent focused on specialty insurance.
2020
On Side Restoration
Gained full ownership of On Side Restoration, a leading restoration company, restoring damaged homes and businesses in Canada, strengthening the repair and restoration services for personal and commercial property claims customers across Canada.
2021
RSA Insurance Group
Together with Tryg A/S, Intact acquired RSA Insurance Group –- one of the world’s longest standing general insurers – expanding its operations to the UK, Ireland, and Europe through the RSA brands.