CHES Special Risk | Best Insurance Providers in Canada

 All industries go through expansion and contraction cycles, and the insurance industry is no exception. The current state of the industry suggests that we are in the contraction stage of the cycle, also known as the ‘Hard Market’ situation but will eventually transition into the ‘Soft Market’ phase. Here’s a brief overview from CHES Special Risk , President & CEO, Gary Hirst, an industry veteran who has witnessed all kind of transitions. Here is his take on: “Hard Market: Underwriting becomes more difficult and stringent during a Hard market.” MGA’s — Broker’s ‘survival kit’ in the Hard Market! In the current hard market, MGAs are the industry’s unsung heroes; the ‘survival kit’ for retail brokers. Where domestic markets are shrinking or withdrawing, and where underwriting is becoming more stringent, independent MGA offer capacities and assist brokers in placing risks and completing placements. “At CHES, we’ve been keeping an eye on the Hard Market and the brokers’ activity. W...

 To connect and engage with brokers serving the Western Provinces, the managing general agent CHES Special Risk will be holding a webinar that any broker can attend. The free webinar, scheduled for May 04, 2022, will feature CHES Special Risk president and CEO Gary Hirst, Vancouver branch manager Spencer Denton, and the MGA’s other product experts. Through the webinar, they will interact and educate brokers about CHES’ developments and the new business opportunities it is offering in the West. The webinar will share insights on things such as the hottest selling insurance products in the West, CHES’ product innovation, considerations for brokers working with CHES, as well as an overview of select specialty product offerings. CHES Special Risk’s webinar comes after the company opened a new office in Vancouver last year. The office helped mitigate the time zone differences across the organization and its clients in the West, while enhancing the capacity of brokers in the region. Reg...

  TORONTO, ON, NOVEMBER 16, 2021/insPRESS/ —  CHES Solutions Spécialisées   has significantly strengthened its Quebec presence with the opening of a new office in Quebec City. “We are seeing very strong business growth from the Retail Brokers in and around the Quebec City region, and in accordance with our successful strategy of being available to brokers in their region, we are delighted to support the Quebec City insurance industry with our award winning service, extensive capacity and appetite,” said Gary Hirst, President and Chief Executive Officer of  CHES Special Risk . CHES Special Risk is one of only a few remaining independently owned and operated MGA’s in Canada, offering Brokers access to P&C market products, as well as life, Group Benefits, and investment advice, through our Sister operations of  CHES Vie  and  CHES Life . “ We have been servicing Brokers in the Quebec City region for a number of years, and have several Underwriting team mem...

  CHES Special Risk  is adding new capacity to its insurance solutions for cannabis businesses, creating a more comprehensive offering that covers more exposures. The managing general agent is now offering property and product Cannabis Contamination Insurance to its insurance suite for cannabis business owners. “The timing is perfect for the release of this product as some insurers that were in the market previously, are pulling out,” said CHES Special Risk president and CEO Gary Hirst. “This gives brokers the opportunity to provide much-needed insurance solutions to their policyholders. All from the same provider, in four different risk areas in which the industry operates.” The full suite of cannabis insurance products that brokers can access through CHES Special Risk are: Property coverage Commercial general liability coverage Product liability coverage Product contamination coverage Construction of a cannabis facility According to CHES, these pr...

  CHES Special Risk Inc. devises product solution for vape & e-cigarettes & the retailers that sell them Toronto, Ontario – CHES Special Risk Inc. today announced the launch of their E-Cigarettes and VAPE Programme, with unique and innovative Product mix. ‘We have seen a large broker demand to combat a surge in the numerous owner operated E-Cigarette / E-Vape shops & kiosks, as well as assembly and manufacturer risks, and in keeping with CHES philosophy of developing a solution for new Industry risks, we are pleased to launch our programme for the many risks involved with this new Industry’, said Douglas Everett, President of CHES Special Risk Inc.. CHES Special Risk are able to provide capacity for  Property and General Liability risks , associated with the selling of the equipment and the flavourings, as well as the Property coverage for the content of the stores and their stock and merchandise. ABOUT CHES SPECIAL RISK INC. CHES Special Risk Inc . was established...

While cyber crimes make all the top headlines, physical crimes perpetrated by employees seem to be flying under the radar. This is particularly worrisome for smaller operations as dishonest employees with criminal intent to steal money or inventory could make or break a business. While businesses shouldn’t underestimate the harmful ramifications of a cyber breach, non-physical crimes have not usurped physical ones. Consider a recent example  of a Newfoundland minor hockey association now $80,000 in the red after a former treasurer allegedly stole money between 2017 and 2019. That money is owed to the city and for kids to continue to practice hockey at the local civic centre, their parents have to foot the bill. And crimes like that can make or break a business, especially smaller operations. If your business relies on employees handling cash or inventory, your goods and daily earnings are vulnerable. Crime coverage is offered as part of CHES Special Risk’s commercial combined ...

With our local and provincial governments re-opening of the economy; protecting your workforce will be something that comes front of mind. One of the aspects you will need to navigate will be with the equipment that you choose to purchase to protect your employees.  The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has seen many companies pivot their business to support the efforts to protect those having to work in a potentially exposed environment. It will be important for you to know which sources are reliable, as we have continued to see large recalls happen for various medical products supplied during the global crisis. To help you navigate these things here are some important pieces of information and when possible the link to the appropriate Health Canada website. Hand Sanitizers Hand Sanitizers are Natural Health Product and require a NPN# from Health Canada, which in most cases you should be able to find on the packaging. Health Canada keeps a list of approved Hand Sanitizers with a searc...

Cannabis is a rapidly growing industry and manufacturing and selling the substance for recreational purposes — in all forms — has been legal since last October. But because of government-mandated insurance requirements, it has proved challenging for Canadian cannabis businesses to find the insurance coverage they need. The cannabis sector is not new in Canada, after all the substance has been legal for medical purposes since 2001. And in many ways, that paved the way for recreational  cannabis insurance  products. But what is new is the manufacturing, distribution and retail of recreational cannabis. While the federal government wrote cannabis laws and regulations, it gave provinces and territories the authority to decide how the product is sold, including where stores can be located, how they are operated, who is allowed to sell cannabis — and how much insurance businesses have to carry. For the cannabis sector, manufacturers and retailers alike, procuring insurance is still ...

Roofing Contractors Insurance as Provided by CHES Special Risk Inc. Supports Canadian Constructions Industry Ottawa, Ontario – CHES Special Risk Inc. today emphasized their capabilities of their Marketing leading Roofing Contractors Insurance Program. “There are a substantial number of different roofing systems that have been developed by the Roofing Contractor to respond to the needs of the Architects and Engineers that design and Build many of today’s structures, whether they are Commercial, Residential or Sporting facilities”, said Douglas Everett, President of CHES Special Risk Inc. “Many applications are done at extreme height, and often on existing buildings where there are not only considerable risks involved in the construction of these roofs, but also with the surrounding risks of Property Damage and Bodily Injury” Here are just some of the different Roofing Applications that we can consider at CHES Special Risk Inc: Shingle, Wood shingle, Shake (shingle), Sla...

OHIP coverage ends for out-of-country travellers:  Ontario’s provincial health insurance plan OHIP no longer covers out-of-country medical services, highlighting a need for Ontarians to purchase travel insurance privately. As of Jan. 1, 2020, the province scrapped all coverage for out-of-country services except dialysis. The province had previously covered foreign in-patient services up to $400 per day for a higher level of care and $50 a day for emergency outpatient and doctor services. Having a medical emergency in a foreign country is a stressful event, psychologically but also financially. Prior to Ontario canceling out-of-country medical coverage, OHIP’s reimbursement for medical costs was a drop in the bucket compared to what a medical event could cost. For example, having a heart attack in the U.S. could cost a traveler hundreds of thousands of dollars and OHIP would cover only a fraction of that. ALSO VISIT | Travel Insurance Plans Ontario’s decision to nix...