Beneva Mutual has unveiled two permanent art installations in Quebec City to honor the legacies of La Capitale Civil Service Mutual and SSQ Mutual, whose merger created Beneva Mutual in 2024.
The works stand as symbols of the mutual insurance principles that the company says continue to shape Beneva’s business model and community focus.
The unveiling, on October 6, brought together executives, employees, and former leaders from both mutuals.
Created by Quebec artist Linda Covit, the installations — L’étreinte and Les piliers — were commissioned to represent Beneva’s continued commitment to solidarity, protection, and shared responsibility, the same values that guided both mutuals for decades.
L’étreinte (pictured above, left), located at 625 Jacques-Parizeau, pays tribute to La Capitale Civil Service Mutual, founded in 1940 to provide financial protection for Quebec’s public sector. The work’s intertwining structures symbolize the idea of mutual support central to insurance, where risk is shared for collective security.
Meanwhile, Les piliers (pictured above, right), located at 2525 Laurier, honors SSQ Mutual, established in 1944 as a healthcare cooperative that expanded into insurance. The two leaning forms convey the strength and interdependence of the mutual model, highlighting how cooperative risk pooling continues to underpin Beneva’s approach to member protection.
According to Beneve Mutual's board chair, Jean St-Gelais, the installations are intended to connect the organization’s past with its future. They serve as both a reminder of the mutuals’ origins and a reflection of Beneva’s continued mission to protect its members through collective strength.
The formation of Beneva Mutual in 2024 formalized the integration of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance, which merged in 2020. The creation of a single mutual entity allows Beneva to consolidate operations under one governance structure, aligning its insurance products, distribution, and risk management strategy more closely with the mutual model.
Within Canada’s insurance landscape, Beneva’s move aligns with a broader reaffirmation of mutual principles at a time when insurers face increasing competition from investor-owned carriers and digital entrants. Peer organizations such as The Co-operators and Desjardins Group have similarly emphasized their mutual status, positioning it as a competitive advantage that allows for long-term member value rather than short-term shareholder returns.
By commemorating its roots through these public installations, Beneva said it is reinforcing its identity as a mutual insurer, anchoring its growth and innovation in the enduring principles of shared risk, financial solidarity, and service to members.
