Intact Insurance has renewed its long-standing partnership with Speed Skating Canada, extending support for the national program through the 2029-2030 season.
The agreement was announced in Montreal during the launch of Medals on Tour, a post-Olympic initiative that will take a dozen Canadian medalists to six communities over two weeks to showcase the sport and engage young athletes.
Imen Zitouni, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Intact Financial, emphasized the continuity and impact of the relationship.
“Our renewed partnership with Speed Skating Canada reflects two decades of shared ambition, stability, and long-term commitment to excellence. Since our collaboration began in 2006, Canadian speed skaters have earned 53 Olympic medals and reached the World Championship podium more than 200 times — results that underscore what’s possible when a program is supported consistently over time,” she said.
For insurers, such long-term sponsorships represent strategic investments in brand positioning and community relevance. Carriers increasingly link purpose-led partnerships to broader corporate objectives, including talent attraction and retention, community engagement, and stakeholder networking.
Intact's continued role as premier national team sponsor and presenting partner of the sport's national championships reinforces its presence in high-profile national events.
The renewed agreement preserves several community-oriented initiatives.
The Skate for All program provides no-cost skating activities for youth, families, and equity-deserving groups, supporting broader insurer commitments to inclusion and diversity. This aligns with industry trends in environmental, social, and governance strategies, where carriers emphasize programs that promote access and wellbeing in underrepresented communities.
The Intact Insurance Club Excellence Award program, which has provided nearly $500,000 in grants to local speed skating clubs since 2010, will return, helping strengthen grassroots participation. National program athletes will also benefit from the Intact Impact Award, which supports athletes demonstrating leadership, integrity, and community involvement.
Joe Morissette, chief executive officer of Speed Skating Canada, described the renewal as critical to the sport's development.
“For more than 20 years, Intact Insurance has been an essential partner in the growth of speed skating in Canada, and we are thrilled to continue working together. This renewed commitment through 2030 allows us to strengthen the sport at every level — from introducing more young people to skating, to supporting our athletes as they pursue excellence on the world stage,” he said.
Insurers have been recalibrating sponsorship approaches as media consumption shifts and digital engagement becomes central to measuring brand impact.
Long-term deals like this provide stability in uncertain economic conditions, where sponsorship budgets in some sectors have tightened. By maintaining multi-year commitments, insurers such as Intact aim to differentiate their brand and build sustained recognition with target audiences.
Meanwhile, Intact recently signed a multi-year agreement with the Canadian Olympic Committee, illustrating a broader strategy of aligning with national-level sport frameworks. The company also holds naming rights for the Centre de glaces Intact Assurance in Quebec City, one of two national training centers for long track speed skaters, and has welcomed short track star William Dandjinou as its first sponsored athlete.
