Wawanesa has donated $85,000 to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) to support the redevelopment of its Young & New Driver Resource Center, soon to be relaunched as the New Driver Center. The move is directly tied to the insurer's Drive Change usage-based auto insurance program.
Drive Change, which was launched in Ontario in 2023, combines telematics and a smartphone app to analyze driving behavior, promote safer habits, and reward responsible drivers with discounts of up to 25% on quarterly auto premiums. The program has just been upgraded with a more intuitive platform that gives policyholders deeper, real‑time insights into how they drive.
The reworked New Driver Center will provide online tools and resources to help teens and parents move from basic licensing requirements to safer real-world driving, which can effectively act as a loss-prevention asset for Wawanesa.
“By advancing the technology behind Drive Change, we’re able to deliver more value for our members and empower them to make responsible choices every time they get behind the wheel,” said Bill Warden, VP, Personal Lines, Product Management at Wawanesa. “Our contribution to TIRF complements this exciting milestone for the program by extending the impact of positive driving habits beyond our app.”
Meanwhile, the Knights of Columbus’ Ontario jurisdiction has delivered a record 20,736 new winter coats to children in need through its Coats for Kids program, up from 18,000 in the province last year. Behind the scenes, Knights of Columbus Insurance general agents and field agents are closely involved in fundraising and distribution.
Warm clothing reduces some of the basic health and exposure risks faced by vulnerable children in harsh winters – a small but real contribution to reducing claims‑relevant risk factors in the communities they serve.
The initiative deepens relationships with parishes, schools, and local charities, strengthening trust in the organization that later underpins life, disability, and other protection sales.
“Providing coats for kids and veterans is the perfect example of the work we do day in and day out,” said David Gelinas, State Deputy for the Knights of Columbus in Ontario. “Charity drives us to meet needs in our community and areas where people are suffering. We’re men who care about others because we care about our shared faith.”
General agent Sonny Sangemino, who has supported the program for more than a decade, noted that the record distribution is “another stark reminder that many Canadians are experiencing financial struggles and need the help of a community” – the same clients who are often most exposed to income shock and protection gaps.
Since the Canadian Coats for Kids program launched in Ontario in 2016 with 2,676 coats, it has grown to nearly two million coats distributed across Canada and the US, funded largely through council‑level fundraising where insurance agents are key organizers.
