The story
The roots of The Co-operators can be traced back to Saskatchewan. The Great Depression, followed by World War II, was a time of great adversity for rural communities as many agricultural families lost their belongings, their savings and their life insurance. In this environment, co-operatives were increasingly appealing as a way for a community to pool its resources to help rebuild lives.
A group of farmers in Saskatchewan dreamed of building a co-operative insurance company to protect their assets for future generations. In 1945, with the support of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and farm-based prairie co-operatives, Co-operative Life Insurance Company was incorporated in Regina.
Similar developments were underway in Ontario, where the Co-operative Union of Ontario and the Ontario Credit Union League established Co-operators Fidelity & Guarantee Association 1946 to support farmers in that province.
The Saskatchewan- and Ontario-based companies expanded significantly over the years, both in terms of geography and product offerings. The two successor companies, Regina-based Co-operative Insurance Services and Co-operators Insurance Associations of Guelph, established closer ties and, in 1975, merged as CI Management Group, which adopted the brand name "The Co-operators." In 1978, the company took its present name.
The group of companies has grown steadily since then. Presently, The Co-operators banner includes Addenda Capital, Co-operators General Insurance Company, Co-operators Life Insurance Company, The CUMIS Group, HB Group Insurance, Federated Agencies Limited, and The Sovereign General Insurance Company.
The company is currently the title sponsor for the radio network of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders.
From Wikipedia’s article on The Co-operators, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4