Canadian ICMIF member Red River Mutual, one of the oldest mutual insurance companies in the province of Manitoba, is celebrating a remarkable milestone this year: 150 years in business.

Their story

When Mennonite newcomers arrived in Manitoba’s Pembina Valley in 1875, they built farms from the ground up — without financial protection, and at great personal risk. Without formal institutions to lean on, these farmers pooled their resources to support one another through poor yields, unexpected setbacks, and the very real threat of prairie wildfires. What emerged was a self-fashioned system of mutual aid: practical, responsive, and rooted in trust. It wasn’t born from a single event, but from a shared understanding that their strength lay in their community.

That understanding is still what drives Red River Mutual’ success today.

After nearly 50 years operating as the Mennonite Insurance Organisation, the company incorporated as The Red River Valley Mutual Insurance Company in the 1940s. Over the next 50 years it would continue its growth with two mergers, expansion outside of its home province of Manitoba, and, ultimately, its most recent rebrand simply as Red River Mutual in the 2000s.

“Leading our company through this milestone anniversary is a true honour,” says Red River Mutual President & CEO, Brenda Gibson. “Change has been constant over the last 150 years, but our employees’ focus on helping people has never wavered. They’ve stayed responsive and found ways to meet people where they are – no matter what’s shifted around them.”

While the insurance industry has continued to evolve, our Canadian communities have continued to welcome newcomers (those recently settled in Canada) from all over the world. This knowledge served as inspiration for Red River Mutual’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

Continuing support of newcomers

“Red River Mutual began because of this fundamental drive to take care of our neighbours and be there for one another. That is the essence of being a mutual organisation,” says Gibson.

The company is honouring its 150 years in business by finding new ways to support and celebrate their communities, specifically newcomer communities (people who have recently settled in Canada) who may or may not understand the unique considerations involved in home ownership in Canada. Building upon this, Red River Mutual employees selected Regional Connections, a rural non-profit supporting newcomers, to be the recipient of a CAD 25,000 donation from the company in honour of its milestone anniversary.

Gibson says the company’s rural roots and ongoing commitment to their policyholders and to the communities they live and work in will always be important, not just when taking a social focus is on trend.

In 1943, Red River Mutual established its formal head office in Altona, Manitoba, and over 80 years later, Altona is still the organisation’s home.

To connect with their southern Manitoba communities in celebration of their 150th, Red River Mutual hosted a community celebration in Altona in June. Over 1,000 people attended the event which featured Red River Mutual Rhubarb ice cream – a signature flavour created with newcomer-owned business, Chaeban Ice Cream, to represent the flavours of the region. This collaboration not only supported a local business and featured locally grown ingredients, but it also had a deeper purpose. A portion of the proceeds from the flavour were donated to Mosaic Newcomer Family Resource Network, another Manitoba-based non-profit.

Growing their circle of partners

Red River Mutual’s broker partners are great advocates for both the company and its communities. They understand the people they serve, helping Red River Mutual identify areas where it can make a positive impact with its insurance products and community support. The insurer is creating opportunities to work with its partners to continue giving back to its communities.

“You don’t get to 150 alone!” says Gibson. “As our company has grown, so has our partnership network.”

“We like to focus on making people feel valued with each interaction,” says Gibson. “Whether it’s a colleague, policyholder, or partner, we want everyone to feel valued in every interaction with us. Our broker experience is key because that extends through them to our policyholders.”

Red River Mutual is hosting a gala in September at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights for partners who have supported the mutual’s growth over the last 150 years. “We look forward to celebrating 150 with our brokers, corporate partners, industry representatives, local government officials and our employees!” says Gibson. “Face-to-face time is so important in maintaining connection in business – especially as a hybrid company.”

What sets Red River Mutual apart in the industry

While communities and the insurance industry face increasing economic uncertainty, Red River Mutual has grown exponentially in the past five years:

• Their workforce has nearly doubled to over 200 full-time employees with consistent retention and engagement rates in the 80th percentile
• They’ve established in-house teams of data analysts, actuaries and project managers that help move their broker and policyholder-centred agendas forward
• Their Claims NPS (Net Promoter Score) has reached 58, an excellent score well above the average for the industry
• In the last six years alone, the company has given over CAD 1 million dollars back into the Manitoba and Saskatchewan communities through its Spruce Up Your Story campaign

“The mutual focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term shareholder satisfaction is a key differentiator in our market,” says Gibson. “Red River Mutual was built as an extension of a community and that mutual spirit is going to take our company – and the impact we can have on the people and communities we serve – very far over the next decade.”