Press Releases

On Sunday, January 21, 2024, Public Safety Canada, along with key federal ministers, announced the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft, scheduled for February 8, 2024. The Summit will include leaders from key jurisdictions and industry sectors collaborating to identify actions to combat auto theft and strengthen current initiatives. As Canada’s authority on insurance fraud and crime, Équité Association, applauds this collaborative effort to combat serious and organized crime and ensure the safety of communities across Canada.

Paul Johnstone, President, Chubb Insurance Company of Canada, has been appointed the new Chair of the Board of Directors at Équité Association. Mr. Johnstone has over 30 years of insurance experience, with an extensive background in underwriting, marketing and strategic distribution expansion across key client segments and product groups. Mr. Johnstone joined Chubb Insurance Company of Canada in 1994 as an associate in Commercial Insurance and has held pivotal roles spanning both the reinsurance and P&C sectors. Mr. Johnstone was appointed President, Chubb Insurance Company of Canada in June 2022.

Équité Association, a not-for-profit working to eradicate insurance crime on behalf of the Canadian property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry, has released its annual Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Canada. The #1 most stolen vehicle in Canada of 2022 was the Honda CR-V, for the second year in a row.

Today, the Ontario Government released its fall economic statement which includes a more dedicated effort to cracking down on the auto theft crisis in Ontario. This is in addition to the $51 million financial investment announced earlier this year for the creation a dedicated Auto Theft Team led by the Ontario Provincial Police, a new community safety grant, and a Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response team. Équité Association has been a long-standing partner of Ontario law enforcement agencies, Port Authorities, the CBSA, and the RCMP and welcomes today’s announcement.

Équité Association announces the launch of ÉQ Insights. This groundbreaking, consortium-based approach uses predictive analytics and machine learning to detect and prevent insurance crime.

Équité Association has released its First Half of 2023 Auto Theft Trend Report and it is clear that Canada’s auto theft crisis is getting worse. Furthermore, according to a recent survey, the continued rise in auto theft is having a significant impact on Canadians’ sense of safety. “Canadians are feeling vulnerable,” said Terri O’Brien, President & CEO of Équité Association. “The majority of Canadians are clearly worried about how this alarming increase in auto theft will impact the crime rate in their communities, and they are especially concerned for their personal safety and the safety of their families.”

Équité Association Calls on Transport Canada to Adopt New Standards set out by UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE)

Today, Équité Association released its 2022 Vehicle Theft Trend Report, and the numbers are staggering. For the first time in history, insurers lost over one billion dollars in stolen vehicles, which directly impacts Canadians at a time when inflation and affordability are putting excess strain on consumers. The trend clearly indicates that organized crime syndicates are looking at stolen vehicles in Canada as a low-risk/high-reward opportunity, regardless if the vehicles are for export or domestic sale. Illegal profit margins are very high and the risk of prosecution is considerably low.

Équité Association has been a long-standing partner of the OPP and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and has been supporting this reform in Ontario, in collaboration with our partners, to gain real traction in the fight against auto crime. In response to this positive announcement, Équité Association offered the following statement of support:

This International Women’s Day, Équité Association celebrates embracing equity by empowering women to grow personally and professionally through professional development, mentoring, and leadership development opportunities. Equity and equality are two words often used interchangeably, but there are key differences. Equity acknowledges that people do not begin life in the same place and that circumstances can make it more difficult for certain people to achieve the same goals. Inequity affects many people, but most commonly and historically, it has impacted marginalized communities and groups, such as women, people of color, disabled people, the economically disadvantaged, and those from the LGBTQ+ community.