Dear Policyholder Members,

We’re now in the midst of the third wave of the pandemic and we are continuing to operate under the same restrictive measures of the past year. We know these measures can be an inconvenience, but contacting your agent or broker by telephone or email is the safest way to provide you service.

The pandemic affected the format of our Annual Meeting in March. It was recently held virtually with approximately 25 policyholder members joining in.

The membership in attendance received and approved the 2020 Auditor’s Report and Financial Statement and appointed auditors for the 2021 fiscal year. Glen Blair, Jeff Schultz and Paul Heinbuch were re-elected to the board to each serve three-year terms.

We made another donation of $1,000 to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. This donation now brings our total donations to this charity to $33,500 since 1998.

We announced an alternative plan to recognize your company’s 150^th anniversary in 2021. With the circumstances of COVID-19, it is not possible to hold any celebratory gathering. Please follow our social media channels for updates and announcements.

Qualifying members will soon be receiving their 2020 premium refund cheques in the mail if they’re not already received. Refund announcements were made at the Annual Meeting and in our Annual Report that was mailed to members in early March.

A bit more 150th Anniversary trivia: A historical document penned by the late Marguerite Caistor (a former Secretary – Treasurer of the company) described that South Easthope Mutual was the first farmers’ mutual in Ontario to issue a policyholder-member refund, with the first one being issued in 1938 during the Great Depression. South Easthope Mutual has continued this practice since, in years where financial results made it possible to do so. In the last 9 out of 10 years, South Easthope Mutual has issued a property premium refund to members.

Thank you for your continued patience and support of South Easthope Mutual.

Sincerely,

Frank A. Rider, CIP

President