Win 2 Tickets to Annie at the Stratford Festival

“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”

The sun’ll come out… at the Stratford Festival Theatre—and you could be there to see it shine! We’re giving away TWO tickets to the heartwarming musical Annie, live on stage, on Saturday, June 14, at 2:00 p.m.️

Don’t miss your chance to experience this Broadway classic, full of unforgettable songs, big laughs, and even bigger heart! To enter and for full contest details, visit our Facebook or Instagram page.

Financial Focus: Building an Emergency Savings Fund

Welcome back to Financial Focus with Chris Burton!

A segment in our monthly newsletter that features posts discussing financial planning, budgeting, tips for finding a good mortgage rate, managing debt, purchasing life insurance, investing in critical illness insurance, and more.

This month, we focus on “Building an Emergency Savings Fund.”

With the current economic uncertainty, there has never been a better time to recession-proof your finances – and having an Emergency Savings Fund is a great place to start. According to the Angus Reid Institute, half of Canadians under 55 fear potential job loss if a recession occurs, with the majority saying they have little financial cushion to survive economic turmoil. The study also revealed that 60% of Canadians say they could not afford an unexpected expense of over $1,000. In this blog , learn how to build an emergency fund, how much money you need, and the best place to keep it.

Do you have a question for Chris? Email [email protected] and we will try to answer it in a future edition of Financial Focus!

Farmers Breakfast at Cowbell Brewing

Calling All Farmers!

Excalibur Insurance and CIBC are proud sponsors of the upcoming Farmers Breakfast tomorrow, March 28 at 8:30 a.m. at Cowbell Brewing Company in Blyth. The event will feature special guest Ryan Parker from Valco, who will be speaking about the current value of your farmland in Southwestern Ontario.

Tickets are only $10 each and are available by emailing [email protected] or by calling 519-524-8508. This fundraiser is in support of the Alexandra Marine & General Hospital Foundation for the purchase of patient-centred equipment.

Excalibur & iHeart Community Fund Donations

We’re excited to share that thanks to the generous support of Heartland Mutual Insurance and their iHeart Community Fund, Excalibur Insurance was able to help bring some much-needed support to two incredible local organizations.

We applied to Heartland’s iHeart Community Fund and were thrilled to be approved for a $3,000 donation to Huron Hospice and a $1,500 donation to the Vanastra Community Christian Reformed Church. Excalibur Insurance also contributed an additional $2,000 to Huron Hospice, bringing the total donation to $5,000.

Last month, our team had the honour of visiting Huron Residential Hospice to present the donation in person. Thank you to Executive Director Willy Van Klooster and Christopher Walker for the warm welcome and heartfelt tour. We’re truly grateful for the compassionate care your team provides to families across our community.

At Excalibur Insurance, we believe in the power of community, and we’re proud to partner with organizations like Heartland Mutual Insurance that share those values. You can learn more about Excalibur’s Community Giving initiatives by visiting our website.

Read to Ride Program – 2 Month Update!

We’re Two Months into Read to Ride – and The Classes are Crushing It!

The Winter 2025 edition of our Read to Ride program is well underway, and our four participating classrooms are on a roll. We’re seeing some serious reading power from these young bookworms, and we’re so excited to cheer them on!

Here’s a quick look at how our classrooms are doing so far:

📘 Jessica Clark’s Grade 3/4 class at North Easthope Public School in Stratford is leading the pack with a whopping 622 hours read so far — that’s 28.3 hours per student!

📘 Jennifer De Block’s Grade 4 class at Bluewater Coast Elementary in Hensall has logged over 500 hours and just earned their first pizza party!

📘 Wayne Wolanski’s Grade 3/4 class at Kinnwood Central School in Forest and Courtney LaPorte’s Grade 3/4 class at Exeter Elementary School are both nearing their first pizza parties as well!

We’re so proud of each of these classes for turning pages and putting in the time — every hour read brings them closer to prizes and pizza. We’ll be back with more updates next month. Until then, keep reading and riding!

To learn more about Read to Ride, click here.

Welcome to the Team, Noah Jacques!

We’re excited to welcome the newest member of the Excalibur Insurance team: Noah Jacques!

Noah Jacques – Commercial Lines Account Manager (Clinton Office)

Noah is joining our Clinton office as a Commercial Lines Account Manager, where he’ll be helping commercial business and farm clients with policy changes, renewals, and securing coverage for new lines of business.

Noah brings four years of experience as a Commercial Lines Underwriter, giving him valuable insight into the complexities of commercial insurance. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration – Leadership & Management from Fanshawe College, and he’s passionate about helping business owners protect what matters most.

Originally from the small town of Dutton, Ontario, Noah now lives in nearby Tyrconnell, just steps from the Lake Erie shoreline. Outside the office, he enjoys golfing, playing the guitar, and cheering on his favourite football team—the San Francisco 49ers.

We’re thrilled to have Noah on board and look forward to the expertise and energy he brings to the team!

How Smart Barn Tech is Revolutionizing Farming

Farming is more than just a labour of love. It requires long hours, hard work, and being equipped with the tools and knowledge to properly manage your operations.

In today’s rapidly evolving agricultural landscape, farmers are constantly being asked to do more with less, so many are turning to Smart Barn Technology to enhance the efficiency, safety, and productivity of their operations. But what exactly is Smart Barn technology, how does it work, and how can it help farmers? We answer all of those questions and more in this blog.

Our $2,500 Referral Program Winner

Did you know? Every time you refer a friend to Excalibur Insurance, you receive a $20 Tim Hortons gift card! You’re also entered in our monthly draw for $100 and our annual draw for a $2,500 grand prize.

That’s right! In 2024, we had over 300 referrals to our brokerage, and we genuinely appreciate the trust our clients have in our team.

Pierre Malette & Dalia Dimitri referred a friend to Excalibur Insurance and won our 2024 grand prize draw for $2,500!

Thanks again for your referral, Pierre & Dalia! To learn more about our referral program, click here.

March’s Defender Spotlight – Darlene McCowan

March’s Defender Spotlight shines on Commercial Lines Account Manager, Darlene McCowan!

Darlene joined our Commercial Business & Farm Insurance team in September 2021 and has been a fantastic addition to our organization!

She joined the insurance industry after a career in the non-profit world, which made this transition a significant change. But we’ve all learned that Darlene approaches challenges with determination and confidence.

Her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn is infectious, making her an ideal fit for her Commercial Lines Account Manager role because it’s a complex job requiring constant learning. And speaking of constant learning, after over a year of consistently studying (and writing four exams!), Darlene has recently earned her Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation!

Congratulations on your accomplishment, Darlene! We’re truly grateful for the ideas, positivity, support, and thoughtfulness you bring to our team each day!