The Mutual Life Assurance Company of Canada was a Canadian insurance company that existed from 1868 to 2002. The company's articles of incorporation received royal assent in the Parliament of Ontario on 19 December 1868 as the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Company.[1] In 1900, it changed its name to the Mutual Life Assurance Company of Canada.

Mutual Life
FormerlyOntario Mutual Life Assurance Company (1868–1900)
Company typeMutual (1868–1999)
Public (1999–2002)
IndustryInsurance
Founded19 December 1868 (1868-12-19)
Defunct31 December 2002 (2002-12-31)
FateAcquired by Sun Life
Headquarters227 King Street South,

At the end of the 20th century, Mutual Life was Canada's fourth largest insurance company. On 10 June 1999, shareholders voted to demutualise the company and to change its name to the Clarica Life Insurance Company.[2] Clarica determined a valuation of CAD 865 million, and on 15 July 1999 made its initial public offering of 42.2 million shares valued at CAD 20.50 per.[3] In December 2001, Sun Life made a CAD 7.1 billion offer to acquire Clarica.[4] Shareholders voted in favour of the takeover on 6 March 2002, and the deal was completed on 29 May.[5] Upon the purchase, Sun Life overtook Manulife to become Canada's largest insurance company. After the sale, Clarica was merged into the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, and the corporation was dissolved at the end of 2002. That year, Sun transferred the headquarters of its Canadian operations from Toronto to Waterloo, where they remain today.

Leadership

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Mutual Life's new head office opened on Monday, 13 May 1912. It was designed by Darling and Pearson of Toronto.

President

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  1. Isaac Erb Bowman, 1869–1897
  2. Robert Melvin, 1897–1908
  3. Edwin Perry Clement, 1908–1920
  4. Maj. Hume Blake Cronyn Sr., 1920–1929
  5. Robert Osborne McCulloch, 1929–1943
  6. Louis Lacourse Lang, 1943–1958
  7. Harry L. Guy, 1958–1959
  8. Edward Anthes Rieder, 1959–1964
  9. Kenneth Robert MacGregor, 1964–1973
  10. John Harry Panabaker, 1973–1982
  11. Jack Verner Masterman, 1982–1989
  12. Robert Murray Astley, 1989–2002

Chairman of the Board

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  1. Charles Martin Bowman, 1926–1932
  2. Robert Osborne McCulloch, 1943
  3. Louis Lacourse Lang, 1958–1964
  4. Edward Anthes Rieder, 1964–1966
  5. Harold Melvin Turner, 1966–1973
  6. Kenneth Robert MacGregor, 1973–1982
  7. John Harry Panabaker, 1982–1989
  8. Jack Verner Masterman, 1989–1999
  9. David Alison Ganong, 1999–2002

References

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  1. ^ An Act Incorporating the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Company. SO 1868 (Victoria 32), cap. 17.
  2. ^ John Partridge, "Mutual Life plan to go public approved 97% of policy holders who bothered to cast ballots vote in favour of life insurer's proposal," Globe and Mail, (11 June 1999), B3.
  3. ^ John Partridge, "Mutual Life IPO to contain just under 42.2 million shares," Globe and Mail, (14 July 1999), B5.
  4. ^ Ron DeRuyter, "Clarica takeover will cost jobs," Waterloo Region Record, (18 December 2001), A1.
  5. ^ Tara Perkins, "Clarica insurance holds final meeting," Waterloo Region Record, (20 June 2002), E1.