Kootenay Insurance Services

What Kootenay Insurance Services does

Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. is an independent insurance brokerage headquartered in Trail, British Columbia, serving individual consumers and small-to-medium businesses across the Kootenay and Okanagan regions through seven branch offices in Cranbrook, Crawford Bay, Invermere, Kimberley, Nelson, Summerland, and Trail. The company distributes property, automobile, recreational, business, and travel insurance products as a licensed broker representing multiple carriers, including Intact Insurance, AVIVA Canada, ICBC, Wawanesa, Optimum West, Premier Marine, Mutual Fire Insurance, SGI, Family Insurance, Portage Mutual, Forward Insurance, and Agile Underwriting, and it is also an authorized TuGo travel insurance partner.

Founded in 2007 through the strategic partnership of East Kootenay Community Insurance, Kootenay Savings Insurance, and Allard Insurance, the brokerage is co-owned by three credit unions (Kootenay Savings, Nelson & District, and StellerVista), giving it a cooperative ownership structure that channels member referrals and reinforces a community-focused identity. It expanded into the Okanagan in 2016 through the acquisition of McBain Insurance Agency, which continues to operate as a retained brand.

The revenue model is commission-based: Kootenay Insurance earns broker commissions from carriers for placing and servicing policies across personal and commercial lines. Distribution combines seven physical branch offices, phone-based service, online quote requests via the Applied Systems WebRater platform, and digital ICBC Autoplan renewals. Pricing is quote-driven per individual policy, with no public pricing tiers. The company does not have proprietary technology beyond standard broker tooling; its competitive position rests on local presence, carrier breadth, and credit-union affiliation rather than product technology.

Name

Kootenay Insurance Services

Legal name

Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd.

Website

https://kootenayinsurance.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. is an independent, credit-union-owned insurance brokerage based in Trail, British Columbia. It sells home, auto, business, recreational, and travel insurance through seven branches across the Kootenay and Okanagan regions, representing multiple carriers including ICBC, Intact, and AVIVA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

Keywords

• Independent insurance brokerage
• Property insurance services
• Automobile insurance coverage
• Commercial business insurance
• Travel insurance brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Trail

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: As an independent insurance brokerage, Kootenay Insurance Services earns commissions from multiple insurance carriers including Intact Insurance, AVIVA Canada, ICBC, Wawanesa, and others for placing insurance policies with homeowners, auto, recreational, business, and travel customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kootenay Insurance Services is an independent insurance brokerage placing property, automobile, ICBC Autoplan, travel, recreational, and business insurance policies on behalf of multiple carriers (Intact, AVIVA, ICBC, Wawanesa, TuGo, and others) for individual consumers and businesses across British Columbia's Kootenay and Okanagan regions. The brokerage operates seven physical branch offices and an online renewal channel, charging no direct fees to clients and earning carrier commissions on policies placed.

Product overview

Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. is an independent insurance brokerage serving the Kootenay and Okanagan regions of British Columbia. The company operates as a credit union-owned brokerage and offers a portfolio of insurance products including Property Insurance (home coverage with buildings, personal property, and additional living expenses), Automobile Insurance (ICBC and optional coverage), ICBC Autoplan Insurance (online renewal services), Travel Insurance (partnered with TuGo), Recreational Insurance (vehicles, watercraft, and collector vehicles), and Business Insurance (comprehensive commercial coverage including liability, property, and specialized risks). The company represents multiple leading insurance companies enabling them to provide competitive pricing across their product range.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Insurance Home, condo, and tenant insurance covering buildings, detached structures, personal property, and additional living expenses, with optional sewer backup and student off-premises coverages. Designed for homeowners, condo owners, and tenants in the Kootenay and Okanagan regions.
• Automobile Insurance
• ICBC Autoplan Online Renewals
• Travel Insurance
• Recreational Insurance
• Business Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years serving the Kootenay community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• McBain Insurance AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007McBain Insurance Agency in Summerland was acquired in 2016, expanding Kootenay Insurance's footprint into the Okanagan region. The combined entity operates under both Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. and McBain Insurance Agency brands.
• TuGocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTuGo is a travel insurance provider that Kootenay Insurance Services has partnered with to offer competitive travel insurance packages to customers. The partnership allows customers to purchase TuGo travel insurance through Kootenay Insurance's online portal, with Kootenay serving as advisors on travel insurance policy options.
• Kootenay Savings Credit UnioncoreOthersOne of three credit unions that co-own Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. Provides strategic partnership and customer referrals to the brokerage. Represents the cooperative ownership philosophy that instills community focus in operations.
• Nelson & District Credit UnioncoreOthersOne of three credit unions that co-own Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. as part of the credit union ownership structure serving the Kootenay region.
• StellerVista Credit UnioncoreOthersOne of three credit unions that co-own Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. as part of the cooperative ownership model.
• Intact InsurancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntact Insurance is one of the insurance carriers represented by Kootenay Insurance Services. The company displays the Intact Insurance logo on their website indicating partnership. Customers can access Intact Insurance products and make payments through Kootenay Insurance.
• AVIVA CanadamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVIVA Canada is an insurance carrier partner whose emergency claims number (1-866-692-8482) is listed on Kootenay Insurance's claims page for customers to report claims directly.
• ICBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance Corporation of British Columbia is the primary auto insurance provider. Kootenay Insurance Services is an authorized ICBC Autoplan agent, enabling them to sell and renew ICBC policies. Emergency claims line: 1-800-910-4222.
• Wawanesa Mutual InsurancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner listed on Kootenay Insurance's claims page with emergency claims number 1-800-665-2778. Customers can report claims and access Wawanesa products.
• Agile UnderwritingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner with emergency claims number 1-877-343-8224 listed for customers to report claims directly.
• Optimum West Insurance CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner with email ([email protected]) and phone (1-877-806-8023) for claims reporting.
• Premier MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine insurance carrier partner with emergency claims number 1-800-235-8784 listed on the claims page.
• Mutual Fire InsuranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMutual fire insurance carrier partner with claims number 1-855-535-0554 for customer claims reporting.
• Family InsuranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner. During business hours customers contact the office; after hours call 1-800-661-4404.
• Portage MutualminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner with claims number 1-800-661-3625 for customer claims.
• Forward InsuranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner with claims number 1-800-387-5677 for customer claims reporting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Western Financial Group: Western Canadian insurance and financial services firm providing home, auto, business, and life coverage through branch offices across BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Comparable in geographic footprint (Western Canada), product mix, and multi-branch distribution.
• Westland Insurance Group: Large Western Canadian independent insurance brokerage offering personal and commercial lines through a multi-branch network. Directly comparable as a multi-carrier brokerage operating physical branches across BC and beyond for the same homeowners, auto, business, and recreational customer segments.
• CapriCMW Insurance Services: BC-based independent insurance brokerage serving personal and commercial clients through multiple branch offices with strong credit-union and community presence. Comparable in target market (BC individuals and SMBs), multi-carrier model, and community-brokerage positioning.
• Acera Insurance: Canadian independent insurance brokerage built through acquisitions of regional brokerages, serving personal and commercial lines across multiple provinces. Directly comparable multi-carrier brokerage model with similar personal/commercial mix and branch-based service.
• BrokerLink: National Canadian insurance brokerage offering home, auto, business, and travel insurance through both physical locations and digital channels. Comparable in product breadth (home/auto/business/travel), multi-carrier brokerage model, and Canadian personal-lines focus.
• BCAA Insurance: BC-based member-driven insurance provider (affiliated with the British Columbia Automobile Association) offering home, auto, and travel insurance across BC. Comparable as a BC-focused personal lines provider with strong brand recognition and community loyalty in the same regional market.

Emerging players

• Sonnet Insurance: Canadian direct-to-consumer online insurance provider (backed by Economical Insurance) offering home and auto coverage digitally. Comparable as a competing channel for the same BC homeowners and auto customers, but with a pure-digital model versus Kootenay's branch-led approach.

Broad incumbents

• Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage with significant Canadian operations including BC branches, serving both personal and commercial clients. Operates in the same brokerage category but at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kisinsurance
• Facebookfacebook.com/KootenayInsuranceServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kootenay-insurance-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kootenay Insurance Services