Costly Mistakes and Official Sources
Official sources for business insurance in Canada: regulators and boards by province
A directory of Canadian insurance regulators, broker licensing bodies, workers' compensation boards, privacy commissioners and legal sources, with what to check at each.
The official sources you need for business liability insurance in Canada depend on the question. To check a broker or agent's licence, use your province's insurance council or regulator register. To complain about an insurer's conduct, go to the provincial regulator after the insurer's own process; outside Quebec, the General Insurance OmbudService reviews eligible complaints about member insurers, and in Quebec the AMF handles complaint files. For employee injuries, go to the provincial workers' compensation board. For privacy breaches, go to the federal or provincial privacy commissioner. For the law itself, read the provincial statutes, and in Quebec the Civil Code. This page lists them by province, with what each is for.
This guide is part of the costly business insurance mistakes section. We link only to the main home pages; use each site's search to reach the page you need.
National bodies
| Body | What it does | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) | Supervises the solvency of federally regulated insurers | Confirm an insurer is federally regulated |
| Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR) | Forum of provincial and territorial regulators | Read national guidance on fair treatment of customers |
| General Insurance OmbudService (GIO) | Independent dispute resolution for member P&C insurers | Escalate an unresolved complaint, outside Quebec |
| Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC) | Protects policyholders if a member insurer becomes insolvent | Understand protection limits |
| Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) | Industry association of P&C insurers | Plain-language guides; it is not a regulator |
| Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) | National association of provincial broker associations | Information on the broker's role |
| Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada | Oversees PIPEDA | Breach reporting rules |
| Canada Revenue Agency | Federal tax | GST/HST exemption for insurance, business expense rules |
| Canadian Centre for Cyber Security | Federal cyber security guidance | Security controls insurers ask about |
Province by province
| Province | Insurance regulator | Licensing of brokers and agents | Workers' compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | FSRA | RIBO for brokers; FSRA for agents and adjusters | WSIB |
| Quebec | Autorité des marchés financiers | AMF register; ChAD for ethics and discipline | CNESST |
| British Columbia | BCFSA | Insurance Council of British Columbia | WorkSafeBC |
| Alberta | Alberta Superintendent of Insurance (Treasury Board and Finance) | Alberta Insurance Council | WCB-Alberta |
| Saskatchewan | Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority | Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan | WCB Saskatchewan |
| Manitoba | Manitoba's superintendent of insurance | Insurance Council of Manitoba | WCB Manitoba |
| New Brunswick | Financial and Consumer Services Commission | FCNB | WorkSafeNB |
| Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Superintendent of Insurance | Superintendent of Insurance | WCB Nova Scotia |
| Prince Edward Island | PEI Superintendent of Insurance | Superintendent of Insurance | WCB of PEI |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Superintendent of Insurance (Digital Government and Service NL) | Superintendent of Insurance | WorkplaceNL |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | Territorial superintendents of insurance | Territorial superintendents | Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board; WSCC for NWT and Nunavut |
Regulator names and structures change from time to time; if a link has moved, search the provincial government's website for "superintendent of insurance".
Public auto insurers
Commercial auto is outside CGL, but the public insurers matter for businesses with vehicles:
- ICBC in British Columbia: basic and optional auto insurance
- SGI in Saskatchewan: basic auto insurance
- Manitoba Public Insurance: basic and extension auto insurance
- SAAQ in Quebec: public no-fault bodily injury compensation for road accidents, with private insurers covering property damage and civil liability
Privacy commissioners
- Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec: Law 25, confidentiality incidents
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta: Alberta PIPA, breach notification
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia: BC PIPA
- Provincial health privacy commissioners for health information custodians
Where to read the law
| Source | Contents |
|---|---|
| LégisQuébec | Civil Code of Québec, including the insurance chapter from article 2389, and the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services |
| Ontario e-Laws | Insurance Act, Limitations Act, 2002, Negligence Act |
| BC Laws | Insurance Act, Limitation Act |
| Alberta King's Printer | Insurance Act, Limitations Act |
| CanLII | Free access to statutes and court decisions from every province |
Which source for which question
| Question | Go to |
|---|---|
| Is this broker licensed? | Provincial broker licensing body or the AMF register |
| Is this insurer allowed to sell here? | Provincial regulator; OSFI for federal registration |
| My claim was denied, what next? | Insurer's complaint process, then GIO or the AMF; see denied claims and complaints |
| Do I need workers' compensation? | Provincial board |
| Do I have to report a data breach? | Privacy commissioner; see cyber and privacy gaps |
| How long can a client wait to sue? | Provincial limitation statute; see claims-made gaps |
| Is there tax on my premium? | Provincial finance ministry or Revenu Québec; see tax on premiums |
How to use official sources well
- Check the date on any page you read; regulators update guidance.
- Prefer the regulator's own pages over summaries, including this site.
- For Quebec, read the French version when in doubt; both versions of Quebec statutes are official, and the AMF and CAI publish in both languages.
- Keep a copy or screenshot of the rule as it stood when you relied on it.
- For anything with significant money at stake, ask a broker or lawyer to confirm how the rule applies to you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Insurance Bureau of Canada a regulator?
No. IBC is an industry association of property and casualty insurers. It publishes useful explanations, but it does not license, supervise or decide complaints.
Where do I check if an insurer is licensed in my province?
On the provincial regulator's website; many publish a list of licensed insurers. Your broker can also confirm it.
Is there one national register of insurance brokers?
No. Licensing is provincial, so check the register in the province where the broker operates.
Are court decisions about insurance available for free?
Yes, many are on CanLII, which publishes decisions from courts and tribunals across Canada.
Sources
- Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators — links to every provincial and territorial regulator
- General Insurance OmbudService — complaint eligibility and process
- Autorité des marchés financiers — Quebec registers and complaints
- CanLII — statutes and decisions
