Canada: Company collects food for Peterborough after floods destroy supplies

Peterborough's plea for help touched hearts at Aviva and Pilot. News of dwindling supplies and extensive water damage to nearly 10 tons of food prompted some Toronto-area employees to launch a food drive.

Peterborough's plea for help touched hearts at Aviva and Pilot. News of dwindling supplies and extensive water damage to nearly 10 tons of food prompted some Toronto-area employees to launch a food drive. Before long, their enthusiasm spread around the company and met with an overwhelming response from Aviva and Pilot offices across the GTA. The result was a donation of nearly 455kg (1,000lbs) of non-perishable food.

Peterborough and its residents are working hard to recuperate from July's major storm and the Aviva group of companies is proud to be part of the overall effort.

Wayne Riley, an Aviva claims employee, personally delivered a load of food supplies in his stylized Aviva car to the Peterborough Food Bank shortly after the floods. A second shipment was delivered on August 19 thanks to the generous-in-kind donation of delivery services by Purolator Courier Ltd.

Greg Somerville, executive vice-president, claims, said: "Aviva and Pilot have a strong tradition of supporting communities in which they do business and in being there when the communities are in need.

"Some of our employees saw the devastation in Peterborough first hand because they live there. Our claims adjusters were on the ground only a day after the floods. We have many insureds in the community and we were happy to help them get back on their feet."

In addition to the corporate donation, Aviva and Pilot Insurance's multi-skilled team of claims professionals relocated to Peterborough the day following the storm where they have been assisting customers in the last couple of weeks. The Pilot Peterborough branch and our temporary Catastrophe office have been open 12 hours a day to handle claims response, claims settlement and customer inquiries. More than 750 claims were reported with approximately 250 of them settled within three days. Many insureds received payment within one hour of settlement.

While both the rains and the initial volume of damage claims have subsided, the work is not yet over. Our employees and partners continue to work tirelessly to indemnify policyholders and to make sure they move ahead in the recovery process.

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Notes to editors:

About Aviva Canada Inc
Aviva Canada is one of the country's largest property & casualty insurance groups, with more than 3,000 employees and more than 2.2 million policies. Aviva invests in its communities at the local and national level. Through our national donations coordinator, we support organizations including the United Way of Canada, The Scarborough General Hospital Foundation and the Stratford Festival.

About Pilot Insurance Company
Pilot Insurance Company is a member company of Aviva Canada Inc. Pilot is a long-established provider of property and automobile insurance for the Ontario market exclusively. Our extensive and innovative product lines cover a range of personal liabilities and valuable possessions, from homes and cottages to motor vehicles and watercraft, to jewellery, cameras and fine art. With 23 claims branch offices across Ontario, Pilot is well recognized within the communities we serve.

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