Our History

On December 29, 1889, our company was founded under the name L’Union Saint-Joseph, initiated by François-Xavier-Édouard Demers and 12 citizens who wanted to create a joint fund to meet their needs in case of illness or death.

When L’Union Saint-Joseph received its articles of incorporation, it had 178 members. At the time, membership in the association was not open to everyone. Future members had to be French Canadian, Catholic, male, aged between 18 and 40, from the working class, in good health, and of good reputation. The biggest challenge in the association’s first decade was recruitment. Under the leadership of François-Xavier-Édouard Demers, Damase Benoît, and Honoré Gravel, who took turns serving as president between 1889 and 1899, significant efforts were made to promote the association. A first version of its by-laws was printed and distributed across the province.

In 1900, Alexandre Mercure was elected to head the association and led it for over 40 years. From a struggling organization with only $2,400 in assets and 270 members in 1901, Mr. Mercure and his colleagues built a highly organized relief society. Over the following years, numerous changes were made to the by-laws, including one in 1915 that finally allowed the admission of women.

In order to continue its growth, the organization had to abandon its status as a relief society and transition into a company. As a result, on April 1, 1957, L’Union Saint-Joseph became The Union Life Mutual Insurance Company. This change allowed for a more flexible administration and truly marked the beginning of a significant expansion. The company then flourished, experiencing remarkable growth through the 1970s.

In 1965, lawyer Marcel Marier became president and ensured that the company’s prosperity continued. The company continued its growth, acquiring more than fifteen businesses and policy portfolios. It also expanded its operations into Ontario and New Brunswick. Becoming more and more successful, the company’s assets in 1985 were valued at more than $56 million!

In 1985, the board of directors appointed accountant Noël Sylvain as chairman, a man who would deeply influence the company’s history with his philosophy and management style. The renewed leadership took a new direction focused on community involvement to increase the company’s visibility. It began supporting organizations in the Drummondville area, as well as numerous social, cultural, and community projects. In 1989, L’Union-Vie celebrated its 100th anniversary. At the close of the celebrations, the company revealed assets approaching 80 million dollars.

In 1993, actuary Jacques Desbiens became President and CEO. Within the first few months of his appointment, he acquired La Mutualité, thus propelling Union Life into the brokerage network. The following decade was marked by the adoption of new strategies aimed at expanding the company’s activities outside of Quebec, as well as the acquisition and management of 18 insurance portfolios from other companies. The mutualists’ assets grew from $20 million to over $225 million, and the number of employees increased from 25 to 100. Union Life modernized its corporate image and visual identity by becoming UV Mutuelle. Furthermore, from this period onward, the company increasingly supported a variety of social, cultural, sporting, and community projects, notably through its active involvement with the Mondial des Cultures in Drummondville.

Under the leadership of Mr. Christian Mercier, the mutual organization adopts a completely new brand image and becomes UV Insurance to support its growth across Canada. The company now has 150,000 mutualists, manages assets of 2.5 billion dollars, and employs nearly 200 people, over 40% of whom work remotely. In 2020, employees moved into a new headquarters, still in Drummondville, located along Highway 20.

n March 2022, the board of directors appointed a new president, Alain Bédard, who succeeded Richard Fortier. Under his leadership, UV Insurance continues its growth throughout Canada, already driven by recent technological advancements. The UV Insurance team, which continues to expand, maintains its evolution and commitment to innovation while upholding the same core values.