Our History
SSQauto is a young business that has quickly earned a first-class reputation among Quebecers! And for good reason—our history is built on our mutualist roots.
Roots (1944–1986)
Dr. Jacques Tremblay, a general practitioner and surgeon from Quebec City, denounced the fact that the working class couldn’t afford proper medical care. In 1944 he took action and founded Coopérative de santé du Québec, which became Services de santé du Québec in 1945. SSQ was born!
With the institution of public health insurance in 1970, SSQ revised its mission and diversified its activities.
Establishment (1986–1995)
Certain regional groups with group insurance, including the employees of Québec-Cartier de Fermont, signaled their desire to have SSQ provide them with auto and home insurance products in addition to group insurance. To meet these needs, a general insurance subsidiary was formed in 1986 under the general management of actuary Pierre Genest.
The first insurance policy was sold on April 25, 1987.
Consolidation (1995–2002)
The signing of major agreements with large groups has marked SSQauto’s history. These agreements, whether with Fédération des affaires sociales, Syndicat des fonctionnaires provinciaux, or other groups, are synonymous with the company’s growth and strength.
Our groups have always been our primary mission.
Expansion to individuals (2002–2005)
While continuing to serve its top-priority groups, SSQauto decided to offer its auto and home insurance products to individuals beginning in 2002. To support this new segment, the company’s business processes had to be adapted and its products introduced to the general public—in particular through the launch of its first corporate website in 2003.
The general public responded and an intense growth phase followed!
Accelerated growth (2005–2010)
In December 2005, SSQauto moved to its new office space in the Roland-Giroux building. This move to a building sought after for its original, high-quality architecture, supported the company’s rapid growth, which translated into a 100% increase in staff over the next five years.
More and more Quebecers are doing business with SSQauto, as shown by its growth rate—one of the highest in the industry.
The future...
Recent developments have us looking at the future with confidence and enthusiasm. To meet growing manpower needs, SSQauto opened a Customer Relations Centre in Longueuil in January 2011 with several dozen new employees joining the ranks of SSQauto.
Also, in August 2011, SSQ Financial Group acquired Groupe Finance et Indemnisation Inc. (F&I) and the Service d’encadrement de directeur commercial (SEDC), companies specializing in the distribution of replacement insurance and credit insurance. These new acquisitions further establish our position in the highly coveted automobile and recreational vehicle insurance industry. These acquisitions enable SSQauto to offer a range of insurance products to clients when they purchase a new or used vehicle at a dealership.