Our History
Our founder, Jack McClelland was candid about his early days in the insurance business: “You had to have a good price to get business because you were not known. It was more good fortune than good management that I was an agent for a company with very competitive rates.”
Almost any insurance broker will tell you that price is not the be-all and end-all of insurance, and would rather sell based on coverage that is right for their clients. We have always recognized the importance of competitive pricing and owe our early success to the ability to provide it.
In the years that followed, Jack built McClelland Insurance with the commitment to sell quality home, auto and business insurance anchored by a customer-first approach. This remains the cornerstone of our operations until today, and well into the future.
Over 55 years later, we continue to thrive and grow, with offices in Brampton and Toronto servicing customers across Ontario.
McClelland Insurance was founded in 1971 by Jack and Annora McClelland.
Jack’s background was banking and finance, and in those days it was common to be transferred from town to town every few years when employed by a bank.
With four young boys heavily involved in local sports, the family was faced with another transfer.
Annora wanted to stay in Brampton to establish a permanent home and encouraged Jack to resign.
Jack went into business and his initial venture was with two partners selling real estate and insurance.
After less than two years, he bought them out and focused on insurance products, with Annora helping by selling life insurance.
McClelland Insurance grew substantially over the next 20 years with the addition of Jack’s sons, Al and Bruce, who eventually took over the business.
In 2012, Bruce and Al’s son, John opened an office in Etobicoke together to support our clients across Toronto.
John represents the third generation of family ownership, enabling Bruce to step into retirement in 2021.
Al has led the brokerage for over 40 years, with John taking a significant leadership role since 2020, navigating the brokerage through the pandemic and the rapid transformation reshaping the industry today.
McClelland Insurance has been taking care of your insurance needs for over 55 years, and we look forward to continuing to do so well into the future.
