McDougall deal boosts presence in Toronto

Cornell Insurance Brokers Ltd., a division of McDougall Insurance Brokers Ltd., has combined with Active Insurance & Financial Group Inc. to strengthen McDougall’s presence in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

McDougall had already acquired Cornell, a full-service brokerage based in Markham, Ont., in December 2024. In the latest move, Cornell has merged with Active, which is based in Etobicoke, Ont. Together, Cornell and Active have about 60 employees.

The intent of the merger is to establish a strong presence in Toronto, Lorne McDougall, vice president of corporate development and operations at McDougall Insurance and Financial, told Canadian Underwriter in an email.

“We went from having zero offices in the GTA during our 78-year history to adding two (and over 60 employees) in the course of six months, which continues to fill in the map of Canada with McDougall Insurance offices,” Lorne McDougall wrote.

“Cornell and Active were both friendly prior to their acquisitions by McDougall, and I would say the combination of Cornell and Active adds a new regional player backed with the scale of a Top 10 national insurance brokerage in McDougall.”

Established in 1983, Active has a 40-year history. The brokerage offers home and auto insurance, travel insurance, group insurance, and specialty insurance such as events and weddings coverage. It also offers commercial auto insurance in addition to life insurance.

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Cornell celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. It offers personal lines home and auto insurance. Its commercial offerings include property, auto, liability, E&O, D&O, surety bonds, jewellers block and marine insurance.

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“We have always had a close working relationship with Active,” Patrick Hogan, vice president of Cornell, says of the deal. “They think of insurance the same way we do – with an intense emphasis on relationships, communities and doing the right thing for their clients. We welcome Active’s staff and clients into the Cornell family and look forward to succeeding together as a bigger, stronger team.”

Active owner Mark Palazzese will remain as president and will continue to lead Active post-transaction.

“Active is a special organization built from the effort and discipline of our team, and I firmly believe this transaction will be another successful step in our journey,” Palazzese says.

“We are in the relationship business – and through our relationship with Cornell we knew that this transaction was a fit that would make things better for both our clients and staff. Our local touch, combined with Cornell and McDougall’s scale, will allow industry-leading service for all our clients.”

David Gambrill

David has twice served as Canadian Underwriter’s senior editor, both from 2005 to 2012, and again from 2017 to the present.