Quality Company (Our History)
First Nations Insurance Services Ltd. (FNIS) was started by Kitsaki Development Corporation, the economic development division of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, in 1987. The goal was to meet the unique needs of employees of First Nations bands, their institutions and businesses, specifically with a view to assisting in the preservation of health rights of First Nations people under the Treaties. It was determined that mainstream insurance brokers and companies were falling short of that mark, resulting in the formation of our group benefits Plan that continues to meet those needs to this day. In 2000, ownership expanded when the Peter Ballantyne Development Limited Partnership invested in the brokerage.
The FNIS Group Benefits Plan, marketed and serviced exclusively by the brokerage, offers a wide range of benefits and enables employers to customize the best coverage for their employees. In addition to all standard benefits, an Employee and Family Assistance Program was added in October 1996. This reflects our ongoing effort to enhance the Plan by providing as many opportunities at wellness as are available on the market. The EFAP has proven invaluable to our clients and their families.
In addition to the provision of group benefits, FNIS also provides full pension services. The emphasis on reserve-based pension plans enables non-taxable pension benefits for Treaty Indians earning non-taxable income on reserves.
First Nations Insurance Services Ltd. currently employs eight staff at the office located on the Opawikoscikan Reserve #201 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Since 1987, when the majority of our clients were located in Northern Saskatchewan, our geographical service area has expanded to include clients from all of Saskatchewan as well as Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Three of our staff members are licensed agents and hold licenses in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Yukon Territories, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. From our single location, we provide all aspects of service to our valued participants by not only administering the day-to-day mechanics of the Plan, but also by providing regular service calls to our clients. By hosting two annual 3-day workshops in the fall of each year –one in Saskatchewan and one in Alberta - it is our aim to equip administrators from our client sites with the tools necessary to best handle their duties.
First Nations Insurance Services Ltd. continues to provide superior employee benefits and services designed for First Nations and their institutions by our continued commitment to help to protect and enhance – but never replace or duplicate - the Treaty Rights of employees covered under our Plan, both now and in the future.
