Perigon Life Launches in Canada as the First Voluntary Benefits Platform of its Kind, Revolutionizing Insurance Options for Employees
Perigon Life brings affordable, portable voluntary insurance benefits to Canadian employers and employees, filling a critical market gap with a user-friendly solution
TORONTO, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ - Perigon Life, a new voluntary benefits technology platform offering simple, cost-effective, and portable insurance solutions through a seamless digital platform, is officially launching to transform how Canadian employees can access benefit options. The online platform empowers employers and associations to offer their employees a wide range of voluntary benefits at more affordable prices through group rates, filling a significant gap in the Canadian benefits market. By simplifying the sourcing, purchasing, and management of voluntary benefits like critical illness, life, legal, identity theft, pet, and home system & appliance warranty insurance, Perigon Life makes it easier than ever for Canadians to access coverage tailored to their individual needs.
While international markets like the United States have more mature voluntary benefits offerings, Canada lacks a comprehensive tool like Perigon Life with insurance options that employees can add to their standard insurance packages. Perigon Life addresses this by leveraging group buying power and preferred partner relationships to deliver cost-effective, best-in-class options, many of which remain underutilized in Canada due to limited employee education. Unlike traditional offerings scattered across disparate platforms, Perigon streamlines access to these critical protections through a unified system, empowering employees to discover and select benefits they might not otherwise encounter or understand.
Perigon Life was founded by Martin Shaw and a group of Canadian insurance industry leaders committed to making voluntary benefits accessible and affordable for all Canadians. As former CEO of NFP Canada for 11 years and Chief Strategy Officer for one year, Shaw played a pivotal role in identifying acquisition opportunities and building the company's group benefits strategies, individual protection solutions and wealth management capabilities across the country. His strategic vision and deep understanding of the Canadian insurance landscape have positioned him well to address the unmet needs in the benefits market.
"I launched Perigon Life because Canadians are underserved by current insurance distribution models that often overlook them," said Martin Shaw, Founder and CEO of Perigon Life."I've seen too many people lose vital coverage when changing jobs or face barriers accessing the benefits they deserve. Perigon Life is about more than business, it's a commitment to closing the gaps that leave too many Canadians and their families unprotected."
Perigon Life Voluntary Benefits At a Glance
Voluntary Benefit Options: Critical Illness, Life, Legal, Identity Theft, Pet and Home System & Appliance Warranty Insurance
Underwriters: These options are underwritten by insurance companies like Allstate Benefits, Blue Cross, ICPEI and Fetch.
Perigon+: If employers offer voluntary benefits on the Perigon Life platform, employees also have access to value-added services called Perigon+ at no extra cost. This includes:
Virtual Pharmacy - Prescription medications and fast advice from certified pharmacists from home
Virtual Vet - On-demand 24/7 online vet appointments, preventing stressful trips to emergency veterinarians
Retail Financing - 0% interest financing* at thousands of retail locations. *Subject to credit approval.
Portable Insurance: As a very rare offering in Canada, employees who opt into any voluntary benefits through Perigon Life can maintain coverage at the same group rates and provisions even if they leave their employer, with Perigon Life leading the offboarding process.
Fast and Accessible Enrolment: Perigon helps employers lead enrolment for their employees and can guarantee critical illness and life insurance coverage with no medical information required during an open enrolment period.
Payment Convenience: Voluntary benefits can be deducted automatically from an employee's pay with little paperwork involved.
Recognizing the need for employee benefits tailored to mental health, Perigon Life also offers another product called Perigon Care. This is a curated, proactive wellness package that enables employers to provide comprehensive health and mental wellness support to employees for a set competitively priced monthly fee. Perigon Care focuses on preventative care, therapy, mental health training, and seamless healthcare navigation.
In the lead up to the launch of this new platform, Perigon Life conducted a study through Environics in March 2025 to learn about Canadians' perspectives on voluntary benefits. Key findings included:
93% of employees say insurance and benefits directly affect their happiness at work and decision to stay with their employer.
66% of employees want their employer to offer optional add-on insurance options.
Only 2% say they would ask their employer for more insurance options —highlighting a disconnect between interest and advocacy.
83% say integrated mental health coverage is important, with half rating it very important.
One-third feel underinsured, and cost is the top barrier to more coverage. Most are willing to spend $15–$50/month on additional benefits.
Critical illness insurance and group wellness programs are the most desired benefits not currently offered.
The full study results and methodology of this study can be found here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
13 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Missed the Dollarama rally? It might not matter
Let's say that you missed out on buying shares in Dollarama Inc. DOL-T, only to watch the price rise 61 per cent over the past year, 320 per cent over the past five years and, oh dear, 660 per cent over the past 10 years. Forgiving yourself for missing out on this spectacular Canadian growth story is easy. What's far more difficult: Ignoring how high it's climbed and buying the stock today. That might sound crazy at first glance, especially if you have a bias – as I do – toward cheap, beaten-up stocks with compelling turnaround stories. Dollarama is anything but beaten-up, and this observation extends well beyond the share price. Its Canadian footprint has increased by 69 per cent over the past decade to 1,638 stores. It has successfully expanded its product mix to include items priced as high as $5, up from a high of $3. Over this 10-year period, quarterly sales – based on financial results released this week – have nearly tripled, to more than $1.5-billion. Net earnings have more than quadrupled. The share price has occasionally reflected some hesitation from investors because of competitive pressures, disappointing sales growth and market saturation. In one of the biggest recent swoons, the stock fell more than 40 per cent during a particularly bleak stretch in 2018. Today, though, there appears to be little weighing on the stock – including tariffs and economic clouds – given that it touched a record intraday high on Wednesday and trades at over 40 times estimated earnings. 'Valuation is at all-time highs, reflecting Dollarama's standing as a paragon of both quality and growth,' Mark Petrie, an analyst at CIBC Capital Markets, said in a note. Anyone hoping to score a quick gain on the stock from its current level would need the confidence of Ethan Hunt, the hero in the Mission: Impossible film series, to believe that there are still some factors that the market is ignoring or that the valuation deserves to be higher than Nvidia Corp., which is most definitely not a discount retailer. Others who have been sitting on the sidelines and may be filled with regret over Dollarama's stunning ascent – and can handle some bumps – might want to try on this argument: For a company that has shown no signs of exhaustion, perhaps it doesn't matter when you buy the stock. For one thing, profits are still rising at an impressive clip. Last year, earnings per share increased by 16.9 per cent, year-over-year. CIBC expects profits will rise 11.8 per cent this year and 11.4 per cent next year. But keep in mind that Dollarama executives have a habit of overdelivering. In its most recent quarter, the company reported a profit of 98 cents per share, beating analysts' expectations by a wide 14 cents, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. What's more, Dollarama is continuing to generate strong sales growth as it finds steady opportunities for opening new locations in Canada, where consumers gravitate to its well-organized stores and consistent range of products. It opened 22 stores in the first quarter, with dozens more coming during the rest of the year, suggesting that market saturation on its home turf is still a ways off. Sales rose 8.2 per cent in the fiscal first quarter, also slightly higher than expectations. Why this money manager is buying Nestle, Dollarama and selling Couche-Tard International expansion adds a new opportunity for growth. Dollarama owns a 60.1-per-cent stake in Latin American discount retailer Dollarcity, with locations in Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru and, starting next month, Mexico. Though the target back in 2019 was to have 600 Dollarcity stores within 10 years, the current store count already stands at 644. The new target: 1,050 stores by 2031, which doesn't include Mexico. Dollarama is also gearing up for an expansion into Australia with a deal to acquire The Reject Shop Ltd., which operates a network of more than 390 stores that can benefit from Dollarama's know-how. 'We question what catalyst will emerge to cause Dollarama to falter. The value proposition seems as healthy as ever, and we see risk of earnings misses as very low,' John Zamparo, an analyst at Bank of Nova Scotia, said in a note. Yeah, just about everyone agrees that the stock isn't cheap on a valuation basis. Its stellar gains are going to make some investors nervous about a rally that could fade the minute they join it. But Dollarama has cruised through economic downturns, soaring inflation and trade wars (so far), rewarding risk-takers who focused on the future rather than dwelling on the past they may have missed.
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Cancer society warns internal trade bill could weaken health standards
Published Jun 13, 2025 • Last updated 6 minutes ago • 1 minute read Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with all of Canada's premiers during the First Ministers' Meeting at TCU Place. Photo taken in Saskatoon, Sask. on Monday, June 2, 2025. Photo by Michelle Berg / Postmedia OTTAWA — The Canadian Cancer Society is warning the Carney government that its legislation to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers could undermine health standards unless it's amended to add new safeguards. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The legislation, which the government will try to push quickly through the House of Commons next week, looks to do two things — break down interprovincial barriers to trade and labour mobility and speed up approvals for major projects. The bill would allow provincial standards to displace federal ones to make it easier to sell Canadian-made goods within the country. Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, says that could lead to unintended consequences because provincial rules are sometimes weaker, and warns of a possible resurgence of products banned by federal regulation, such as those containing asbestos. He says the bill should be changed to exempt health and environment standards to avoid weakening them across the country. The Bloc Quebecois, NDP and Green Party are accusing Prime Minister Mark Carney's government of trying to ram the bill through Parliament too quickly without sufficient study. World Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Music Toronto & GTA
Cision Canada
an hour ago
- Cision Canada
Expert report an impressive first step to reimagine and modernize the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
Canadian Cancer Society recommendations deeply reflected in final report OTTAWA, ON, June 13, 2025 /CNW/ - A newly released Expert External Review report on the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care sets the stage for much-needed modernization and ensures their future work remains relevant, evidence-informed and inclusive. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) applauds the work of the review panel who invited and listened to feedback on the Task Force in developing their report. CCS provided 10 recommendations, all of which have been meaningfully addressed in the report or plans for next steps. These recommendations included strengthening its engagement with cancer experts, people eligible for cancer screening and people with lived and living experience, enhancing its structural foundation, and embracing modernization so that the Task Force can continue to play a relevant and respected role in preventive healthcare for decades to come. "We are very pleased to see our recommendations reflected in this report. Guidelines set and championed by the Task Force are essential for supporting people to reduce their health risks and find diseases like cancer early. But it's critical for the Task Force to have governance and processes that enable it to keep pace with changing perspectives, experiences and science," says Andrea Seale, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society. "This report reflects opportunities raised by many caring people and organizations who all share a common goal of making Canadians healthier and we're very hopeful for the future." If implemented promptly, these reforms will produce a stronger, more inclusive Task Force capable of addressing longstanding challenges and taking preventive health care guidelines into the future. Implementing the changes in this expert report is not just about improving processes – it is about ensuring every person in Canada is supported with the best possible tools to live healthier lives. The Task Force has accumulated a substantial backlog of guidelines that are many years out of date. It is now up to the federal government to ensure the panel's recommendations are actioned and implemented to allow a refreshed Task Force, supplemented with the funding necessary to fulfil their mandate, to continue its valuable work. The proposed Implementation Advisory Panel will be integral to the success of this reform process. The Panel can aid in fostering public trust in the reform process and ultimately increase confidence in the Task Force's work going forward. The Canadian Cancer Society looks forward to working closely with this Panel to ensure the recommendations are implemented. About the Canadian Cancer Society The Canadian Cancer Society works tirelessly to save and improve lives. We raise funds to fuel the brightest minds in cancer research. We provide a compassionate support system for all those affected by cancer, across Canada and for all types of cancer. Together with patients, supporters, donors and volunteers, we work to create a healthier future for everyone. Because to take on cancer, it takes all of us. It takes a society. Help us make a difference. Call 1-888-939-3333 or visit today.
