Canada's insurance regulators have updated the framework that governs how the country's two insurance ombudservices coordinate with regulators and with each other.
The Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR) announced at its Spring 2026 meeting that it has published an updated Insurance OmbudServices Cooperation and Oversight Framework. It is the first update to the framework since it was first published in 2015.
CCIR worked on the update for 18 months, in close coordination with the OmbudServices for Life and Health Insurance, the General Insurance OmbudServices, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada. The updated Framework is available on the CCIR website.
For insurers and brokers, the two ombudservices are the bodies consumers turn to when complaints are not resolved internally. The refreshed Framework governs how those ombudservices cooperate with CCIR and with one another in carrying out their oversight role.
CCIR also presented its new strategic plan at the Spring meeting. The Regulatory Policy Committee presented a 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, built from a survey of members and stakeholders. The plan focuses on three priorities: identifying, monitoring and responding to key risks and issues; promoting alignment of regulatory expectations; and enhancing CCIR governance to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The 2026-2029 Strategic Plan is available on the CCIR website.
The Spring meeting, held on April 16 and 17 in Montreal, Quebec, also marked the first time CCIR hosted members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the body that supports insurance commissioners across the United States. CCIR and NAIC used the meeting to discuss shared priorities and regulatory strategies, and both organizations said they look forward to continued engagement.
CCIR also welcomed Erin O'Neil of Alberta as a new member.
A day earlier, on April 15, 2026, CCIR participated in the annual Joint Forum of Financial Market Regulators, hosted by the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) and bringing together CCIR, CAPSA and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA). The meeting featured a presentation from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a joint CSA-CCIR presentation on OmbudService oversight, and a presentation from researchers at the National Institute on Ageing titled Retirement Beyond Pensions: How to Help Canadians Better Prepare.
The full text of the CCIR Spring 2026 Communique is available at https://www.ccir-ccrra.org/Documents/View/4047.
CCIR's Summer 2026 meeting will be held virtually on June 3. The Fall 2026 meeting will take place on October 8 and 9 in Regina, Saskatchewan.
