Manitoba leaders are pleased to announce that their constituents had the lowest annual utility costs and second lowest auto insurance rates in the country, according to a new Deloitte LLP
report that calculated rates for the year ending March 2015.
During that timeframe, Manitoban drivers paid an average of $1,211 for automobile insurance, significantly lower than the Canadian average of $2,153.
“It is part of our commitment to keep life in Manitoba affordable,” Manitoba Finance Minister Greg Dewar told outlets. Still, Saskatchewan had the most reasonable premiums, calculated at $1,163 for the year.
In drawing the comparisons, Deloitte used the weighted average of auto insurance costs in an urban center and a rural center of each province. The rates were based on a pool of ten car models, drivers and coverages, accounting for vehicle popularity and the province’s demographics.
Its findings are:
| Province |
Auto Insurance Costs for the year ending March 31, 2015 |
| British Columbia |
$1,717 |
| Alberta |
$2,897 |
| Saskatchewan |
$1,163 |
| Manitoba |
$1,211 |
| Ontario |
$5,567 |
| Quebec |
$1,364 |
| New Brunswick |
$1,849 |
| Nova Scotia |
$1,887 |
| Prince Edward Island |
$1,937 |
| Newfoundland |
$1,933 |
| Average |
$2,153 |
Many brokers may express shock at Ontario’s staggering figure, which is highly disproportionate to other provinces. Still, high premiums are nothing new for its drivers.
“It’s got the highest population density, the worst roads, and a high rate of theft,” John Bordignon,
State Farm Insurance spokesperson, told
The Globe and Mail with regard to the City of Toronto. “The costs reflect those risks.”
