The Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-08-17, Page 3Wednesday, August 17, 2016 • Lucknow Sentinel 3
McDonagh Insurance celebrates 85 years of business in August 2016
Lucknow's oldest family
run business is celebrating
its 85th anniversary this
month.
"We are very proud," said
Wayne McDonagh, on behalf
of McDonagh Insurance
Brokers regarding their years
in the business. "We are
most thankful to the com-
munity and surrounding
area for the continued sup-
port we have received.
Wayne said they are
appreciative of their "excel-
lent and long serving staff,"
which he added have been
key in our success.
On Aug. 25 1931, the late
John A. McDonagh received
his license to write and sell
general insurance in
Ontario. John moved his
business from his Zion area
farm to an office space at 609
Campbell St. on Lucknow's
main street in 1959.
John's son, Barry, joined
his father in the business in
1969 and soon after formed a
partnership. Barry obtained
his real estate license in 1969
and his real estate broker's
accreditation in 1972. B.A.
McDonagh Real Estate Ltd.
operated until 2002.
In 1970, they bought the E.
Howard Agnew Insurance
Agency in Lucknow.
This was the sixth such
purchase of local agencies.
Previous acquisitions
included the H.J. Lindsay,
Robert Powell, George
Smith, T.A. Cameron and
Sam Alton agencies.
In 1972, McDonagh Insur-
ance moved into their cur-
rent location in the former
Bank of Montreal building at
573 Campbell Street in
Lucknow.
Another of John's sons,
Rod, joined the family busi-
ness in February, 1976.
Later that year, Rod pur-
chased John's share of the
business and Rod's partner-
ship with Barry lasted until
Barry's retirement in 1995.
John passed away in July of
1977.
Rod formed an investment
company in 1978 and acted
as a deposit broker until sell-
ing that business to the for-
mer Sepoy Financial Ser-
vices company in 1999. It
continues to operate as West
Coast Financial Services
today.
In 1983, McDonagh Insur-
ance Brokers Ltd. bought the
J.A. McPherson Brokerage in
Wingham and the Ron
Lamont Brokerage in
Teeswater. They opened an
office in Teeswater that same
year and in 1984, Barry's
son, Wayne, joined the
family business.
Wayne earned his life
insurance license in 1985
creating a fourth business
under the same roof. Wayne
became a partner in 1988 by
buying a portion of his
father's share. Rod and
Wayne became equal own-
ers following Barry's retire-
ment in 1995.
A third office was acquired
in 2003, when McDonagh
Insurance bought the Wm.
H. Keil Brokerage in
Wingham.
Rod's son, Conor, joined
the business in 2003, bought
a one quarter share in 2009
and, as of January, 2014,
became a full partner with
Wayne. Rod retired at the
end of 2006. Wayne's daugh-
ters, Breanne and Robin,
currently work as Customer
Service Reps in the Wing -
ham and Lucknow offices
respectively, representing a
fourth generation involved
in the family business.
In May of 2016, they added
a fourth location when they
purchased Cockwell Insur-
ance Brokers in Atwood
which had been in the Cock -
well family since 1979.
"Seventeen employees
now offer all lines of general
insurance concentrating on
auto, home, farm, commer-
cial and cottage. We repre-
sent 27 local and national
companies out of the 4
offices," said Conor.
He said that in addition to
Wayne McDonagh, another
seven employees have 15
plus years of experience in
the general insurance bro-
kerage field. Jacky Murray in
Lucknow and Jack McPher-
son in Teeswater have each
been with the firm since
1983.
"This company loyalty and
continued education
Submitted
L -R: First cousins and current owners of McDonagh Insurance
Wayne and Conor McDonagh. Picture on the wall between
them is our founder, the late John A. McDonagh. The company
celebrates 85 years in business in August 2016.
courses are very important
to serving our client's needs;"
added Wayne.
McDonagh Insurance rep-
resents companies from
national giant Intact to
locally based Howick and
Trillium Mutual. They have
been writing business with
the Economical Insurance
Group since 1942 and were
presented with their
Cornerstone Award in 1992
marking their 50 year
association.
"We are always looking
ahead for other acquisi-
tions," Wayne said, looking
to the future. "In today's eco-
nomic environment no one
can afford to be content. We
look forward to celebrating
our 100th anniversary in
203L"
Lake Range Drive speed limit to be reduced by H -K council
Darryl Coote
Reporter
The speed limit on Lake
Range Drive will soon be
reduced to 60 kilometres
per hour.
Huron -Kinloss mayor
Mitch Twolan told The Sen-
tinel over the phone Aug.
12, 2016 that he suggested
to lower the speed during
an early August council
meeting in a move to reduce
confusion by making the
road more consistent.
The majority of the road,
Twolan said, is 80 kilome-
tres per hour, except for a
small stretch where it drops
to 60 kilometres per hour.
"I think that does confuse
drivers," he said.
The proposal to council
was on adding oversized
stop signs to two inter-
sections on Lake Range
Drive based on a letter
from a member of the
community asking for
further safety measures to
be put in place on that
road.
Twolan said he made his
suggestion because he has
seen vehicles fail to stop for
the stop signs already in
place and speed was a
factor.
"We've got bikes, walkers,
runners and obviously vehi-
cles. The road is getting bus-
ier all the time," he said.
Along with the reduction
in speed, all stops signs on
Lake Range Drive will
become uniform oversized
signs, he said.
However, these measures
will only work if the drivers
adhere to them, Twolan
concluded.
"At the end of the day,
drivers need to start paying
attention to their driving
habits;" he said.
The issue will be returned
to council at a later date for
discussion o n
implementation.
Lucknow Reunion 2018 planning underway, committee formed
Sara Bender
Contributor
Mark your calendars for
June 29 - July 2, 2018, to help
celebrate Lucknow's 160th
birthday!
A committee has been
formed and plans are under-
way for the Lucknow 2018
Police Reports —
OPP DRUG WARRANT
EXECUTED - BLUEWATER
A Bluewater man is up on
drug trafficking charges after
a raid on a Huron County
home last week.
On Aug. 12, 2016, the
Ontario Provincial Police
(OPP) Organized Crime
Enforcement Bureau - Drug
Enforcement Unit, West
Region Emergency Response
Reunion.
The committee includes
co-chairs Glen Gibson
and Luke Smith; secretary
Ruth Montgomery; treas-
urer Helene Jakobsen; and
directors Connie Howald,
Delores Sokolowski, Lil-
lian Abbott, Mary Jo Nel-
son, Mort Jakobsen and
Huron OPP
Team (ERT), West Region
Canine and Huron OPP exe-
cuted a Controlled Drugs
and Substances Act search
warrant at a residence
located on Oxford Street in
the Municipality of Bluewa-
ter (Hensall), Huron County,
Ontario.
As a result of the execution
of the search warrant, police
seized cocaine, oxycodone
Lana Neeb; as well as past
chairs Steve and Joan
Chamney.
Community volunteers
have also formed sub-
committees to prepare a
weekend full of fun, family
events for the reunion.
Those sub -committees
include: entertainment,
tablets, psilocybin and
hydromorphone capsules.
The estimated, combined
street value of the seized
controlled substances is
$800.
Police also seized offence
related property that con-
sisted of cash and drug traf-
ficking paraphernalia.
Police arrested and have
charged Darrel Finkbeiner,
grounds, food, bar,
parade, advertising, invi-
tations, decorations and
souvenirs.
Invitation will soon be
going out to welcome "Luc-
knowites" back home and to
"save the date':
Over 1,900 people regis-
tered for the 2008 reunion,
60, of the Municipality of
Bluewater with Possession of
Oxycodone for the Purposes
of Trafficking, and Posses-
sion of Cocaine, Psilocybin
and Hydromorphone.
He has since been
released from custody on a
Promise to Appear with a
court date scheduled for
Sept. 19, 2016 at the Ontario
Court of Justice - Goderich.
coming from as far as Den-
mark, British Columbia,
Nova Scotia and New Jersey,
Texas and California. The
2008 event raised thousands
of dollars that went towards
community beautification
projects.
Future fundraising events
will be held in preparation of
MAKE•1SH.
Canada
Because some
wishes can't wait
for someday.
www.makeawish.ca
1-888-822-9474
the reunion.
In the fall, a contest will be
held to create a new logo
and motto for the 2018
homecoming.
Watch for information on
Facebook, Twitter and our
website, lucknowreun-
ion2018.ca, donated by
HuronTel.
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