Manitoba-grown Red River Mutual is Celebrating 150 Years in Business
When Mennonite newcomers arrived in Manitoba’s Pembina Valley in 1875, they built farms from the ground up, but at great personal risk. Without formal institutions to lean on for financial protection, these farmers made a promise to each other — to pool their resources and support one another through poor yields, unexpected setbacks, and the very real threat of prairie wildfires.
“This promise between neighbours held strong and now, 150 years later, it remains the foundation of our work as a mutual insurance company,” says Brenda Gibson, Red River Mutual’s President & CEO.
“We are standing today on the shoulders of generations of people that have contributed to the concept of mutuality and the building of Red River Mutual,” says Chad Friesen, Chair of the Board of Directors at Red River Mutual. “They didn’t contribute for their sole benefit, but for the collective benefit of all policyholders and the community.”
Red River Mutual proudly protects over 84,000 policyholders across Western Canada—from Northwestern Ontario to British Columbia. While our business spans provinces, our roots remain firmly planted in Manitoba. Most of our 200+ employees continue to work here, and more than half of our 470+ brokerage partners are based in Manitoba — many of them locally owned and operated. We’re deeply committed to the Manitoba business community and proud to help it thrive, even as we grow beyond its borders.
Over the past five years, the insurance industry and our communities have continued to experience change and uncertainty; however, through growing industry partnerships, investing in our employees, and relentless community support, Red River Mutual has grown exponentially:
- Our workforce has nearly doubled, with consistent retention and engagement rates in the 80th percentile. We’re one of Manitoba’s Top Employers for 2025!
- We’ve established in-house teams of developers, data analysts, actuaries, and project managers that help move our broker and policyholder-centered goals forward.
- Our Claims NPS (Net Promoter Score) has reached 58, an excellent score well above the average for the industry.
- We have contributed to resilient communities by giving over $1 million dollars back to our communities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan through our Spruce Up Your Story initiative.
“Red River Mutual was founded through a commitment to the wellbeing of the community,” says Gibson. “As we grow, we remain committed to preserving that sense of community- because strong communities are resilient communities.”
Learn more about who Red River Mutual is and how we protect and support our community at www.redrivermutual.com.
