In 1880, the company introduced the first unconditional insurance policy in Canada, in which all restrictions, prohibitions and limitations in the insurance contracts were removed.
The company’s first secretary, Robertson Macaulay (appointed in 1874), presented a plan for growth that included expanding the number of selling agents and introducing innovative insurance products. However, death claims under its issued life insurance policies were low, so the company survived. Poor trade and economic conditions for Canada also slowed the company’s growth ( see Economic History). Sun Life issued its first insurance policy on.
Gault was appointed as the first managing director, and the company engaged its first agents to sell Sun Life insurance in Toronto. Due to the uncertainty of government at the time, and with Confederation occupying the businessmen’s attention, it was not until six years later that the company actually began operations. It was approved for operations by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada on 18 March 1865. The company was formed by a group of Montréal’s leading businessmen as the Sun Insurance Company of Montreal.
