The MIABC is sad to announce the passing of Dan Cumming, who played an instrumental role in the creation of our organization.
In the mid-1980s, local governments in BC faced a liability insurance crisis. Premiums and deductibles were soaring, but the necessary coverage was increasingly unavailable. At the time, Dan served as Chairman of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District and President of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). Together with UBCM Executive Director Richard Taylor, Dan spearheaded a task force to examine alternatives to the private insurance market. The task force returned with a recommendation to establish a self-insurance pooling program.
Politically, the task force was met with opposition; the UBCM encountered difficulty persuading the provincial government to introduce the necessary legislation to allow for the creation of the MIABC. Dan took the bold step of reaching out to local governments across the province asking them to lobby MLAs and cabinet ministers. He and Richard then set off for Victoria (in a snowstorm) for a meeting with the Minister of Municipal Affairs. When they were denied an audience, Dan and Richard literally waited outside the Minister’s office. When he emerged, Dan and Richard pleaded their case. The plan worked. The legislation was passed and on November 26, 1987, the MIABC was born.
Dan served as the inaugural Chair of the MIABC from 1987 to 1990. The MIABC was a great source of pride for Dan – according to his son Simon, Dan steadfastly believed that the MIABC provided an absolutely critical service to local governments, and by extension, its citizens. In 2013, Dan was honoured with the MIABC Lifetime Achievement Award.
Richard Taylor fondly remembers his years working alongside Dan to establish the MIABC:
Few have served as UBCM President for more than one term – Dan did. None among a stellar group of local government leaders had the opportunity to also be the founding Chair of the MIABC and the UBCM President as Dan did.
The local government and municipal insurance files were intertwined and managed by Dan’s effective but firm intergovernmental relations. He turned the tide of the Provincial Government’s support for the MIABC and UBCM’s legislative liability reforms. Local governments have been the beneficiaries ever since.
Richard Taylor
Ken Olive was the first Executive Director of the MIABC. He too worked closely with Dan in the early years of the MIABC:
Starting up a BC municipal insurance cooperative from scratch required leadership, determination and a sense of adventure, all qualities that Dan Cumming had. As my mentor at UBCM, my Chair at MIA and later as a close family friend, one of his many expressions was “we may not be rich, but we sure see life.” He made life richer for those he knew and the communities he served.
Ken Olive
According to MIABC CEO Tom Barnes, Dan’s impact on the MIABC cannot be overstated:
I met Dan in 1987 when I was a lawyer retained to help launch the MIABC. We worked together for many years. He was a wonderful man who taught me so much; our staff will attest that I still quote him to this day. Our organization owes a great debt to Dan – without him, there would be no MIABC.
Tom Barnes
Dan will be greatly missed by the local government community. His full obituary is available online.