About the Edmonton Pond
The Blue Goose Edmonton Pond is a not-for-profit association that welcomes anyone that works either directly or indirectly with the insurance industry.
Our current members (who we call ganders) do a wide range of things. This includes, but is not limited to: underwriters, claims adjusters, independent contractors, home office executives, auditors, agents, brokers, investigators, regulators, appraisers, salvors, attorneys, and engineers.
The events and meetings that we host throughout the year offer members the opportunity to network with a varied group of industry professionals. In addition, our organization is committed to giving back to our community through charity and volunteerism.
Our parent association is the Honorable Order of The Blue Goose, International and was established in 1906 in Wisconsin. The Blue Goose has chapters in most major cities throughout Canada and USA. If you want to learn more about the organization, check out their webpage.
Our Values
The Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, International operates using three guiding pillars:
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Charity
Character
Fellowship
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We live our values in many different ways. We provide networking opportunities in our city, and we share information about what is happening across our entire organization. We provide individuals the opportunity to get involved and showcase their skillsets and talents. And, we enjoy working towards bettering our local community through kindness.
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CONVENTION
The annual Grand Nest Convention is hosted in a different city every year. Nearly all the Ponds are represented by the delegates that attend. The Grand Nest Convention is a wonderful way to meet like-minded insurance industry professionals, grow your network, and visit a beautiful city in either Canada or the USA. There is usually a program for spouses and children, so you can make the Grand Nest Convention a family trip. Please check out our events page for more information about upcoming conventions.
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Edmonton Convention 2018
The 112th Grand Nest Convention was hosted by the Edmonton Pond and took place between July 11 to 13, 2018. It was held at the Westin Downtown Hotel, which was also the location of the 1993 convention that we hosted 25 years earlier. We had 162 individuals from across North America attend. The theme of the 2018 Convention was "Northern Migration," and we wanted to give our convention goers a truly authentic Canadian experience. We had a Welcome Party with comedians/performers to provide entertainment, a Family Dinner at the Ukrainian Cultural centre to pay homage to many of the settlers in our prairie province, and at the Grand Banquet we had the exceptional Baron Von Hair perform a comedy music show.
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Edmonton Convention 1993
The 87th Grand Nest Convention was hosted by the Edmonton Pond and took place between August 8 to 11, 1993. It was held at the Westin Downtown Hotel, which made the 2018 convention very special, as it was held in the same hotel 25 years later. Many people from across Canada and the USA still speak fondly about the 1993 convention. They often describe the Canadian hospitality, and the energy that they experienced here. The Grand Banquet on the final night was truly stunning; we had glittering floor to ceiling decorations, making the room feel like you were walking through a diamond mine.
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Pond History
Pond History
In 1916, the Alberta Pond (Calgary) was chartered at the 9th annual convention of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose International. Shortly after that, an Edmonton Puddle was formed, and operated under the supervision of the Alberta Pond.
In 1953, at the 46th annual convention of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose International, the Edmonton Pond began operating independently, after being granted charter status.
To this day there is a strong relationship between the Alberta Pond (Calgary) and the Edmonton Pond. Our annual golf tournament is co-hosted by both ponds, which is why we normally hold it half-way between the two cities. For those of you that travel to Calgary often, please feel free to drop into an Alberta Pond meeting or event.
Our very own PMLG Neil Miller has put together a detailed history of the Edmonton Pond. If you are curious and want to learn more, we invite you to read through our full history.