Hi, I'm Dennis
Alright, about myself
I live in Coaldale and have proudly worked in the insurance and benefits industry since 2011, focusing on building strong relationships and supporting local businesses and families. I am married, and my wife and I enjoy spending time with our three children and our French Bulldog, Ronnie. I am deeply committed to my community and have served with the Coaldale Fire Department since 2021, now with over five years with the department. I currently hold the position of Support Services Officer for Coaldale & District Emergency Services (CDES). For the past three years, I have also served as President of the CDES Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, a role I continue to hold today. I am also the co-founder of the Ladders to Learning Program, an initiative designed to support children in Coaldale and the surrounding area by helping ensure they have the resources they need to succeed in their education. Our efforts through the CDES Volunteer Fire Fighters Association were recently recognized with the 2025 Group Citizen of the Year Award from the Coaldale Chamber of Commerce, bringing positive attention to a program we are incredibly proud of. In addition, I previously served on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Link Society, where I contributed as a member of the Human Resources Committee. Looking ahead, my future plans include retiring as Santa… and maybe one day running for Mayor of Coaldale.
About my business and why I do it
I began my career providing financial advice to families with one of Canada’s largest financial planning firms. During my first four years in the industry, I earned the firm’s Pathway to Pillar Award each year, recognizing me among the top advisors in my peer group. In 2013, I was also awarded Top Case Count for Individual Insurance for both British Columbia and my regional territory. While working toward my Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2015, I realized my true passion was not traditional financial planning, but working closely with business owners and entrepreneurs. At that point, I made the decision not to continue down the CFP designation path, choosing instead to specialize in insurance and group benefits strategies, where I could provide more focused support to businesses and their teams. I have always taken pride in operating as a self-employed advisor and have connected particularly well with owner-operators who value practical advice and long-term relationships. In 2015, I made the decision to become independent and left the large firm to build a practice focused on Group Benefits and Individual Insurance solutions. From 2015 to 2017, my partners and I developed and managed GTG Insurance Services, which later became part of a merger. In 2017, we launched Valley-Wide Group Benefits, further expanding our focus on supporting employers and their employees. Around that same time, I found myself traveling frequently between British Columbia and Calgary. It quickly became clear that Alberta offered incredible opportunities both professionally and for raising a family. My wife and I made the decision to sell our home in BC and move to Alberta in 2017 — a decision we have never once regretted. When we arrived, I shared with many people that my goal was to open a local storefront within two years. In 2019, we made that vision a reality by opening Prairie-Wide Insurance in Coaldale, less than half a kilometre from our front door. While our home base is in Coaldale, our focus has always been on supporting business owners across Alberta with thoughtful group benefits strategies and insurance solutions. We take great pride in building a company rooted in a strong small-town community while serving organizations throughout the province. I truly value the small-town environment and the fact that in Coaldale you are surrounded by driven business owners and community supporters who believe in helping each other succeed.
About Group Benefits Specifically
I take pride in the time and effort I’ve invested in building strong relationships with many of Canada’s leading insurance carriers and learning the details of their products. As a Group Benefits Broker serving businesses across Alberta, my goal is to use that knowledge and those relationships to help clients find the most effective insurance and employee benefits solutions available. Every business is different, which is why I believe in working with multiple insurance providers rather than relying on a single carrier. By understanding the strengths of each insurer and maintaining strong relationships with their representatives, I’m able to match the right group benefits plan or insurance solution to the needs of your company and your team. Responsiveness and service are extremely important to me. Having strong working relationships with many carriers allows me to move quickly for my clients, solve problems efficiently, and negotiate solutions that may not otherwise be available. Much of our growth has come through referrals and reputation marketing, and I’m incredibly proud of the many Google reviews our clients have shared about their experience working with our team. I also believe strongly in helping business owners understand how group benefits actually work. Many companies see their insurance costs increase each year but are never clearly shown why. From the beginning, I take the time to explain how insurance companies structure plans — including how much premium they expect a company to pay and the target claims levels they expect over time. The cheapest benefits plan is not always the best long-term strategy. In many cases, the true impact of plan design only becomes clear at renewal time. That’s why I work with my clients to plan ahead by negotiating fair premiums, setting appropriate target loss ratios, and exploring options such as rate holds, rate caps, and sustainable plan structures. My goal is simple: help Alberta business owners build employee benefits plans that attract and retain great people while remaining financially sustainable for the company.
​About Health Care Spending & Wellness Spending
A Health Spending Account (HSA) can be an excellent alternative to a traditional group benefits plan, and in many cases it can also be used alongside an existing employee benefits program to provide additional flexibility for your team. Many Alberta business owners choose a Health Care Spending Account because it allows employees to claim a wide range of eligible medical and dental expenses while giving employers greater control over costs. The industry standard administration fee for Health Spending Accounts is typically around 10%. For several years, I have been able to offer my clients a reduced administration fee of 7.5% with no setup costs, helping businesses maximize the value of their benefits dollars. You do not need to have multiple products or services with our firm to access this preferred rate. If you would like, I would be happy to provide a proposal outlining how a Health Spending Account works, what expenses can be claimed, and how it could fit into your overall employee benefits strategy.
​Individual insurance needs
As both a business owner and a father, I strongly believe in having the right insurance in place to protect what you’ve worked hard to build. One of the most overlooked topics when discussing life insurance and disability insurance is the economic value of a stay-at-home parent. My wife has been home with our children for nearly a decade, and her role has allowed our family to grow while also giving me the ability to build our business. If something were to happen to my wife — whether through illness, disability, or an untimely passing — the financial and family impact would be significant. The insurance protection we have in place would help protect our family financially during an incredibly difficult time. The same is true for me as the primary income earner. If I were to pass away unexpectedly, our family and our business would both be affected, even while succession planning was taking place. This is why I believe strongly in having the right life insurance, disability insurance, and critical illness coverage in place both personally and corporately. For business owners in Alberta, this protection becomes even more important. Many businesses overlook solutions such as key person insurance, buy-sell agreement funding, and overhead expense insurance, which can protect the company if an important team member or partner becomes disabled or passes away. The right insurance strategy helps ensure that your family, your employees, and the business you’ve built are protected no matter what the future brings.