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McKelvie celebrates 30 years in insurance

Kevin McKelvie talks about his 30 years in the insurance field
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Kevin McKelvie is still happy to be in the insurance business.

Kevin McKelvie is celebrating 30 years with Sun Life Financial Ltd.

However, it hasn’t always been Sun Life Financial.

“I’ve always been with the same company, however the company has changed,” McKelvie explained.

“We were Mutual Life, then we demutualized and became Clarica and then Sun Life and Clarica merged.”

This line of business has appealed to McKelvie since his teenage years and is something he enjoys.

“I thought about being in this business since I was 15,” he said.

“I am still quite enjoying this career.”

Although it is exactly what he wants to be doing, that’s not to say it is always easy.

“There are a lot of challenges and certainly stress that goes with it, but it absolutely does not feel like 30 years has gone by,” McKelvie said.

“Time goes by so fast, it feels like maybe five or 10 years.

“It’s been great.”

The last 30 years have led to many opportunities to travel for McKelvie and his family.

“We’ve been able to travel quite a bit to different conventions all over the place and those are always fun,” he said.

Another aspect of the business which has been great for McKelvie is the family involvement.

“Being in business with my dad to start with and of course currently with my daughter Michelle, who started here a year ago, has been a highlight,” McKelvie said.

Although he has passed his 30 year mark in the business, McKelvie still sees himself working awhile longer.

“As long as my health holds up, it’s a career a person can do for quite some time,” he explained.

“If Michelle wants me around, I’ll be here for awhile – realistically another 10 years.”

Family has helped McKelvie throughout his career, in many ways.

“When you’re in a business that’s strictly commission, it has challenges and having a loving and supportive family is a great help,” he said.

“I’ve had family helping me on and off since day one.

“My wife, of course, and my sister have been working with us for more than 15 years.

“My whole extended family has been a huge support for us.”

In the last 30 years, the insurance business hasn’t changed much, McKelvie said.

“The insurance industry itself is really simple,” he explained.

“It’s based on mortality and tables and expenses.”

The big changes, he added, have been in the life expectancy aspect.

“People are living longer in general, but mostly what’s happening is people are having more health challenges,” McKelvie said.

“People are living longer but they’re not as healthy.

Looking forward, McKelvie is hoping to stay where his family is.

“The hard part about living in Quesnel with family and a big block of clients is it makes it hard to leave,” he said.

“I love Quesnel, the four seasons are great.

“As you get older, it gets more and more challenging to weather the winter up here.”

Although the winters can be harsh, McKelvie finds plenty to keep him busy year-round.

“I love to water ski, snow ski, I like doing some fishing, quadding and snowmobiling,” he said.

“This area has a lot to offer.”

For now, McKelvie is staying in the office at 327 Reid St. or give the office a call, 250-992-5790.