Roughley Insurance Opens Port Perry Office: Bringing 80 Years of Expertise to North Durham

Roughley Insurance Brokers has opened its third office in downtown Port Perry, marking the most significant expansion in the brokerage's history. Located at 269 Queen Street inside the restored War Memorial Library building, the new office puts a full-service independent insurance brokerage in the heart of one of Ontario's most iconic heritage downtowns, and within reach of the more than 21,500 residents of Scugog Township.

Founded in 1945, Roughley Insurance has operated from Oshawa and Bowmanville for decades. The Port Perry office is the third location for the family-owned brokerage and a direct response to growing demand from homeowners, farmers, and business owners across North Durham who want face-to-face service from a broker they can trust.

Why Port Perry, Why Now

Port Perry is the commercial and cultural centre of Scugog Township, a community of roughly 21,580 people in the northern reaches of Durham Region. The township sits on the shores of Lake Scugog and is home to more than 340 farm operations across 68,000 acres of some of the best agricultural land in southern Ontario. Agriculture-related revenues in Scugog exceed $60 million annually.

That combination of a thriving downtown, a strong agricultural base, and a growing residential population creates insurance needs that are both diverse and specialized. Waterfront cottages on Lake Scugog have different coverage requirements than a cash-crop operation on the Reach Township concession roads. A boutique on Queen Street faces different risks than a contractor working across North Durham. These are the kinds of nuances that an independent broker with local knowledge handles well.

Rob Roughley, P.Eng, explained the decision: "We truly believe in the importance of having a physical presence in this community. You just can't provide the level of service this community deserves through a virtual or appointment-only presence. Our clients want to see us, and we want to see them."

A Heritage Building for a Heritage Brokerage

The office at 269 Queen Street sits inside Port Perry's War Memorial Library, a heritage landmark that has been part of the town's identity for nearly a century. The cornerstone was laid on October 15, 1934, and the building was officially opened by The Honourable Herbert A. Bruce, then Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. It served as Port Perry's public library until 1982, when a new facility was built on Water Street along the waterfront.

The building's history connects to the broader character of downtown Port Perry. The Victorian-era streetscape, with its restored heritage facades, cast-iron street lamps, and hanging flower baskets, draws thousands of visitors each year. It is regularly cited as one of the prettiest main streets in the Greater Toronto Area. Choosing a heritage building for the office was deliberate. It signals that Roughley is investing in the community for the long term, not operating from a strip mall on the edge of town.

What the Port Perry Office Offers

The Port Perry team provides the full range of insurance products that Roughley is known for across Durham Region:

Personal insurance. Home, auto, tenant, condo, cottage, boat, and recreational vehicle coverage. For residents along Lake Scugog and in the surrounding rural areas, proper coverage for waterfront properties, seasonal cottages, and hobby farms requires careful attention to factors like heating systems, water supply, and shoreline exposure.

Farm insurance. Scugog Township's agricultural community includes dairy operations, cash-crop farms, horse farms, and a growing number of diversified operations taking advantage of the township's on-farm diversified use policies. Farm insurance needs in this area range from livestock and equipment coverage to farm liability and outbuilding protection. Having a broker who understands agricultural operations is not optional in a community like this.

Business insurance. Port Perry's downtown BIA includes more than 100 shops, restaurants, galleries, and professional services. Small-business insurance, commercial property, and general liability coverage are all available through the new office. The team also handles contractor insurance for the trades professionals working across Durham Region.

Local Team, Local Roots

The Port Perry office is staffed by insurance professionals with deep ties to the Scugog community. The team brings accredited industry designations and years of experience, but what sets them apart is that they live and work in the community they serve. They understand the local landscape because they are part of it.

This matters. An insurance broker who knows that a particular stretch of road floods in spring, or that a heritage building downtown has knob-and-tube wiring behind the plaster, or that a client's farm equipment sits in an outbuilding 500 metres from the main house can write better coverage. That kind of knowledge does not come from a call centre.

Serving All of North Durham

While the office is in Port Perry, its service area extends across Scugog Township and into the broader North Durham region. Residents and business owners in Caesarea, Blackstock, Nestleton, Greenbank, Seagrave, Uxbridge, and the surrounding hamlets now have a Roughley office within easy driving distance.

The Port Perry location also complements the existing offices in Oshawa (1000 Simcoe St N) and Bowmanville (31 King St W), giving Roughley a presence that spans Durham Region from west to east and from the lakeshore north into the agricultural heartland.

Roughley Insurance is a member of the North Durham Chamber of Commerce, which has advocated for businesses across Scugog, Uxbridge, and Brock since 1914. The chamber membership reflects the brokerage's commitment to being part of the local business ecosystem, not just serving it from a distance.

Three Generations, Three Offices

Harold G. Roughley founded the brokerage on September 8, 1945, with a straightforward philosophy: people want to do business with people they like and trust. His son Jim grew the operation for more than 50 years, expanding carrier relationships and building a reputation for claims advocacy that drove consistent referral-based growth. Today, the third generation continues that tradition with a team of more than 40 employees across three locations.

The Port Perry expansion is a natural extension of that philosophy. In an industry that has moved heavily toward online quoting and call-centre service, Roughley is doing the opposite. Opening a physical office in a small town, staffing it with local professionals, and making it easy for clients to walk in and sit down is a statement about what kind of brokerage Roughley intends to be.

Independent Broker Advantage

As an independent brokerage, Roughley is not tied to any single insurance company. The team shops coverage across multiple carriers to find the right combination of price, coverage limits, and policy features for each client. This matters in a community like Scugog where insurance needs vary widely. A dairy farmer, a downtown retailer, a Lake Scugog cottage owner, and a young family buying their first home in the Port Perry subdivisions all need different things. An independent broker can access the right markets for each of them.

That independence also extends to claims. When a client has a loss, Roughley advocates on their behalf with the insurer. The broker works for the client, not the insurance company. In a rural community where a barn fire or a spring flood can be devastating, having an advocate who will push for fair settlement is invaluable.

Visit the New Office

The Port Perry office is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 269 Queen Street, Port Perry, ON L9L 1B9. Call (289) 225-2500 or visit roughleyinsurance.com to request a quote.

Whether you are a long-time Scugog resident looking for a better insurance experience or new to the area and trying to figure out what coverage you need for a waterfront property, a farm, or a small business, the team in Port Perry is ready to help. Stop by, say hello, and see what a brokerage that has been family-owned since 1945 can do for you.