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1944 - 1971: Consolidation and diversification

While the early 1940's were characterized by extremely rapid growth for the caisses, internal tensions soon appeared, concerning centralization and religious affiliation.

In 1945, nine caisses separated from the Union régionale de Montréal to create a small dissident federation. Desjardins Group continued on with its expansion, albeit at a much more moderate rate.

The beginnings of diversification

In 1944, the officers of the Group created the Société d'assurance des caisses populaires (which would later become Groupe Desjardins, assurances générales) to insure caisses for fire, theft and fraud. This new company would also protect the property of members located in rural zones with no fire service, where it was difficult to obtain adequate coverage.

To enable members and their families to improve their financial standing, Desjardins Life Assurance was created in 1948. There was at that time an innovative family insurance program that was launched along with savings life insurance and loan insurance plans.

Adapting to modern times

With the hiring of several new accounting, statistical, training, and administrative specialists, the Group's internal services were fast becoming more structured and consolidated.

By the beginning of the 60s, consumerism and higher household spending brought the Group to question the traditional principal of "productive" credit and to modernize its credit practices to become more flexible.

In 1962, the Group acquired La Sauvegarde life insurance company in order to preserve the Québec ownership of that company. The following year, it purchased a young trust company called Société de fiducie du Québec, which is now known as Fiducie Desjardins (Desjardins Trust).

The Group was active at that point in setting up the Société générale de financement, a tool used by the government used to stimulate industrial development in Québec.

In 1964, the Group's consolidated assets broke the $1 billion threshold.

More and more present in the medias (most Québecers remember the famous pop-sac-à-vie-sau-sec-fi-co-pinadvertising), the Group took a spectacular, innovative step when it computerized caisse operations with the SIC system (Integrated System for the Caisse) in 1970.

There was no longer any doubt about it: Desjardins had become a financial institution to be reckoned with!

Timeline

1944	June 3 -- Creation of the Société d'assurances des caisses populaires, the forerunner of Groupe Desjardins, assurances générales.
1945	November 13 -- Nine caisses split off from the Montréal regional union (Union régionale caisses populaires de Montréal) to create a small dissident federation. Foundation of the Fédération des caisses populaires acadiennes.
1946	Fondation of the Fédération des caisses populaires de l'Ontario.
1948	March 11 -- Foundation of Desjardins Life Assurance.
1949	Provincial security fund created.
1950	50th anniversary of the Mouvement; events included an international congress held in Lévis in August.
1952	Launching of the Ma Caisse magazine by the Montréal regional union. May 13 amp; 14 -- First congress of millionaire caisses.
1954	Creation of savings life insurance and loan insurance plans.
1958	Sponsorship of the television show Joindre les deux bouts.
1962	August 7 -- Acquisition of La Sauvegarde. September 1 -- Foundation of the Fédération des caisses d'économie du Québec.
1963	January 31 -- Aquisition of the Société de fiducie du Québec (which would later become Desjardins Trust). Adoption in March by the Québec legislative assembly of the new Savings and Credit Unions Act. November 27 -- Aquisition of La Sécurité, compagnie d'assurances générales du Canada. November 30 -- Creation of the Institut coopératif Desjardins, a training center.
1964	Total assets reach the first billion dollars.
1965	Fact-finding committee researches mechanisms to be at the origin of computerization.
1967	First demonstration of teledatprocessing for the entire financial sector displayed at the Caisse populaire de Terre des Hommes, which was created at the time of Expo 67.
1969	Creation of Fondation Émile-Girardin.
1970	Aquisition of 83 % of the Vachon shares (forerunner of Culinar). April 13 -- Inauguration of SIC (Integrated System for the Caisses). October --First edition of Semaine Desjardins (Desjardins Week). Foundation of the company that would be at the origin of Développement international Desjardins.