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Glenn McGillivray
What Canada’s largest city is doing to help reduce flood insurance claims
January 10, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAs climate experts forecast more frequent extreme rain events, Toronto is working towards protecting properties by modernizing its storm drainage system. With its Basement Flooding Protection Program, Toronto’s city government brought in a new standard of accommodating a one-in-100-year storm…
How small code changes can reduce big water claims
November 15, 2017 Jason Contant, Online EditorWith severe weather expected to get worse in the years ahead, introducing small changes into building codes is critical, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction’s (ICLR) managing director told Canadian Underwriter on Wednesday. “We are not talking about totally revamping…
‘Quality of construction’ often a factor in wind damage to homes: AEIC speaker
October 11, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction has “heard really good things” about the prospect of hurricane straps being mandated in all new home construction in Ontario, ICLR’s managing director suggested at a recent conference. Hurricane straps, which are metal bands…
Landscaping ‘absolutely key’ to reducing wildfire risk: ICLR
October 11, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorCanadian property owners can do more to “take the weak links” out of the chain of events causing homes to burn from wildfire, a speaker suggested at the recent Annual Engineering Insurance Conference (AEIC). “How a property is landscaped is…
Provincial, local governments should consider mandatory hurricane interpretation training: ICLR report
August 25, 2017 Jason Contant, Online EditorProvincial and local governments should consider mandating compulsory training in the Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC)’s severe hurricane interpretation course, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) recommended in a new research paper. The paper, titled Communicating hurricane risk in Eastern Canada:…
State of emergency continues as wildfires affect interior B.C.
July 13, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterMining and wood products are among the industries affected by wildfires in British Columbia’s interior, where a state of emergency is in place. Imperial Metals Corp. announced Wednesday that an open pit copper/gold mine 56 kilometres northeast of Williams Lake…
MSA calls for ‘sustainable solution for underinsurance’ in overland flood
June 27, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterA potential solution to overland flood risk in Canada “could follow” the model of Britain’s Flood Re, MSA Research Inc. suggested in a report released Monday to Canadian Underwriter. Toronto-based MSA released its Quarterly Outlook Report for Q1 2017. In…
Canadian industry underwriting income down 81% in 2016: MSA
April 18, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Canadian property and casualty insurance industry had underwriting income of $484 million in 2016, down 81% from $2.554 billion in 2015, while reinsurers’ combined ratio deteriorated 30.4 points year over year, MSA Research Inc. suggested in a report released…
Risk management overhaul necessary for cities to become more resilient to catastrophic events: report
March 27, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterOfficials for cities, investors and insurers will increasingly need to “build resilience within and between infrastructure systems as a complementary approach to address infrastructure risk and uncertainty,” argues a new report from Lloyd’s and Arup. “While risk management remains a…
Federal disaster mitigation funding “a leap forward”: ICLR
March 23, 2017 Angela StelmakowichThe federal budget’s commitment to create a $2 billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund demonstrates Ottawa’s increasing support for disaster risk reduction, suggests Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR). “For many years, the federal…
Dufferin County offers rebates to property owners who install hurricane straps
December 13, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterDevelopers and property owners in Ontario’s Dufferin County are eligible for rebates if they install hurricane straps in their buildings, a county official says. Hurricane straps, which are metal bands that wrap around trusses and connect to walls, “can largely…
Homes more resistant to ignition by embers had improved survival in Fort Mac wildfire, “luck” not a factor: ICLR report
August 22, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterSurviving homes in otherwise decimated neighbourhoods of Fort McMurray hit by this spring’s massive wildfire were more resistant to ignition by embers, notes a preliminary report issued by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR). Home survival is not random…