Topic
Catastrophes
Thousands displaced by this apartment fire won’t go home this year
November 18, 2019 by Greg MeckbachMore than 1,000 residents displaced by a major electrical fire in 2018 will not be moving back into their apartment building this year. A fire broke out Aug. 21, 2018 in the electrical room of 650 Parliament Street, a high-rise…
A new way to make insurance for high-risk homes in flood plains affordable
November 14, 2019 by Adam MalikAmphibious architecture could be the key to mitigating flood risk and making insurance affordable for those living and working in floodplains, according to one expert. The technology allows structures to float as water levels rise. Amphibious construction and retrofitting of…
Evacuation order lifted nearly two months after crane collapse
November 6, 2019 The Canadian PressHALIFAX – The last three businesses evacuated when a crane collapsed in downtown Halifax are being allowed to return to their locations, almost two months after a storm toppled it. The final stage of the crane and debris removal from…
How B.C. plans to address nat cat risk management
October 29, 2019 Dirk Meissner - THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – The challenges of preventing and responding to devastating wildfires and floods in British Columbia and the prospect of more disasters to come has prompted the government to reassess its emergency management laws. The Emergency Program Act needs to…
Final pieces of storm toppled crane removed off top of Halifax building
October 28, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSHALIFAX – The final pieces of a crane that collapsed onto a building in Halifax last month, during post-tropical storm Dorian, have been removed. A government release says the pieces that were lying on the top storey of the Olympus…
Flood risk in southwestern Ontario: It’s not just rainfall…
October 16, 2019 by Greg MeckbachHigher-than normal levels on the Great Lakes are increasing water damage risk in Windsor, Ont., which was hit two years ago with flooding that cost the industry more than $100 million. “We are well above where we typically are for…
After Dorian: Will Canada hit $2 billion in insured losses again this year?
October 7, 2019 by Jason ContantCanada has already surpassed $1 billion in insured losses with nearly three months left in 2019, according to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). “Last year, insured damage from severe weather across Canada exceeded $2 billion, the fourth-highest amount of…
Two remaining mysteries from 2008 Sunrise Propane explosions
October 4, 2019 by Greg MeckbachEleven years after the Sunrise Propane explosions in north Toronto that forced the evacuation of about 12,000, no one seems to know exactly what caused that accident or what the total damage was, an Annual Engineering Insurance Conference speaker suggested…
The burning question: where is Canada’s national wildfire plan?
October 1, 2019 by Adam MalikEnough talk about wildfire risk has taken place, says Zurich Canada’s risk boss. Now there needs to be real action around building a national strategy on wildfires. It’s been three years since the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta., for which…
Work to begin on removal of Halifax construction crane felled by Dorian
September 30, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSHALIFAX – Work was expected to begin Sunday that would allow the removal of the mangled remains of a construction crane that collapsed in downtown Halifax during post-tropical storm Dorian. The province said in a news release that final inspections…
When more Isn’t merrier
September 27, 2019 Adam Malik, Managing EditorHow can a joyous occasion turn into a nightmare scenario? The perils of public parades
Did Dorian create a capacity issue for claims adjusters?
September 24, 2019 by Jason ContantEven though post-tropical storm Dorian knocked out power to about 80% of homes and businesses in Nova Scotia, and left thousands more without power in the other Atlantic provinces, claims adjusters were well-equipped to deal with its aftermath. “In the…