Topic
Climate Change
Window for action on national flood insurance program is now, IBC says
February 24, 2023 by Jason ContantInsurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is applauding the federal government’s latest disaster assistance for flood recovery costs associated with British Columbia’s costliest severe weather event, but is stressing the urgent need for action on a national flood insurance program. The…
Government caps disaster assistance, lowers threshold for property buyouts
February 23, 2023 by Jason ContantAnother provincial government is changing the way it provides disaster financial assistance by capping assistance for claims related to the same type of disaster at $200,000. New Brunswick is increasing the maximum payout for structural damage to $200,000, setting a…
B.C. adds $180 million to help communities prepare for natural disasters
February 22, 2023 Dirk Meissner - THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – Premier David Eby says he’s introducing more supports to better prepare British Columbia communities for natural disasters related to climate change before they happen. “The last few years have taught us a hard lesson about the impacts of…
Alberta, Saskatchewan methane emissions almost 4 times more than reported: research
February 21, 2023 by Jason ContantNew research using advanced technology suggests heavy oil facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan are releasing almost four times the amount of a powerful greenhouse gas than they report to government. The research, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology,…
Rural Nova Scotians want power grid designed for a changing climate
February 17, 2023 Michael Tutton - THE CANADIAN PRESSHALIFAX – Residents of a rural Cape Breton community that has lost power during cold and windy weather are looking for compensation from the utility – and a grid designed for the changing climate. Parker Donham, a resident of Boularderie…
What the forecast says for Cats in 2023
February 16, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAfter a severe NatCat year in Canada in 2022, all signs point toward warmer, drier conditions in 2023 and a quiet hurricane season. With that, however, meteorologists predict this year will make Top 5 list for warmest years on record…
Is Canada seeing more tornadoes every year?
February 14, 2023 by Jason ContantCanada saw 117 recorded tornadoes across the country during the 2022 season, tying 2021 for the highest-ever single season on record, according to the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP). As with 2021, 29 of the tornadoes reached up to EF2 on…
Is there a better coverage solution for flood plain residents?
February 14, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoWhen insurers recommend consumers pack up and move from their flood-prone homes, it’s easier said than done. That’s why the industry needs to come up with better resilience solutions and more efficient claims response to protect the customers most impacted…
Has Russia-Ukraine hindered insurers’ ESG plans?
February 13, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoInsurers with ESG plans are still sticking to their guns to stop backing fossil fuels and thermal coal, even as geopolitical events like Russia’s Ukraine invasion put strain on the international energy sector, an industry expert told delegates at CatIQ…
It’s time to address Canadian adjuster mobility, claims experts say
February 10, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoDeveloping and effectively using the pool of Canadian claims adjusters for catastrophe response is a problem that continues to keep adjusting firms up at night, experts told a CatIQ Connect panel on Wednesday. “Most people don’t realize that seven of…
Recent extreme cold snap causes ‘devastating’ damage to Nova Scotia vineyards
February 10, 2023 The Canadian PressThe president of the Grape Growers Association of Nova Scotia says it will take years for vineyards to recover from the recent extreme cold snap. Steve Ells says between 95 and 100 per cent of Nova Scotia-grown vinifera variety grapes…
Extension covering “influx of water” trumps broad form flood exclusion
February 6, 2023 by David GambrillA commercial property policy extension granting coverage for an “influx of water derived from natural sources” trumps a policy’s broad form flood exclusion, Alberta’s Appeal Court has found in a 2-1 split decision. A bowling alley in Fort McMurray, Alta.,…