Topic B.C.
B.C. to introduce new disaster management laws to address preparedness, mitigation
September 20, 2023 by The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – British Columbia’s emergency management minister said the province will be ready to introduce “in the coming weeks” new laws to govern responses to increasingly frequent natural disasters such as wildfires and flooding. Bowinn Ma told a gathering at…
400+ wildfires continue to burn across B.C. as new evacuation orders issued
September 18, 2023 by The Canadian PressWILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – An evacuation order has been issued by Cariboo Regional District for 28 properties in the Horn Lake Area in central British Columbia. This comes as the BC Wildfire Service says fire behaviour on the nearby Hell…
Province aware of dike problems before destructive flooding in 2021, documents show
September 13, 2023 by Brenna Owen - THE CANADIAN PRESSOfficials with the British Columbia government and the City of Merritt were aware of significant problems with dikes for several years before a series of atmospheric rivers flooded the community, documents released through a freedom of information request show. The…
B.C. wildfires continue to burn through September
September 12, 2023 by The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – The latest evacuation order issued due to a wildfire in British Columbia covers a rural area north of Prince George in a region straddling the boundaries of two regional governments. The regional districts of Fraser-Fort George and Bulkley-Nechako…
What insurers pay to repair EVs
September 11, 2023 by David GambrillAlthough electric vehicles in Canada cost an average of $1,328 more to repair than vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE), EVs are less likely to be written off as a total loss, says a Mitchell report. The cost of the…
B.C. sets up climate emergency task force amid wildfire crisis
September 11, 2023 by The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – British Columbia Premier David Eby says he’s launching an expert task force into wildfires, drought and heat emergencies that have hammered the province. Eby, who’s in the B.C. Interior touring wildfire zones, says the province is still focused…
Feds predict parts of Canada could see wildfires through winter
September 7, 2023 by The Canadian PressOTTAWA – The latest federal government forecast says Canada’s already unprecedented 2023 wildfire season could continue late into the fall or winter. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says there is potential for increased wildland fire activity from eastern…
Adjusters provide update on B.C., N.W.T. wildfires
September 6, 2023 by Jason ContantWildfires in British Columbia and Northwest Territories continue to present a mixed bag of claims for P&C adjusters. Claims adjusters are seeing a variety of both residential and commercial losses. “Major loss, total losses and less severe claims as well,”…
Intact reports Q3 wildfire claims losses
September 1, 2023 by David GambrillIntact Financial Corporation is projecting $570 million Cdn in pre-tax losses due to wildfires in 2023 Q3, the company announced Thursday. Intact has a national Canadian P&C insurance market share of 18.7% based on $12.6 billion of net premiums written…
Wildfire threat in B.C. continues as winds pick up during stormy weather
August 31, 2023 by The Canadian PressSeveral major wildfires continue to burn out-of-control in British Columbia’s Interior, where forecasted rain had been hoped to dampen blazes in parts of the Central Okanagan and the Shuswap. But Environment Canada data shows neither Kelowna’s airport nor Salmon Arm…
Adjusters respond to Kelowna fires as burn tally grows
August 30, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAfter close to 200 buildings burnt around Lake Okanagan, claims adjusters in Kelowna can expect to see claims range from personal and commercial across a swath of coverage types, an adjuster tells Canadian Underwriter. “Kelowna has a diverse geography with…
Grapes of wrath: How the wildfires could burn your winery clients
August 25, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAs wildfires rage across Canada, wineries might struggle to keep smoke from tainting their crops. Such was the case for wineries operating in and around southern Oregon in 2020, said Heidi Moore, insurance agent for U.S-based Country Financial and host…