Topic Catastrophes
P&C industry’s 2021 results: A one-hit wonder?
July 28, 2022 by Glenn McGillivrayLast year was generally the most favourable for Canada’s insurers in a while – since 2006 as a matter of fact – with the industry’s return on equity (ROE) coming in at a solid 17.2% (against 11.2% in 2020). ROE…
What the latest wildfire near Lytton, B.C. reveals
July 22, 2022 by Jason ContantThe out-of-control wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C. shows the community and its surrounding area are at high risk of repeated fires, said Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR). The Nohomin Creek wildfire about 1.7…
What the industry needs to fund the bankruptcy of a Top 70 insurer
July 11, 2022 by David GambrillCanadian P&C insurers need a compensation fund four times bigger than its current size of $60 million to handle “systemic contagion” associated with the insolvency of a Top 70 P&C insurer or bankruptcy related to a major earthquake, says the…
Where home insurance premiums are trending upwards in 2022
July 8, 2022 by Jason ContantLaSalle, Ont., has the highest home insurance premiums in the province right now, whereas Ajax, Ont., offers the least expensive home insurance premiums, according to the latest data from rate comparison site RatesDotCa. On average, home insurance premiums in Ontario…
Why home insurers are more exposed to NatCats after the pandemic
July 4, 2022 by David GambrillWhen the pandemic, remote work and a hot housing market combined to cause more Canadians to buy homes in suburban and rural areas, home insurers may have become more exposed to NatCat losses, data from a recent Aviva study found…
Should Canada’s flood insurance program combine NFIP and Flood Re?
June 29, 2022 by Jason ContantCanada could benefit from a flood protection program combining the features of the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and U.K.’s Flood Re, says credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar, but that view is not entirely shared by Insurance Bureau of…
Why it’s taken a year to get Lytton, B.C.’s post-wildfire rebuild underway
June 29, 2022 by David GambrillTo the naked eye, not much has changed since Lytton, B.C. was razed by a June 30, 2021 wildfire, causing an estimated $100 million in insured damage. Coming up on the fire’s one-year anniversary, debris-removal work has finally begun for…
Meet CatIQ’s new president and CEO
June 28, 2022 by Jason ContantLaura Twidle will be the new president and CEO of Catastrophe Indices & Quantification Inc. (CatIQ), taking over from company founder and well-known insurance industry figure Joel Baker on July 1. Twidle has served as CatIQ’s managing director since 2019.…
The cheaper we build our buildings, the more they cost after an earthquake, wildfire or tornado
June 17, 2022 by Keith PorterBy Keith Porter, adjunct research professor, civil and environmental engineering, Western University This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original…
How to help your clients prepare for civil unrest
June 16, 2022 by Philip PoradoStrikes, riots and violent protests sparked by inflation pose risks to companies, both in terms of physical damage to buildings and other assets, as well as income loss due to business interruption and an inability to access premises, said a…
What the derecho in May cost P&C insurers
June 16, 2022 by David GambrillCentral Canada’s derecho in May caused more than $875 million in insured damage, making it the sixth-largest natural catastrophe loss in Canadian history. “Damage in Ontario is estimated to be over $720 million, while the storm caused an estimated $155…
The latest insolvency risk: climate change
June 15, 2022 by Jason ContantA single large-scale natural disaster can cause the sudden failure of an otherwise solvent insurer, warns a new report from the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC). The latest installment of PACICC’s Why Insurers Fail series found the “traditional”…