Topic Catastrophes
Alberta fire chiefs want provincial wildfire plan released before season begins
February 1, 2024 by The Canadian PressEDMONTON – Alberta’s fire chiefs are “urgently” asking the provincial government to explain how it’s getting ready for the upcoming wildfire season and to release its preparedness strategy. “There is a growing concern among fire chiefs across the province of…
Home, auto rate increases in 2023 “highest…seen in years.”
January 26, 2024 by David GambrillCanadian auto insurance rates increased 10% in 2023 compared to 2022, and similarly home insurance rates saw an increase as well — up 6.6% last year, according to the latest release of the Applied Rating Index. “The close of 2023…
Why personal property results should concern insurers
January 26, 2024 by Jason ContantEven though overall financial results for the Canadian P&C insurance industry were only slightly worse in 2023 compared to the previous year, personal property lines should raise concerns for underwriters, according to a new report from the Property and Casualty…
Months after request, Nova Scotia silent on possible buyout of flooded Halifax homes
January 24, 2024 by Keith Doucette – The Canadian PressHALIFAX – Frustration is building with a lack of a commitment from the Nova Scotia government to buy and demolish some of the Halifax area homes ravaged by massive flooding last July. Halifax Regional Council sent a letter on Oct.…
The rise and fall of the P&C industry’s financial results
January 22, 2024 by David GambrillAs the Alan Parson Project once sang, “What goes up, must come down,” and predictions about industry profitability made two years ago are unfortunately coming true — including a marked downward trend of financial results in 2023, says one veteran…
Does Canada need a pandemic backstop, too?
January 19, 2024 by David GambrillCanada’s P&C insurance industry “dodged a bullet” when the courts didn’t automatically read pandemic coverage into business interruption losses, an insurance executive said at the Insurance Institute of Canada’s Industry Trends & Predictions 2024 webinar yesterday. Phil Cook, chairman of…
When will Canada’s insurers reach a tipping point over NatCats?
January 17, 2024 by Philip PoradoIf insurers’ recent response to drastic storm and fire losses recorded in many parts of the U.S. are any harbinger, some Canadian regions may soon grapple with a future in which standard market insurers simply walk away. It’s already happening…
More than 100 wildfires still burning after B.C.’s record wildfire season
January 17, 2024 by Ashley Joannou - The Canadian PressMore than 100 wildfires are still listed as burning in British Columbia thanks to a combination of a busy wildfire season, extreme drought and generally warmer and drier conditions through December. Forrest Tower of the BC Wildfire Service said that…
Ten per cent of country’s insured losses in Alberta alone
January 12, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoFor all the smoke, fire and flood that happened across Canada this year, damage to property in Alberta alone exceeded $330 million, according to estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). That’s nearly 10% of all insured losses across…
What the industry learned from a 20-year-old wildfire
January 11, 2024 by Jason ContantThe devastation of British Columbia’s Okanagan Mountain Park wildfire in 2003 was unlike anything Janna Smart had adjusted before. “It was full of raw emotion, chaos, destruction, and limited experience in handling a wildfire in a densely populated area. It…
What’s at risk if the national flood insurance program stalls
January 10, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoInsurers will need to be informed about their role in the national flood insurance program by Spring 2024 if it’s to be operational before the next federal election, an Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) executive tells Canadian Underwriter. The…
NatCats taking their toll on Canadian property lines
January 8, 2024 by David GambrillAnother year, another $3 billion in NatCat insurance claims payouts. Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry paid out more than $3.1 billion last year in claims related to natural catastrophes, based on the latest numbers from Catastrophe and Indices Quantification…