Topic Commercial
Shipping industry warns of disruptions from potential strike at Port of Montreal
March 8, 2021 by The Canadian PressMONTREAL – The Shipping Federation of Canada is warning that a potential strike at the Port of Montreal is already having a damaging impact even as negotiations are set to resume Wednesday with the help of mediators. The trade association…
B.C. eases requirements, extends deadline for small business recovery grants
March 5, 2021 by The Canadian PressVICTORIA – The B.C. government has eased the eligibility requirements and extended the deadline for small and medium-sized businesses applying for funds under its $345-million pandemic recovery grant program. Businesses with up to 149 employees must now show a 30…
Brokerages snapped up coast-to-coast in latest M&A deals
March 3, 2021 by Jason ContantCanadian brokerage acquisitions continue coast-to-coast with the recent purchases of four brokerages in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick. Navacord, B.C.-based brokerage Waypoint Insurance, Archway Insurance and Westland Insurance Group (which bought two brokerages) all made acquisition announcements at…
Lessons learned from ‘the toughest Cat season’
March 2, 2021 by Adam MalikThe COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult at times for insurers to work through natural catastrophes, said a Wawanesa executive during a recent web conference. But they’ve learned a few lessons because of it. As Cats stormed through Alberta to the…
Two emerging trends in D&O liability
March 2, 2021 by Jason ContantCyber claims morphing into directors’ and officers’ liability and the increased sophistication of the plaintiff bar in Canada are two emerging trends in D&O lines, HDI Global Specialty SE – Canada told Canadian Underwriter recently. Oren Schemool, head of financial…
How Western Financial made its presence known in Atlantic Canada
March 1, 2021 by Greg MeckbachWestern Financial Group is taking a non-controlling interest in Saint John, N.B.-based Huestis Insurance Group. The exact terms of the deal, announced Feb. 23, were not disclosed, other than it will give the High River, Alta.-based Western Financial a “significant”…
British Columbia’s Site C dam faces one-year construction delay
March 1, 2021 by The Canadian PressVICTORIA – British Columbia Premier John Horgan says completing the Site C dam is in the best interests of residents, despite the project’s price tag ballooning to $16 billion and completion date stretching to 2025. The premier told a news…
Letter to the editor: Best Terms — the buyer’s point of view
February 26, 2021 by BC Risk & Insurance Manager’s AssociationTo the Editor, We would like to respond to your editorial titled “Regulators, leave subscription policies alone,” dated Dec. 7, 2020. It is true that these are turbulent times in the insurance market, and that insurers have been experiencing losses…
Would your client actually buy a pandemic risk product?
February 25, 2021 by Jason ContantEven if insurance products were available for pandemic risk specifically, several businesses say they wouldn’t anticipate becoming more dependent on risk financing or insurance as a result, according to the results of a global survey from Aon. Few companies have…
Condo corporation insurance? Unit insurance? Too many condo owners don’t know the difference
February 24, 2021 by David GambrillBrokers in Quebec have ample opportunity to educate their clients about how condo insurance works, according to the results of a recent survey commissioned by Insurance Bureau of Canada. One key source of confusion may sound familiar to brokers elsewhere…
What’s smoking hot in cannabis insurance claims trends
February 24, 2021 by Jason ContantNearly two-and-a-half years after recreational marijuana was legalized in Canada, the country’s P&C insurance industry is starting to get a sense of the type of claims arising from the October 2018 legalization. The big issue right now is vaping, said…
Why business interruption lawsuits against Aviva got ‘carved off’ from Ontario class action
February 23, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAviva Canada is facing two proposed class-action lawsuits in Ontario from clients whose business interruption claims were denied during the ongoing pandemic. Allegations that Aviva has breached insurance contracts by denying BI claims have not been proven in court. Nordik…