Topic Construction
Online basement flood course coming soon
January 30, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAn online version of the Home Flood Risk Assessment Training will be available Canada-wide this March, Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, said in a recent interview. The course is geared towards insurance brokers, home inspectors,…
The ‘tough decision’ Alberta made to reduce flood risk
January 30, 2019 by Lauren Krugel - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – The Alberta government has now acquired one fifth of the land it needs for a controversial reservoir west of Calgary that would help protect the city from another massive flood. Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Tuesday the province…
Insurer involvement urged in the building code process
January 24, 2019 by Jason ContantThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) want to restore direct insurance industry involvement in the building code process. “At some point in the distant past, perhaps four decades ago or more, the Canadian…
Cars submerged in flooded Montreal tunnel
November 21, 2018 by THE CANADIAN PRESSMONTREAL – A broken water pipe has flooded a tunnel on a major Montreal artery, submerging three cars. The west-end Atwater tunnel connecting downtown and neighbourhoods to the southwest flooded Tuesday morning after utility workers accidentally punctured the pipe. It…
Condo deductible dispute arises from 60-gallon flood
November 19, 2018 by Greg MeckbachWhen a store on the main floor of a condo building suffered $25,000 in losses from a flood, the strata corporation was on the hook for the $5,000 deductible. The strata corporation tried to recover the $5,000 deductible from a…
Navacord continues to expand its construction practice with latest partnership
November 5, 2018 by Jason ContantEffective Nov. 1, commercial brokerage Navacord Corp. continued to expand its construction practice with the addition of Westmount Guarantee Services Inc. as a broker partner. Founded in 2011, Markham, Ont.-based Westmount Guarantee provides Tarion bonds (developers’ surety), condominium deposit insurance…
Were the Ottawa-Gatineau tornadoes the costliest in Canadian history?
October 17, 2018 by Jason ContantThe tornadoes that struck the Ottawa-Gatineau area on Sept. 21 cost the industry $300 million in insured damage, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said Wednesday. Of that, $200 million was for insured damage on the Ontario side, and $100…
Mandatory building fire risk labels proposed
October 7, 2018 by Greg MeckbachFire safety can be impacted if a building is made from lightweight, prefabricated material, and legislation under debate would mandate placards for certain construction types in Ontario. “Truss and lightweight construction, when exposed to fire, can pose serious risks to responding firefighters,” Randy…
Paid Steering the Course: Course of Construction (COC) Insurance Options
August 28, 2018 by Neil Jeanson, Senior Class Underwriter, XL CatlinAll it takes is a spark. From a sander. Or errant cigarette. And POW! Igniting common, flammable construction materials like wood, solvents, packaging, and gasoline and turning a work in progress to a pile of ash. It’s a powerful blow…
Could this new construction method hike insurance costs?
August 27, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA client occupying a tall wood building could face higher insurance costs, a group of masonry producers claims, while one fire insurer confirms such a building deserves closer scrutiny from an underwriter. Your insurance premiums would be higher as an…
Mechanic barred from suing employer over workplace injury
August 13, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA Newfoundland and Labrador construction company no longer faces a lawsuit from the estate of an injured worker, after the Supreme Court of Canada announced Thursday it will not hear an appeal. Many Canadian corporate clients lack liability insurance covering…
After leak causes $3-million damage to dream home, plumbing contractor loses bid to block insurer’s subrogation
July 19, 2018 by David GambrillA plumbing contractor facing a subrogation lawsuit from a homeowner’s insurer is not eligible for coverage under the homeowner’s purchased Residential Builders–All Risks [RBAR] insurance policy, an Ontario court has ruled. Joseph and Lidia Maio had their dream home built…