Topic Construction
Fire sprinkler installation projects in retirement homes, supportive housing, eligible for new Ontario government funding
August 19, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThree years after the Ontario government mandated automatic sprinklers in retirement homes and other facilities housing vulnerable people within five years, the province’s community and social services ministry announced Thursday it will provide $6.5 million to more than 130 facilities…
AIG Canada launches risk management and mitigation service for residential construction projects with budgets of $5 million or more
August 10, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterAIG Insurance Company of Canada (AIG Canada) has announced the launch of Smart Build, a risk management and mitigation service for residential construction projects with budgets of $5 million or more. Calling it the first-of-its-kind program in Canada, the Canadian-based…
Alberta fires torch economy, biggest monthly GDP decline in more than 7 years
July 31, 2016 by Andy Blatchford - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The Alberta wildfires torched the Canadian economy in May, driving the country into its worst one-month performance since the darkest days of the Great Recession. On Friday, Statistics Canada’s latest reading for real gross domestic product showed a…
Thousands without power in Quebec after brief wind storm
July 19, 2016 by The Canadian PressAlmost 13,000 Hydro Quebec customers were without electricity late Monday following a brief but powerful wind storm earlier in the day. The community of Roxton Falls east of Montreal appeared to bear the brunt of the storm, with trees and…
Fort McMurray #468 First Nation selected by SPECS to carry out wildfire debris removal
July 18, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has announced that Fort McMurray #468 First Nation has been selected by Specialized Property Evaluation Control Services Ltd. (SPECS) to carry out the coordinated demolition and debris removal initiative following the Fort McMurray wildfire.…
‘Prudent’ municipal development needed to reduce catastrophe losses: IBC
July 14, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterWith the recent wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta. being the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history and in the same province as Canada’s second most expensive catastrophe, officials from Insurance Bureau of Canada recently suggested that building codes and…
Police say Mississauga house explosion now a criminal investigation
June 30, 2016 by Madeline Smith - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – A house explosion west of Toronto that killed one woman this week is now a criminal investigation, but investigators aren’t ruling out the possibility that it was an accident. Peel Regional Police Sgt. Josh Colley said the home…
As Fort McMurray rebuilds, fire chief wants more wildfire resilience
June 28, 2016 by Lauren Krugel - THE CANADIAN PRESSFORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – The man who led the fight against the wildfire that devastated parts of Fort McMurray in May is urging changes to the way homes are rebuilt to avoid similar destruction in the future. Fort McMurray fire…
Tornado shuts down Canadian company’s solar cell factory in China, no material impact anticipated
June 28, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterEmergency team members have been dispatched to help employees and communities affected by the tornado that damaged and shut down Canadian Solar’s solar cell factory in China, although it is not anticipated the event will have a material impact on…
Voluntary evacuation of homes and cottages in southern Manitoba remains in effect following flooding, road washouts
June 28, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterA voluntary evacuation of homes and cottages in southern Manitoba near the Ontario border remains in effect several days after a heavy rain event caused flooding and road washouts. Manitoba Sustainable Development (MSD) said in a press release on Monday…
U.S. forum urges need for disaster-exposed communities to be more resilient: A.M. Best
June 27, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterIndustry players focused on resilience experts are facing a big, but unfortunately familiar, challenge: making people aware of the critical need to ensure they are prepared for natural disasters in the event they occur. That is, at least in part,…
Climate change forcing builders to rethink how they design structures: expert
June 27, 2016 by Alexandra Posadzki - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Severe weather events like wildfires and floods are becoming more frequent and more difficult to predict, forcing architects and engineers to rethink how they design buildings, infrastructure and cities. Brock Schroeder, managing director of engineering firm Entuitive, says…