Topic Construction
Court finds coverage for subcontractors when broad policy provision included by accident
July 5, 2018 by David GambrillA B.C. court has found that a design-build contractor and an architectural and engineering firm are both entitled to coverage under a Lloyd’s Underwriters policy that included a broad provision to insure “any firm(s)” providing “professional services” to a B.C.…
Hundreds of New Brunswick flood victims still out of homes months after deluge
July 4, 2018 by The Canadian PressFREDERICTON – Hundreds of people remain out of their homes in New Brunswick months after historic floodwaters swept through the province, destroying buildings and inundating highways. Bill Lawlor, director of the Canadian Red Cross in New Brunswick, said Tuesday that…
Communities using development permits to reduce risk of wildfire: ICLR
May 31, 2018 by Jason ContantReducing the risk of wildfire, several communities in western Canada are using development permits as a way to address construction of new residential development in the wildland-urban interface, the Institute for Catastrophe Loss Reduction (ICLR) noted in a recent report.…
Kinder Morgan begs the question: Is civil disobedience an insured risk?
May 27, 2018 by Jason ContantWith continued legal challenges and protests surrounding construction of the proposed new Kinder Morgan pipeline, potential insurance repercussions could be just around the corner. An Insights West opinion poll released last month found that more than one in 10 British…
Bigger may not always be better to insure
May 3, 2018 by David GambrillSupertall structures, buildings more than 300 metres high or 90 storeys tall, are in vogue right now, raising interesting insurance challenges, according to a recent industry trends report released by the Insurance Institute of Canada. “Increasingly complex high-rise building projects…
Bid for taller wood structures raises red flag for one insurer
April 3, 2018 by Greg MeckbachGiven a recent movement afoot to increase height limits for wood frame buildings in Canada, property insurance underwriters need to be wary of writing risks for such structures, an expert with one insurer notes. A private members’ bill (Bill 19)…
Court closes door on homeowner plan to build a basement walkout below a flood line
February 22, 2018 by Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorA Grande Prairie, Alta.-area property owner who installed a basement door below the one-in-100-year flood line should replace it with a window above the flood line, the Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled, upholding efforts by the municipality to stop…
Surety providers’ argument rejected by Supreme Court of Canada
February 19, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAn argument from a group of insurers and brokers – that construction contractors should not have a duty to inform subcontractors of the existence of a surety bond – has been rejected by the Supreme Court of Canada. In Valard…
Fort McMurray embraces plan to bolster wildfire prevention in region
January 31, 2018 by The Canadian PressFORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Lawmakers in Fort McMurray have approved a plan to help prevent destructive wildfires such as the one that ravaged the community in 2016. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo council says the five-year mitigation strategy includes…
Your commercial client’s biggest exposure in 2018
January 19, 2018 by Jason ContantBusiness interruption will be the top risk for companies in Canada this year, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty’s (AGCS) Allianz Risk Barometer 2018. “Business interruption (BI) can be a consequence of many of the other risks identified in…
3 tips for advising your clients about construction work
January 12, 2018 by Greg MeckbachBrokers advising property owners should bear in mind their clients may not be experts on construction and renovation, a managing general agency warns. Keeping this mind, brokers can guide clients through three processes when hiring contractors to do construction or…
‘Resilient, but tired:’ Mental effects of wildfire lingering in Fort McMurray
December 18, 2017 by The Canadian PressFORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Firefighter Mark Stephenson says he can’t drive through Fort McMurray without being brought back to May 2016. That’s when, in the thick of battling a ferocious wildfire that destroyed 10 per cent of the northern Alberta…