Canadian Underwriter

Topic Construction

News Construction

Supreme Court of Canada hears surety bond dispute

November 8, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

A construction subcontractor that was not fully paid and whose claim on a surety bond was denied had its case heard Tuesday before the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2009, Langford Electric Ltd. subcontracted directional drilling work to Valard Construction

News Construction

Transition of RSA Canada’s surety business to Trisura expected by year-end

November 1, 2017 by Jason Contant, Online Editor

The management teams of both Trisura and RSA Canada continue to work closely together to ensure a smooth transition of RSA’s contract and commercial surety business in Canada to Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company. “Our primary objective is to ensure minimal

News ClaimsConstruction

BHSI unveils new offering, follow form for U.S. and Canadian contractors

November 1, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

Boston-based Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has announced the availability of a single excess policy that sits atop multiple first- and third-party insurance policies for contractors in the United States and Canada. The new policy provides excess follow form protection

News CatastrophesClaimsConstruction

Quality of construction workmanship a major factor in water losses: RSA Canada CEO

October 27, 2017 by Greg Meckbach, Associate Editor

Aging infrastructure and deteriorating construction standards are among the “major factors” leading to the challenges Canadian property insurers face when dealing with water losses, brokers heard Thursday during the CEO Panel at the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario convention. “The

News ConstructionLegal

Ontario government pledges ‘further study’ on insurance-type products covering new home warranties

October 19, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

The Ontario government proposes to separate the administrator of the new home warranty program from the regulator of new home builders and vendors, but the ruling Liberals want to further study a recommendation to implement a multi-provider insurance system for

News Construction

ICLR researching wind damage on partially-built wood framed structures

October 16, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction is “seeking to better understand” why partially-built wood frame structures fail with high winds, ICLR said in a document it provided Monday to Canadian Underwriter. “Every year, several partially built single family homes, duplexes

News Construction

Federal government orders railway company to complete repairs and resume service to Churchill, Man.

October 16, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

The federal government has ordered rail company OmniTRAX Inc. to complete railway repairs and resume rail service within 30 days to Churchill, Man., several months after the only ground transportation to town was flooded. Natural Resources Canada said in a

News CatastrophesConstruction

‘Quality of construction’ often a factor in wind damage to homes: AEIC speaker

October 11, 2017 by Greg Meckbach, Associate Editor

The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction has “heard really good things” about the prospect of hurricane straps being mandated in all new home construction in Ontario, ICLR’s managing director suggested at a recent conference. Hurricane straps, which are metal bands

News CatastrophesConstructionInsurers

Landscaping ‘absolutely key’ to reducing wildfire risk: ICLR

October 11, 2017 by Greg Meckbach, Associate Editor

Canadian property owners can do more to “take the weak links” out of the chain of events causing homes to burn from wildfire, a speaker suggested at the recent Annual Engineering Insurance Conference (AEIC). “How a property is landscaped is

News CatastrophesConstruction

B.C. researchers develop “earthquake-resistant” concrete

October 10, 2017 by The Canadian Press (CPSTF)

VANCOUVER – Researchers in British Columbia have developed a spray-on concrete they say will protect schools from even the strongest earthquakes and cut the cost of seismic retrofits in half. The new material will be used in the next few

News CatastrophesConstruction

ICLR to host webinar on exposure of buildings to wildfire

October 10, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) will be hosting a webinar later this month on vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies related to exposure of buildings to wildfire. The webinar, to be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT on

News CatastrophesClaimsConstruction

Magnitude of U.K.’s Grenfell Tower fire was preventable: FM Global

October 5, 2017 by Canadian Underwriter

The magnitude of the fire that engulfed London’s Grenfell Tower in June was preventable, according to a newly released whitepaper from FM Global, one of the world’s largest business property insurers. On June 14, a massive fire broke out in