Topic Environmental
Severe drought expected to cost Alberta $1 billion in insurance payouts
July 23, 2021 by Jason ContantCrop insurance payouts in Alberta will likely reach about $1 billion later this year due to hot, dry weather that is contributing to severe drought conditions, Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday. “This year’s crop insurance claims will…
At least 70% of vehicle sales must be zero-emission to achieve Ottawa’s emissions plan: report
July 22, 2021 by The Canadian PressOTTAWA – The C.D. Howe Institute says 70 to 75 per cent of Canadian passenger auto sales will have to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 in order to achieve the federal government’s emissions targets. The think tank says about 7.7…
Ontario imposes restrictions on industrial operations in northwest as wildfires burn
July 20, 2021 by The Canadian PressNORTHWESTERN ONTARIO – Ontario is imposing new restrictions on the mining, rail, construction and transportation industries in the province’s northwest to reduce the likelihood of human-caused fires. The move comes as 107 active wildfires burn in the region, with 32…
Drought ravages crops and pastures across the Prairies
July 19, 2021 by Amanda Stephenson - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – Farmers are calling for emergency disaster relief as drought ravages crops and pastures across the Prairie provinces and beyond. Scorching temperatures and little to no rainfall have left crops in poor condition across wide swaths of Alberta, Saskatchewan…
How green technology can leave insurers seeing red
July 13, 2021 by Adam MalikOlder green energy equipment is not equipped with the latest technology to protect it from increasingly severe weather events, meaning more claims activity for insurers, according to an expert in the area. Insurers have been seeing the effects of climate…
B.C. premier says he will lobby PM to enlist military for wildfire prevention duty
July 9, 2021 by Dirk Meissner, The Canadian PressCOQUITLAM, B.C. — British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he will lobby Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to deploy Canada’s military to help clear fire danger zones to prevent future wildfires. Trudeau and Horgan met Thursday with local government and First…
Feds says all new cars, light-duty trucks will be zero-emission vehicles by 2035
June 29, 2021 by Stephanie Taylor - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The Liberal government is speeding up its goal for when it wants to see all light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be electric. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Tuesday that by 2035 all new cars and light-duty trucks…
Why liability insurance did not cover the defence of a remediation order
June 18, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAn eastern Ontario municipality does not have coverage with any of its four former liability insurers for a dispute with the provincial environment ministry over alleged pollution occurring more than six decades ago. That’s because the insurance policies in question…
Updated tailings code after Mount Polley disaster an improvement: B.C. mines auditor
June 18, 2021 by The Canadian PressVICTORIA – A new report says changes to British Columbia’s requirements for tailings storage after the Mount Polley disaster have generally improved the management of mining waste. The mines chief auditor found many of the revisions made in 2016 to…
How much property coverage capacity Canada’s oil sands has lost
June 15, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe withdrawal of “hundreds of millions” of capacity for property risks related to Canada’s oil sands is creating a new challenge for brokers trying to place insurance for oil and gas clients, a broker executive reports. Some insurers have taken…
How to be really customer-centric: Lessons from the global insurance market
June 11, 2021 by Jason ContantCanada’s property and casualty insurance industry should look towards the global insurance market for some insights about how to increase take-up rates, particularly among marginalized and low-income people, speakers said Thursday at the CatIQ Connect virtual conference. In the global…
Auditor scolds Alberta over mine cleanup fund, how province handles polluted sites
June 11, 2021 by Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – Alberta’s auditor general is criticizing the government for failing to fix problems pointed out six years ago in a program that’s supposed to guarantee coal and oilsands mines clean up after themselves. Doug Wylie says there’s so much…