Topic Environmental
B.C. farmers ‘white knuckling’ their way through extreme cold after floods, heat dome
January 4, 2022 by Amy Smart - THE CANADIAN PRESSVANCOUVER – Richard Bosma’s cows had been home for less than a week after an evacuation due to flooding in Abbotsford, B.C., before temperatures plummeted on his farm. Bosma, who credits his faith with helping him remain resilient in a…
Main B.C. highway to reopen to essential traffic by Monday after storms
December 16, 2021 by Hina Alam and Amy Smart - THE CANADIAN PRESSVANCOUVER – A key highway link between British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and the rest of the province will reopen to essential traffic by the end of the day on Monday, five weeks after it was heavily damaged by severe rainstorms.…
Climate change expected to push up payouts
December 13, 2021 by Philip PoradoIt’s likely Canada’s not fully prepared for flood risks faces today, let alone for what climate change could bring, Judith Ellison, catastrophe modelling manager at JBA Risk Management told a Dec. 2 CatIQ Connect Quarterly session. She noted many properties…
More than 80,000 customers remain without power in windswept Ontario: Hydro One
December 13, 2021 by The Canadian PressTORONTO – More than 80,000 Ontarians remained without power Sunday, a day after violent winds blew through the southern part of the province. Utility Hydro One says 450,000 customers lost power during the wind storm, and crews were still working…
B.C. flooding is the costliest severe weather event in province’s history
December 10, 2021 by Jason ContantIt’s official — the massive flooding in southern British Columbia is the costliest severe weather event in the province’s history. In a press release issued late Thursday by Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) said…
Canada on track to reduce fossil fuel use by 62% by 2050
December 10, 2021 by Amanda Stephenson - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – A new forecast says Canada is on track for a significant reduction in fossil fuel use by 2050, even as electricity demand grows and demand for crude oil continues. In a new report on long-term Canadian energy supply…
Diverse coastal protections can help limit storm risk
December 9, 2021 by Canadian Underwriter StaffBoth constructed solutions like dykes and seawalls and greener approaches like saltmarsh restoration and dune replenishment can help combat financial and social costs that result from severe storms, a new report noted. “Rising seas, swollen atmospheric rivers and post-tropical storms…
Why pollution liability brokers should pay attention to this auditor general report
December 9, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe Ontario government should re-visit a rule that leaves polluters off the hook for hazardous spills that cost less than $10,000 to clean up, the province’s auditor general suggests. In 2016, the Ontario environment ministry [now called the Ministry of…
B.C. moves to recovery management phase after floods; most military leaving province
December 7, 2021 by Dirk Meissner - THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – British Columbia is shifting into repair and recovery mode following devastating floods and landslides caused by record rains that crippled transportation links, deluged agricultural operations and forced the evacuations of thousands of people, says the province’s public safety…
Institutional investors increasingly likely to divest on ESG grounds
December 6, 2021 by Canadian Underwriter StaffLike insurers, Canada’s institutional investors are examining how environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors weigh into their operational decisions. A new EY report on global institutional investors that includes Canada showed 74% are more likely to divest from companies with…
Can we blame climate change for B.C. ‘atmospheric river?’
December 2, 2021 by Greg MeckbachWe can’t say for sure that climate change has caused the heavy rainfall and severe floods and landslides currently affecting British Columbia, but global warming is making disasters like this more likely, a Swiss Re speaker suggested Thursday. “Warmer air…
Drought, wildfires, COVID-19 drive up Saskatchewan deficit to record $2.7B
December 2, 2021 by Mickey Djuric - THE CANADIAN PRESSREGINA – Saskatchewan’s latest financial report says drought, wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic have heavily contributed to what is projected to be a record deficit. The mid-year report released Monday shows a deficit of $2.7 billion, an increase of $97…