Canadian Underwriter

Topic Environmental

A gas station destroyed by the Bush Creek East wildfire in Squilax, B.C.
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B.C. to introduce new disaster management laws to address preparedness, mitigation

September 20, 2023 by The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s emergency management minister said the province will be ready to introduce “in the coming weeks” new laws to govern responses to increasingly frequent natural disasters such as wildfires and flooding.   Bowinn Ma told a gathering at

Commercial real estate for lease or sale
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What’s driving challenges in commercial property?

September 19, 2023 by Jason Contant

Challenges in the Canadian commercial property insurance market continue to be a focal point throughout 2023, primarily driven by NatCat concerns and reinsurance costs, Aon said in its Fall 2023 Insurance Market Update Canada report. “The property market continues to

A firefighter using firefighting foam to spray a wrecked car on the side of the road
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Forever chemicals: Is PFAS litigation coming to Canada?

September 19, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are the subject of a rising number of lawsuits in the U.S., and the industry can expect litigation to seep into Canada, says a risk professional.   Also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ PFAS are a

Fire at a metal recycling yard in Saint John, N.B.
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New Brunswick premier vows comprehensive review after massive Port Saint John fire

September 19, 2023 by The Canadian Press

SAINT JOHN, N.B. – A joint task force investigation into last week’s major fire at a scrapyard in Saint John, N.B., will consider whether the recycling plant should continue operating at the city’s port, says Premier Blaine Higgs. Higgs made

A downed tree is shown in a yard in Fredericton, N.B. during hurricane-turned post tropical storm Lee
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Will Hurricane Lee cost as much as Fiona?

September 18, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Damage stemming from Hurricane Lee won’t be as major as last September’s Hurricane Fiona, insurance experts tell Canadian Underwriter.   “At more than $800 million in insured damage, Hurricane Fiona goes down as the costliest natural hazard-related insured loss event

Removing an old fuel storage tank from a contaminated building site
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Why strong housing markets have builders tweaking their insurance

September 14, 2023 by Philip Porado

Booming real estate markets in many Canadian cities have top-tier developers considering building sites they might previously have written off. “Here in Toronto, we know the city was heavily industrialized with old manufacturers that were there 100 years before going

Oilsands refinery in Fort McMurray, Alta.
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Twin polls suggest slim majority of Albertans support oil and gas emissions cap

September 14, 2023 by Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESS

EDMONTON – Most Albertans would support some kind of national cap on carbon emissions from the oil and gas sector, two new polls suggest. The polls, conducted by different polling firms at the same time with the same questions, come

Repairs being made to the Sumas River dike following flooding in November 2021
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Province aware of dike problems before destructive flooding in 2021, documents show

September 13, 2023 by Brenna Owen - THE CANADIAN PRESS

Officials with the British Columbia government and the City of Merritt were aware of significant problems with dikes for several years before a series of atmospheric rivers flooded the community, documents released through a freedom of information request show. The

Forest fire at night in the Okanagan
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B.C. wildfires continue to burn through September

September 12, 2023 by The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER – The latest evacuation order issued due to a wildfire in British Columbia covers a rural area north of Prince George in a region straddling the boundaries of two regional governments. The regional districts of Fraser-Fort George and Bulkley-Nechako

A gas station destroyed by the Bush Creek East wildfire in Squilax, B.C.
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B.C. sets up climate emergency task force amid wildfire crisis

September 11, 2023 by The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER – British Columbia Premier David Eby says he’s launching an expert task force into wildfires, drought and heat emergencies that have hammered the province. Eby, who’s in the B.C. Interior touring wildfire zones, says the province is still focused

Flooding in Nova Scotia in July 2023
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Government won’t commit to buying out homes ravaged by recent N.S. flooding

September 8, 2023 by The Canadian Press

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s housing minister says any request for the province to buy homes damaged in a Halifax suburb in flooding last July would have to come from the municipality. John Lohr says while he’s not prepared to say

The McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, BC.
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Feds predict parts of Canada could see wildfires through winter

September 7, 2023 by The Canadian Press

OTTAWA – The latest federal government forecast says Canada’s already unprecedented 2023 wildfire season could continue late into the fall or winter.   Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says there is potential for increased wildland fire activity from eastern