Topic Ontario
Telematics: Who’s jumping into the pool and who’s watching from the deck
January 28, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAuto insurers are taking a variety of approaches to telematics: Some are observing from the sidelines, while others report growing interest from consumers. The Travelers Companies Inc. introduced IntelliDrive in Canada last week, as Michael Klein, president of personal insurance…
Why this insurer had to pay $187K for ex-Ontario PC leader’s legal defence
January 28, 2021 by David GambrillAn Ontario court has ordered Sovereign General to pay $187,313 to cover the legal costs of former Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Patrick Brown, who personally incurred the expenses while defending a defamation lawsuit arising from the publication of his…
How IBAO is leading brokers to go paperless
January 27, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe cost and hassle of printing and mailing large insurance policies is one of the drivers towards digitization, suggests the board member of a broker association. Consumers do not want to sift through 75 pages of insurance documents, said Greg…
Suspension of licence renewal requirements for drivers 80 and older raises concerns
January 25, 2021 by Radha Kohly - THE CANADIAN PRESSA decision to waive vision tests and other screening typically required to renew driver’s licences for Ontarians aged 80 and older during the pandemic has some in the medical community raising concerns about the risks the move poses to those…
This new type of class-action tort grew from genetically modified corn seed
January 22, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA proposed class-action lawsuit based on the novel tort of “premature commercialization” is going ahead in Ontario. The Supreme Court of Canada announced Dec. 10 it will not hear an appeal from Syngenta Canada Inc., which is facing a proposed…
This kind of homeowner’s liability claim has real teeth
January 21, 2021 by Greg MeckbachWhen a dog bites man, the wounds could be deep and wide for homeowners. “Pet bites top the list for home insurance liability claims,” reports Dorchester Insurance Brokers Ltd., based near London in the community of Dorchester, Ont. “Dog bites…
The latest in brokerage deal-making
January 20, 2021 by Jason ContantBrokerage NFP has expanded its property and casualty brokerage presence in Ontario with the acquisition of EdgeHill Insurance Brokers Ltd. The deal is the latest mergers and acquisitions news in the Canadian P&C space. Also in the news, Canadian Broker…
Heartland Farm Mutual proposes merger with The Kings Mutual
January 18, 2021 by Jason ContantHeartland Farm Mutual Inc. and The Kings Mutual Insurance Company have reached an agreement to merge under the name Heartland Farm Mutual Inc. Waterloo, Ont.-based Heartland Farm Mutual and Berwick, N.S.-based The Kings Mutual Insurance Company announced the proposed merger…
When the appraisal umpire goes beyond the depreciation rate of both the claimant and the insurer
January 15, 2021 by David GambrillIn a $1.2-million dispute arising from a property resort fire, an Ontario appraisal umpire did not exceed his authority when he used a much higher depreciation rate than both the claimant and the insurer did to calculate the value of…
How stay-at-home order impacts Ontario brokers
January 15, 2021 by Greg MeckbachSome Ontario brokers still need to work in their bricks-and-mortar offices amid the strict lockdown imposed Thursday by the provincial government. Although many brokerages are digital and have staff working from home, others are at the “opposite end of the…
The role of digital transformation in Westland’s acquisition strategy
January 14, 2021 by Jason ContantExpanded opportunities for digital transformation are one of the key reasons behind Westland Insurance Group Ltd.’s recent acquisition of Storm Insurance Group, Westland told Canadian Underwriter Tuesday. British Columbia-based Westland closed its acquisition of Storm Jan. 7. Storm operates under…
As workplace infections rise, employers grapple with ‘ambiguous’ mask rules
January 14, 2021 by Brett Bundale - THE CANADIAN PRESSHALIFAX – On the factory floor, masks were optional. Until last month, workers at TEC Business Solutions’s corrugated packaging plant in Mississauga, Ont. underwent a COVID-19 screening, had a temperature check and sanitized their hands – but once inside and…