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Is Fort McMurray still insurable?
April 26, 2024 by Jason ContantEditor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire cost nearly $6 billion in insured damage, citing 2016 loss totals for that year from Insurance Bureau of Canada. However, the $6 billion total…
Fire bans announced in B.C. and Alberta as more than 170 wildfires burn
April 25, 2024 by The Canadian PressTactical evacuations have started in northeastern British Columbia as wildfires tear through the area. An update from the B.C. Wildfire Service Wednesday night said efforts are focused on protecting public life and safety in the Peace River Regional District and…
Manitoba government plans to lift ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
April 24, 2024 by Steve Lambert – The Canadian PressThe Manitoba government is planning to end its ban on homegrown recreational cannabis — a move that would leave Quebec as the only province with such a restriction. “We’re just allowing Manitobans to have the same rights that people in…
Insurers to discuss ‘Plan B’ for federal earthquake insurance backstop
April 23, 2024 by David GambrillCanada’s property and casualty insurers are starting to discuss a ‘Plan B’ for an earthquake backstop, given the federal government’s slow progress on establishing a national flood insurance program. Insurance Bureau of Canada president and CEO Celyeste Power talked about…
‘Trees going up like Roman candles’ as fire season starts early in B.C., Alberta
April 23, 2024 by The Canadian PressSusanne Langan first noticed the Burgess Creek wildfire from her home in British Columbia’s Cariboo region on Saturday afternoon as a distant, thin column of smoke. But as winds picked up that night, the flames became more aggressive. “I could…
Are underwriters pricing for new tech in homes?
April 22, 2024 by David GambrillGlobally, the property and casualty insurance industry may be underestimating the vulnerability of property that uses technology to adapt to climate change, a speaker told attendees at the 38th Swiss Re Outlook breakfast held in Toronto last Tuesday. Also, property…
Flood and fire preparedness measures underway in N.W.T. town
April 22, 2024 by The Canadian PressThe Town of Hay River has been through a lot over the last couple of years, having first contended with serious flooding in 2022 and then devastating wildfires in 2023. With the memories of those crises still fresh in the…
Why ICLR is heading West
April 19, 2024 by Philip PoradoAs part of a partnership with Wawanesa Insurance, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) will set up a new ICLR Climate Resilience Centre in Winnipeg. Wawanesa is providing office space and operating funds for the new centre. The centre…
Feds commit $15 million to flood insurance backstop. Is it enough?
April 18, 2024 by David GambrillAlthough the federal government committed to forge ahead with its long-awaited flood insurance backstop Tuesday, Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry notes the 2024 federal budget was light on details – and funding. The insurance industry has been negotiating with…
Hybrid brokerage/agency rebrands following merger
April 18, 2024 by Jason ContantQuebec brokerages PMA Assurances and PMT ROY Assurances et services financiers have merged under the name Ellipse Agence en assurance de dommages inc., creating what the firm is calling the province’s largest damage insurance agency distributing Intact Insurance products exclusively.…
Wildfire clean-up continues in Enterprise, NWT
April 17, 2024 by Tom Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North – The Canadian PressEnterprise’s 2024 spring carnival was a sorely needed opportunity for celebration in a community that has been through more than most over the last few months. “It was just great fun,” said Sandra McMaster, who became the community’s new mayor…
Coroner’s inquest opens into Quebec firefighter flood deaths in May 2023
April 15, 2024 by The Canadian PressA coroner’s inquest is underway into the deaths of two volunteer Quebec firefighters who perished during a flood rescue last May in the Charlevoix region. Coroner Andrée Kronström is hearing from witnesses at the courthouse in La Malbaie, Que., during…