Keyword
Ontario
Mandatory building fire risk labels proposed
October 7, 2018 by Greg MeckbachFire safety can be impacted if a building is made from lightweight, prefabricated material, and legislation under debate would mandate placards for certain construction types in Ontario. “Truss and lightweight construction, when exposed to fire, can pose serious risks to responding firefighters,” Randy…
Ontario already near $1 billion in insured damage in 2018
September 8, 2018 by Jason ContantWith almost three months left in the year, severe weather in Ontario alone has already caused almost $1 billion in insured damage, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) reported Friday. One of the most recent events occurred Aug. 7, when a…
Ontario auto insurer’s examiner gets day in court
September 5, 2018 by Greg MeckbachLast week’s court ruling against a prominent personal injury lawyer could give Ontario auto insurers’ medical examiners recourse if those doctors feel their conduct has been publicly maligned. Dr. Howard Platnick is a Toronto physician who does medical examinations for…
Tories call for ‘made-in-Ontario’ climate change adaptation plan
August 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachOntario’s new government is promising to address property risk with a “new climate change plan,” but one of the first things it has done is table legislation scrapping a program that charges people for carbon emissions. “We know that the…
Ontario sees 1,000 forest fires so far this year, double last year’s total
August 16, 2018 Gabriele Roy - THE CANADIAN PRESSBRITT, Ont. – From a helicopter flying over a smouldering swath of northeastern Ontario, Garry Harland has a clear view of where the firefighters under his command are working to extinguish a massive blaze that’s become known as Parry Sound…
Tories pledge to work with industry to lower Ontario auto rates
August 15, 2018 by Greg MeckbachOntario’s new finance minister is promising to work with industry to reduce auto insurance rates, but does not want the as-yet-unspecified plan to be a mere “photo opportunity.” Rates have increased for three consecutive quarters, despite several measures over the…
How individual insurers have responded to challenges in Ontario auto
August 14, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDespite a consensus in the industry that auto insurance rates are inadequate in Ontario, not all insurers are trying to diversify their business to reduce their exposure to this particular line. The Co-operators Group Ltd. “does not intend to reduce…
Ontario to sell pot online in fall, in private retail stores by April 2019
August 14, 2018 Shawn Jeffords - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Recreational cannabis will be sold online in Ontario when legalized this fall and in private retail stores across the province early next year, the government announced Monday, reversing the previous administration’s plan to distribute cannabis through publicly owned…
Ontario PCs historically ‘very receptive’ to auto rate reform: Intact CEO
August 9, 2018 by Greg MeckbachOntario’s newly-elected government has been silent on auto insurance reform, but the head of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurance carrier is encouraged by the Progressive Conservative Party’s historical leaning towards loosening rate regulation. The Progressive Conservative Party was returned…
How the old catastrophic impairment definition still affects Ontario auto insurers
August 8, 2018 by Greg MeckbachIt has been more than two years since Ontario changed the definition of catastrophic impairment, but Canada’s largest auto insurer is still dealing with claims that arose under the old cat definition. “Clearly, people are trying to get as much…
Aviva Canada’s plan to decrease its exposure in Ontario auto
August 2, 2018 by David GambrillAviva Canada is diversifying its portfolio of business to avoid exposure to deteriorating conditions in Ontario’s auto insurance market. “When you look at Aviva’s business in Canada, there’s a heavy concentration in Ontario auto,” Aviva Canada president and CEO Colm…
Residents leave homes as Ontario forest fires burn
August 1, 2018 Gabriele Roy - THE CANADIAN PRESSKILLARNEY, Ont. – While heavy grey smoke from a nearby forest fire hung in the air, Donna Butson packed a bag of clothes and walked in her backyard with tears running from her eyes. She is one of many residents…