News

MONTREAL – Cargo volumes at Canada’s largest port fell by three per cent last year as the global economy began to show signs of a slowdown. Though grain and fertilizer exports surged in the second half of 2022, the gains…

Tighter underwriting control, client safeguards and softening of certain lines have helped some business segments start growing again, experts told a Canadian Underwriter webinar. But the industry is wary of growth at the expense of profitability. “We’ve got a lot of…

Friends in the Industry Healing Together (FIHT) — a new industry not-for-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between people and mental health services — is looking for friends within Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry. “I think there’s a…

Hard markets have historically offered a tremendous opportunity for growth for managing general agents (MGAs), but industry experts say they will be here to stay even when the market softens.  Unlike primary insurers, MGAs provide capacity in specialized areas of…

Approximately 300,000 properties across Canada are at a high wildfire risk, with another million carrying a minor risk of being impacted by wildfires during the typical mortgage term, according to Vancouver-based software and data analytics company Minerva Intelligence Inc. Minerva…

BAIE-SAINT-PAUL, Que. – The search continued Tuesday for two Quebec firefighters swept away in floodwaters northeast of Quebec City, as heavy rains washed out roads and cut off homes in several regions across the province. Specialized aerial and ground rescue…

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s (ICBC) board of directors has appointed David Wong as its new president and CEO, effective May 15. Wong, a chartered professional accountant, will join ICBC following years of experience at the province’s power utility, BC…

Much like NatCat events, political risk losses tend to be low frequency but high severity, said a new Oxford Analytica survey, produced for WTW, on how global businesses are managing current political risks. “Political risk losses occur rarely but tend…

SAINTE-MARTHE-SUR-LE-LAC, Que. – Sylvie Bechard had only owned her little brick house for six months when her neighbour came banging on her door on the night of April 27, 2019. The dike holding back the Lake of Two Mountains had…

Although Canadian property and casualty (P&C) insurance brokers still call the hard market their greatest challenge, their overall level of concern is gradually waning. So found Canadian Underwriter’s 2023 National Broker Survey, in which more than 150 brokers nationwide expressed…

Brokers worried about challenges faced when placing business during a hard market are looking to carriers for help with online claims service capabilities, said respondents to Canadian Underwriter’s 2023 National Broker Survey. The survey polled 150 brokers nationwide about challenges…

While property and casualty (P&C) insurance brokers in Canada said they’re optimistic about the future, Canadian Underwriter‘s 2023 National Broker Survey shows declining support for two key brokerage growth strategies, including M&A. When asked about expected financial performance in 2023,…