Wildfires force more people out of their homes in northern Alberta
May 30, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSMore people are being forced from their homes as several wildfires rage out-of-control in northern Alberta and blanket areas to the south in an acrid haze. The Alberta government issued an emergency alert early this morning for Chipewyan Lake Village,…
Alberta wildfire continues to grow, but spreading away from threatened community
May 29, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSHIGH LEVEL, Alta. A forest fire burning near a northern Alberta town has grown slightly, but officials say firefighters are making good progress. The Chuckegg Creek fire, currently the largest in the province, was still about three kilometres southwest of…
How Chuckegg Creek Wildfire could affect Canadian insurers
May 23, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe wildfire affecting northern Alberta is much larger than the one that devastated Slave Lake in 2011 but property losses seemed minimal on Thursday afternoon. “At this point we are hearing there are no major structures that have been lost,”…
Winds helping in battle against fire threatening northern Alberta town
May 21, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSHIGH LEVEL, Alta. – Fire officials say the winds continue to be favourable as crews battle a large wildfire burning a few kilometres from a northwestern Alberta town. Nearly 5,000 people have cleared out of High Level and nearby First…
How province is responding to growing Alberta wildfire threat
May 17, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – The Alberta government has imposed a fire ban and restrictions on off-highway vehicle use in the northern half of the province. The government says the decision was made due to the growing threat of wildfires. The areas affected…
Alberta election leaves IBC ‘cautiously hopeful’ on auto file
April 26, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAlberta brokers should touch base with the new provincial government and explain how auto insurance rules needs to change, suggests the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. “Our campaign for change moves into a new phase with the recent election of…
Calgary flood protection a provincial election issue
March 25, 2019 Lauren Krugel - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – NDP Leader Rachel Notley pledged more flood protection for Calgary on Friday as she and United Conservative rival Jason Kenney accused each other of dithering on another project to help prevent a repeat of the 2013 deluge that…
What Alberta is doing to reduce collision risk
March 6, 2019 Colette Derworiz - THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – Drivers using Google Maps are getting a last-minute warning as they approach some photo radar camera locations. The feature, which is currently being rolled out by Google, allows users to see speed limits, speed cameras and mobile speed…
BrokerLink adds three Alberta locations
February 4, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAnother Edmonton-based brokerage has joined Intact Financial Corp.’s BrokerLink unit. Bridge Financial Insurance Ltd. joined BrokerLink effective Feb. 1. The announcement comes less than a month after Challenge Insurance, also of Edmonton, joined BrokerLink. “By joining BrokerLink, we know our…
Why your clients are increasingly exposed to wildfire losses
September 28, 2018 by Greg MeckbachClimate change has turned the risk of wildfire into a year-round peril in Western Canada, a geography expert says. In the past, wildfire season started in April or May and ended some time in October, said Dominic Ford, senior geospatial…
Why this brokerage is not looking to hire insurance experts
September 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachWhen Matt Alston hires workers for his property and casualty brokerage, he is not looking for a walking encyclopedia of insurance. At Surex Direct, personality “always trumps technical skills and accreditations,” said Alston, Surex Direct’s co-founder and chief operating officer.…
Alberta farmers feel effects of B.C. wildfires, late-summer snowfall
September 18, 2018 Aleksandra Sagan - THE CANADIAN PRESSSome Alberta farmers are concerned about their crops after a late-summer snowfall blanketed parts of the province, with more flurries expected in the forecast. Early season snow can squash crops that grow upright, like wheat and barley, make them harder…