Ottawa’s spring floods put last round of repairs to the test
June 6, 2019 Christian Paas-Lang - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – A new round of repairs is in store for pathways around Parliament Hill, after the second major flood in three years. Water levels on the Ottawa River remain a metre above normal and crews working for the National…
How reliable are severe weather emergency alerts?
June 5, 2019 by Jason ContantTwo tornadoes that swept through the Ottawa region Sunday have prompted questions about the effectiveness of Canada’s emergency alert system. Questions arose after numerous residents reported that they never received warnings about a tornado that hit Orléans, an east-end suburb…
This commercial line could get a lot more exciting soon
June 4, 2019 by Jason ContantThe Canadian marine insurance market could get a lot more interesting in the next year-and-a-half as major infrastructure projects get underway. “There are more large infrastructure projects on the drawing board and it could be a very interesting 18 months…
When ‘residence employee’ is key in home insurance wording
June 3, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA coverage dispute, arising from severe electric shock injuries to a baby in a rented house, shows disagreement over the exact meaning of “residence employee” in a home insurance policy. Doris Wong and her brother Johnny Wong were sued in…
Tornadoes hit Gatineau, Ottawa areas, though no injuries reported
June 3, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – Strong winds uprooted trees and damaged homes, but nobody was injured when a tornado touched down in the Ottawa area Sunday evening. Environment Canada issued tornado warnings in eastern Ontario and western Quebec after someone spotted a twister…
Brokerage fined for rebating premium to unhappy client
June 3, 2019 by David GambrillA Manitoba brokerage recently found itself in hot water with the regulator for rebating premium money to a dissatisfied client. Insurance Council of Manitoba ruled that Donbar Agency Limited, which operates as Crossroads Insurance, should not have rebated an unhappy…
Brokers concerned about blanket approach to binding authority restrictions
May 31, 2019 by Jason ContantWith wildfires raging in northern Alberta and Ontario, brokers are reporting some funky outcomes associated with insurers’ binding authority restrictions. Under the restrictions, brokers cannot bind coverage in areas under civil authority, forest fire alerts, flood alerts and certain earthquake…
Guess who’s in the flood prevention business now
May 30, 2019 by David GambrillWe’ve seen forensic engineering firms apply remediation methods to commercial and residential properties that were affected by flood damage. But now, as flooding has become more severe, they are in the vanguard of building comprehensive and tailored flood prevention and…
Why cyber insurers can expect to make more (and bigger) claims payments
May 29, 2019 by Jason ContantNot only is the frequency of ransomware attacks skyrocketing, attackers are targeting larger organizations and demanding higher ransom payments. Specialist insurer Beazley released its Beazley Breach Insights report for May last week, finding that ransomware attack notifications against clients increased…
Does an earthquake endorsement cover sinkhole damage?
May 28, 2019 by Jason ContantIf a home collapses into a sinkhole, is there coverage under a standard homeowner’s policy or earthquake endorsement? Not under many homeowner’s policies, but possibly under the earthquake endorsement, depending on the policy language and if the quake caused the…
What you will be insuring in 10 years (hint: not so much auto)
May 27, 2019 by Adam MalikExpect to write less auto coverage with the rise of autonomous vehicles in 10 years’ time, and more coverage related to climate change, property lines, and emerging risks. Thanks to the progress expected of autonomous vehicles, auto insurance will plateau,…
How this province is tackling inconsistent adjuster licensing
May 24, 2019 by Jason ContantWill there soon be a consistent approach to adjuster licensing across Canada? New Brunswick is one province moving towards that goal. Earlier this month, the Insurance Division of New Brunswick’s Financial and Consumer Services Commission released a consultation paper on…