The province said to lead Canada in physical flood defences
June 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachHalf a century after the completion of the Red River Floodway, Manitoba still provides the best examples of overland flood defence work in Canada, the founder of a property loss think tank suggests. The Manitoba government estimates that the Red…
The new threat facing Fort McMurray (and other parts of Western Canada)
June 11, 2018 by Jason ContantWith hundreds of claims from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire still unresolved as of late last month, Alberta residents could be forgiven for still worrying about wildfire risks in their own backyard. The Canadian Press recently reported that as of…
Lac-Mégantic residents seek economic and moral damages
June 10, 2018 Sidhartha Banerjee - THE CANADIAN PRESSMONTREAL – A new group of mostly Lac-Megantic residents is seeking authorization from Quebec Superior Court to sue for economic and moral damages worth upwards of $5 million relating to the Lac-Megantic rail tragedy in 2013. Train engineer Tom Harding,…
New Brunswick says flood hit homes may not get approval for rebuild
June 5, 2018 Kevin Bissett - THE CANADIAN PRESSFREDERICTON – New Brunswick flood victims may not be able to rebuild their homes – or only rebuild after significant mitigation efforts like raising them. The destructive, record-setting spring floods along the Saint John River and other waterways have prompted…
How new overland flood policies affect disaster assistance eligibility
May 29, 2018 by Jason ContantGiven recent flooding in Grand Forks and other areas of B.C., questions remain about the interplay between overland flood policies and how Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) in B.C. factors into the response. Various insurance coverages for overland flood are new,…
How one brokerage helped out a competitor during ‘biblical’ flooding
May 23, 2018 by Jason ContantRecent flooding in Grand Forks, B.C. has not only brought a community together, it has brought two local competing brokerages together as well. Sam Cowan, vice president of sales and marketing with RHC Insurance Brokers Ltd., said that the brokerage’s…
Feds heed industry’s call for investment in disaster mitigation
May 19, 2018 by Jason ContantThe federal government will invest $2 billion over 10 years in projects to help communities better withstand natural hazards such as floods, wildfires, seismic events and droughts. The Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) will support large-scale infrastructure projects with…
About 10,000 homes were in N.B. flood areas, but damage still unclear
May 19, 2018 The Canadian PressFREDERICTON – New Brunswick’s environment minister has given a new sense of scale to the province’s record-setting floods, saying as many as 10,000 homes and businesses were within flood zones. Andrew Harvey said Thursday that precise figures have yet to…
Two-year deadline for Fort McMurray insurance claims extended
May 17, 2018 The Canadian PressFORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Deadlines have been extended for hundreds of insurance claims that remain unresolved more than two years after a wildfire dubbed “The Beast” tore through Fort McMurray and surrounding areas in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.…
Province offers compensation for flood-damaged cottages
May 16, 2018 The Canadian PressFREDERICTON – The New Brunswick government will compensate cottage owners whose properties were damaged by record-breaking flooding, while also requiring residents to develop plans to mitigate against future floods. Environment and Local Government Minister Andrew Harvey announced the special, one-time…
Report to government suggests hot opportunity for brokers right now
May 14, 2018 by Jason ContantBrokers in British Columbia looking to place overland flood cover should review a recent study that found polled respondents did not have access to overland flood insurance, did not know about it, or found it unaffordable. Even more alarming, most…
‘Many more significant losses’ due to climate change: Economical execs
May 11, 2018 by Greg MeckbachClimate change was top of mind Monday for executives at Economical Insurance, which was hit with 11 weather catastrophes in 2017. “Climate change has resulted in many more significant losses from water and wind events,” said Gerald Hooper, a former…