Three strong earthquakes reported off Canadian coast
October 22, 2018 The Canadian PressThree relatively strong earthquakes were recorded Sunday night in the Pacific Ocean off Vancouver Island. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.6 magnitude quake about 260 kilometres west of Tofino, followed by a 6.8 tremor and then a third measuring…
Over 80 collisions in one day after record Alberta snowstorm
October 3, 2018 Lauren Krugel - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – Streets and sidewalks were a slushy, slippery mess but the sun was shining brightly in Calgary on Wednesday after a record-breaking autumn snowstorm walloped parts of southern Alberta. The city’s director of roads, Troy McLeod, said more than…
Tornado damage: View from the ground
September 25, 2018 by Jason ContantClaims adjusters are reporting a wide range of claims from the two tornadoes that tore through the Ottawa-Gatineau area Friday. “The tornado event is considered to be more like a ‘pocket storm,’” Kumar Sivakumaran, vice president of national operations with…
Two confirmed tornadoes blast Ottawa-Gatineau area
September 22, 2018 by David GambrillTwo confirmed tornadoes ripped through the Ottawa-Gatineau area late Friday afternoon, critically injuring five and causing extensive damage to homes, cars and commercial buildings. Environment Canada confirmed Sunday that an EF-3 category twister hit Dunrobin, Ont., a suburb northwest of…
Simple disaster preparation rules that commercial clients forget
September 13, 2018 by Greg MeckbachThough it pays to be tech-savvy, one way commercial clients can manage risk is to learn to do without the Internet and payment card networks, a disaster restoration professional advises. In the event of a major storm, businesses need to…
B.C. cancels wildfire state of emergency, thousands still evacuated
September 7, 2018 The Canadian PressVICTORIA – The British Columbia government has cancelled the state of emergency it declared in August when hundreds of wildfires engulfed the province. The government says cooler weather and progress in containing the forest fires means the powers granted under…
B.C. wildfire season now second worst in province’s history
August 27, 2018 The Canadian PressVICTORIA – A year after the single worst season for wildfires in British Columbia’s history, government statistics indicate the 2018 wildfire season has already reached the second-worst mark, burning more than 9,450 square kilometres of land so far. That should…
Few B.C. wildfire claims thus far, although situation remains fluid
August 20, 2018 by Jason ContantAlthough property damage as a result of the wildfires in British Columbia has been “light” so far this year, the industry must remain vigilant as this could change quickly, said Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss…
If your clients re-did their driving tests, would they pass?
August 15, 2018 by Jason ContantIf British Columbians had to take their driving test over again, it’s likely that about 40% of them would fail, according to recently released results from the more than 83,000 people that completed the province’s public auto insurer’s Drive Smart…
B.C. declares provincial state of emergency over wildfires
August 15, 2018 The Canadian PressVICTORIA – The British Columbia government has declared a provincial state of emergency to support the response to the hundreds of wildfires burning across the province. The state of emergency will remain in effect for 14 days, but can be…
Wildfires ravage 30-45% of structures in B.C. community
August 8, 2018 The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – Wildfires have ravaged 27 structures in Telegraph Creek, representing 30 to 45 per cent of buildings in the small northwestern British Columbia community, officials say. Tahltan Band Chief Rick McLean said in a video posted to Facebook on…
Frustration after emergency alerts not received before deadly Manitoba tornado
August 7, 2018 The Canadian PressALONSA, Man. – Residents are frustrated they didn’t receive emergency alerts on their cell phones before a strong tornado tore through a small Manitoba community on Friday. The EF4 tornado moved through the Rural Municipality of Alonsa on Friday night…