Trains suspected as starting grass fires in Prairies
May 9, 2018 Steve Lambert - THE CANADIAN PRESSWINNIPEG – An extremely dry spring in the eastern Prairies has meant an early start to fire season and in some cases trains are being suspected as the cause. “It is tinder dry,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment…
Small is Beautiful
May 8, 2018 Emily Atkins, EditorIt’s fair to say that Nick Stagliano and Scott Mastromatteo dislike bureaucracy. In fact, their need to get out from under the load of meetings, paperwork and layers of management was a principal motivator in the founding of NSA Claims.…
How IT developers will change the way you do business
May 6, 2018 by Jason ContantA daring group of developers came up with a new approach to technology development 17 years ago, dubbed ‘agile.’ The process grew popular in the startup world; it was soon embraced by mainstream leaders around the globe, including by those…
Officials warning B.C. flooding this year may be worse due to 2017 wildfires
May 3, 2018 The Canadian PressWILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – Emergency officials in British Columbia’s southern Interior warn that devastating wildfires that charred thousands of square kilometres of timber and bush last year now have the potential to make seasonal flooding even more severe. The warning…
Why mutuals are concerned about banks sharing data with fintechs
May 2, 2018 by David GambrillThe Canadian Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (CAMIC) Wednesday called on Parliament to withdraw two sections from proposed Bill 74 that would allow chartered banks to share their customers’ banking data with fintechs. CAMIC and its 76 member companies are…
Will more Canadian commercial insurers look south for acquisition targets?
April 26, 2018 by Greg MeckbachBuying American commercial insurers is a “strategy that could prove rewarding” for Canadian insurance companies, executives from Toronto-based DBRS wrote in a report released Thursday. Expanding into the U.S. commercial space “requires significant resources,” wrote Stewart McIlwraith, senior vice president…
Auditor’s report reinforces risk managers’ warnings about trade risk
April 26, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorUncertainty over the 24-year-old North American Free Trade agreement is probably discouraging some investment in Ontario, the province’s auditor general suggested in a report released Wednesday. Uncertainty over NAFTA is “almost certainly causing at least a temporary chilling effect on…
New Brunswick latest province to see rising flood threat
April 26, 2018 The Canadian PressFREDERICTON – Waters are rising in New Brunswick, and officials are warning residents to move their belongings to higher ground. New Brunswick’s Emergency Measures Organization says the St. John River is expected to reach flood stage this week in many…
Sedgwick team to include Albert Poon following merger with Cunningham Lindsey
April 25, 2018 by Jason ContantAlbert Poon, most recently president of Cunningham Lindsey Canada, will remain a key part of the team following Sedgwick Claims Management Services’ recent acquisition of Cunningham Lindsey, the president of the combined business operations in Canada told Canadian Underwriter Wednesday.…
Rising water prompts mandatory evacuation order
April 24, 2018 The Canadian PressDRUMHELLER, Alta. – Rising water caused by an ice jam on the Little Red Deer River in central Alberta prompted officials to ask some people to leave their homes Monday, while further southeast on the Rosebud River, residents weren’t being…
Keep banking and insurance separate: IBAC
April 20, 2018 by Jason ContantThe Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) is welcoming explicit restrictions on banks’ business powers related to insurance contained in Bill C-74, but wants to make sure the historical separation between banks and insurance continues. The federal government’s recently introduced…
Ontario ice storm catches the eye of global reinsurance brokerage
April 20, 2018 by Greg MeckbachSevere weather earlier this week in Ontario has caught the attention of reinsurance providers. Impact Forecasting LLC, a unit of reinsurance brokerage Aon Benfield, noted Friday that winter weather starting April 13 “left considerable damage across southern sections of Canada’s…