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…
Residents leave homes as Ontario forest fires burn
August 1, 2018 Gabriele Roy - THE CANADIAN PRESSKILLARNEY, Ont. – While heavy grey smoke from a nearby forest fire hung in the air, Donna Butson packed a bag of clothes and walked in her backyard with tears running from her eyes. She is one of many residents…
Calgary university uses 3-D analysis for wildfire, oil spill investigations
July 25, 2018 Bill Graveland - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – A crime-scene-type tool is being used by an Alberta university to help investigators looking into the cause of wildfires, arsons and oil spills. Gwen O’Sullivan of Mount Royal University in Calgary said the $550,000 mass spectrometer separates complex…
Advertisement New wildfire index fights a $5.6-billion problem
July 24, 2018 Opta Information IntelligenceWith wildfire losses reaching a whopping $5.6 billion in the past 10 years, there is an urgent need for a solution that can help insurers price the risk accurately, as well as to help municipal and provincial governments know their…
Ontario wildfires rage as B.C. wildfire season ramps up
July 23, 2018 by David GambrillInsurers are monitoring about 75 wildfires in northern Ontario this that have resulted in mandatory evacuation orders or alerts in the cottage country districts of Parry Sound and Sudbury, among other areas. “Based on what we are seeing, there aren’t…
Massive fire strikes one of Saskatchewan town’s biggest employers
July 23, 2018 The Canadian PressROSTHERN, Sask. – The damage estimate is expected to run into the millions of dollars after a fire tore through a large central Saskatchewan farm machinery dealership. Emergency crews were called to Cervus Equipment John Deere in Rosthern just before…
Evacuation orders and alerts expanded as wildfires spread
July 22, 2018 The Canadian PressSUMMERLAND, B.C. – Evacuation orders and alerts have been expanded as several wildfires in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley chew through bush and timber. A 10-square-kilometre blaze burning just south of Peachland on the west side of Okanagan Lake prompted an…
Where premiums actually went down in Canada
July 17, 2018 by Jason ContantAverage premiums for personal auto in Atlantic Canada decreased for the second consecutive quarter, according to Applied Systems’ latest quarterly rating index. On the other side of the country, in British Columbia, average personal property premiums also decreased for the…
Dozens of forest fires continue in northern Ontario
July 13, 2018 THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – The mayor of a northern Ontario community says residents have been allowed to return to homes they were forced to leave earlier this week as forest fires burned nearby. But Lorie Hunter, the mayor of Temagami, Ont., says…
Two 100-year-old mutual insurers vote to amalgamate
July 13, 2018 by David GambrillNorfolk Mutual Insurance Company and Wabisa Mutual Insurance Company in Ontario have voted to amalgamate under the new name “Nova Mutual.” The two mutuals held separate special general meetings Tuesday on the proposed amalgamation, scheduled to take effect January 1,…
Tips for brokers on insuring high-value homes
July 12, 2018 by David GambrillHigh-value homes are good for business, knowing how to rate them properly is a must. Brokers need to be aware that high-value, custom-built homes or renovations should not be put on Standard Build when determining insurance to value, a broker…
The evolving nature of business interruption
July 6, 2018 Aleksandra ZivanovicIn the face of climate change, cyber risks, and mass terror plots affecting entire regions and sometimes economic sectors, business interruption coverage is a challenging coverage to both write and adjust. This challenge is multi-faceted and directly impacted by global…