This restoration contracting acquisition should close by summer
May 24, 2019 by Greg MeckbachFirstOnSite and Paul Davis will have the same corporate owner if a deal announced Thursday goes through but will operate separately from one another. FirstOnSite Restoration Limited announced May 23 that its corporate parent, Global Restoration Holdings LLC, agreed to…
How Chuckegg Creek Wildfire could affect Canadian insurers
May 23, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe wildfire affecting northern Alberta is much larger than the one that devastated Slave Lake in 2011 but property losses seemed minimal on Thursday afternoon. “At this point we are hearing there are no major structures that have been lost,”…
Why your clients may not be covered when there’s an active wildfire
May 21, 2019 by Jason ContantWith wildfire season already underway in Alberta and British Columbia, brokers will be looking at how insurance can help their clients mitigate any losses. But brokers and clients alike may not know that the ability to bind coverage could be…
Winds helping in battle against fire threatening northern Alberta town
May 21, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSHIGH LEVEL, Alta. – Fire officials say the winds continue to be favourable as crews battle a large wildfire burning a few kilometres from a northwestern Alberta town. Nearly 5,000 people have cleared out of High Level and nearby First…
How province is responding to growing Alberta wildfire threat
May 17, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – The Alberta government has imposed a fire ban and restrictions on off-highway vehicle use in the northern half of the province. The government says the decision was made due to the growing threat of wildfires. The areas affected…
What’s affecting B.C. wildfire risk this year
May 13, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSKAMLOOPS, B.C. – The BC Wildfire Service has come through its busiest period of the young 2019 wildfire season, responding to several blazes, including one that prompted an evacuation order west of Prince George. Weather has been unseasonably warm in…
What’s closed in Victoria after commercial fire
May 9, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA, B.C. – Days after flames tore through a vacant hotel in Victoria, one man is still missing and smoke lingers, forcing the closure of city hall and several other businesses. The fire in the former Victoria Plaza Hotel has…
How kitty litter can impact insured property losses
May 8, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWhile spring rains and thawing have caused overland flooding of Biblical proportions, drain backups are also the bane of some insurers’ existence. In multi-storey commercial and residential buildings, drain backups are the number one cause of damage, said Adam Bartman,…
At least 150 firefighters respond to Toronto school blaze
May 7, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – A large fire at a Toronto high school caused part of the building’s roof to collapse, forced area residents from their homes and sent large plumes of smoke over the neighbourhood, authorities said Tuesday as crews worked to…
‘It’s triage now’: Cottage Country brokers deal with flood fallout
May 6, 2019 by Adam MalikBrokers in Ontario’s Muskoka region are calling the recent flooding event the worst disaster they’ve ever seen. Both Stephen Darling, president at A.W. Shiers Insurance Brokers, and Adam Caswell, owner of Hutcheson Reynolds & Caswell, said damage is greater and…
Should insurers offer incentive for remote water shut-off?
May 6, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf your client owns a multi-storey commercial or residential building and installs a system that lets them shut water off immediately if necessary, how easy is it to get a break on insurance? “To the best of our knowledge there…
How brokers personally assist during floods
May 2, 2019 by Jason ContantThe flooding last year in Grand Forks, B.C. was a prime example of how an insurance broker provides more than just policy advice and advocacy when disaster strikes. A broker could provide money upfront for additional living expenses, emotional support…