How to advise your clients on backwater valves
July 12, 2018 by Greg MeckbachIt’s all well and fine if your homeowner clients have backwater valves, but are they alarmed? An alarm that tells occupants that a backwater valve has been activated “can be a very simple way to let people know if the…
One tip you can offer clients to help prevent basement flooding
July 11, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDo your home insurance clients ever look at their sump pumps? A homeowner may have a sump pump and not realize that the motor has seized up or that the circuit breaker has tripped. To be on the safe side,…
Tropical Storm Chris could make landfall on Newfoundland
July 10, 2018 by Greg MeckbachNewfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula could get wind gusts of up to 100 km/h this week as a result of Tropical Storm Chris, which is expected to be upgraded to hurricane status Tuesday. Tropical Storm Chris was in the Atlantic Ocean more…
Insurers subsidize Toronto basement flood pilot
July 10, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA pilot program aimed at getting homeowners to reduce basement flood risk is getting a subsidy from the Insurance Bureau of Canada and Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation. The Toronto Home Resilience Program, which involves 200 homeowners, aims “help home…
Why this city is billed as “progressive” in reducing flood risk
July 8, 2018 by Greg MeckbachToronto is one of the most progressive cities in taking steps to reduce basement flood risk, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) director of research Dan Sandink said Thursday in an interview. And a ban on below-grade garages is Exhibit A…
Hundreds of New Brunswick flood victims still out of homes months after deluge
July 4, 2018 The Canadian PressFREDERICTON – Hundreds of people remain out of their homes in New Brunswick months after historic floodwaters swept through the province, destroying buildings and inundating highways. Bill Lawlor, director of the Canadian Red Cross in New Brunswick, said Tuesday that…
Contractors know their role: Restoration contracting firms speak out
July 3, 2018 by Jason ContantControversy has swirled around the property and casualty industry’s response to Ontario’s May 4 windstorm, with restoration contracting firms speaking out to Canadian Underwriter recently to confirm the proper role of contractors during the catastrophe event. Restoration contracting firms made…
New P&C database could increase cat bond, ILW activity in Canada
June 27, 2018 by David GambrillCatastrophe Indices & Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) has launched Canada’s first ever insurance Industry Exposure Database (IED), developed with support from the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry and in partnership with Zurich-based PERILS AG. The IED contains 2016 and 2017…
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…
Canada’s best province for flood risk management
June 20, 2018 by Greg MeckbachFive years after Albertans lost billions as a result of record floods, Ontario leads the nation when it comes to keeping properties out of high-risk areas, a catastrophe loss expert contends. “Ontario has been most aggressive at trying to make…
One risk to your client if the neighbouring property is abandoned
June 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachLindsay Bunce got a nasty shock one colder winter day when she and her husband went down to the basement of their Toronto home. “We were surprised to find about two inches of water across our basement and water coming…
Regulator says company had legal obligation to fix and maintain rail line
June 15, 2018 The Canadian PressWINNIPEG – Federal regulators have ruled that the owners of a broken rail line to Churchill were wrong not to repair the line that kept the northern Manitoba community connected to the outside world. The Canadian Transportation Agency says the…