May windstorm largest insured event in Ontario in five years: CatIQ
June 1, 2018 by Jason ContantThe early May windstorm that struck Ontario and parts of Quebec topped $410 million, the costliest insured event since the 2013 Toronto floods, Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) said Friday. The majority of the damage from the windstorm –…
No hard market despite 2017 hurricane losses: Fairfax
May 17, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDespite nearly US$100 billion in hurricane losses in 2017, insurance buyers are not experiencing a hard market like they did after the 2001 terror attacks that brought the World Trade Centre down, the head of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. suggests.…
‘Many more significant losses’ due to climate change: Economical execs
May 11, 2018 by Greg MeckbachClimate change was top of mind Monday for executives at Economical Insurance, which was hit with 11 weather catastrophes in 2017. “Climate change has resulted in many more significant losses from water and wind events,” said Gerald Hooper, a former…
Insurers consider weekend storm in Ontario Cat event
April 16, 2018 by Greg MeckbachRecent severe weather in Ontario, with six inches of ice pellets and winds exceeding gale force in some areas, will most likely be a CAT event, insurance companies report. But with rainfall warnings persisting Monday, one insurer reported more than…
Insurer losses not yet translating into property price hikes: broker
March 24, 2018 by Greg MeckbachBrokers expecting to see price hikes in property lines after last year’s devastating hurricanes may have good news for clients, at least in the short term. “Long term, all of the carriers will need to increase pricing and they would…
Mobile app offers an ounce of prevention to P&C insurance consumers
March 22, 2018 by Jason ContantAs Canada’s wireless providers prepare to provide mandatory smartphone alerts for natural disasters and other emergencies, Desjardins General Insurance Group (DGIG) will soon allow its customers access to a severe weather alert system through mobile apps. This week, the Canadian…
Desjardins’ weather alerts: sign of a preventative insurance model?
March 19, 2018 by Jason ContantDesjardins General Insurance Group (DGIG) will soon launch severe weather alerts allowing consumers to take pre-emptive steps to protect their property from potential damage. The move is indicative of a larger trend towards a preventative insurance model, as found in…
January winter storm largely battered one province
March 8, 2018 by Jason ContantA winter storm in central and eastern Canada at the beginning of the year caused more than $54 million in insured damage, with the majority of damage being in Quebec, Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) reported Thursday. Of the…
“We really don’t need to buy another company:” Fairfax CEO
February 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachSeven months after buying the majority of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings AG, Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. does not have any immediate plans to buy more insurance companies for the time being. “We really don’t need to buy another…
Insurers urged to play a role in rebuilding economies after disasters
February 9, 2018 by David GambrillInsurers should be giving more thought to planning how to rebuild economies in the aftermath of a crisis, a reinsurance executive urges. “To my mind, what is often seemingly forgotten is the piece of economic resilience,” says Alex Kaplan, head…
Industry seeks government help to deal with homes in high-risk flood areas
February 1, 2018 by David GambrillCanadian property and casualty insurers cannot be the sole financial backstop for homeowners who build their homes in high-risk flood areas, a senior industry executive told a catastrophe risk conference in Ottawa. “We have to resolve the issue of high-risk…
Natural disaster recovery: Who owns the risk?
January 31, 2018 by David GambrillCanadians are not fully aware of their exposure to natural catastrophe risks, triggering a conversation at the C4 2018 conference in Ottawa about who is responsible for shouldering the heavy load of mounting disaster recovery costs. Organized by Catastrophe Indices…