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Ontario legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario government
News InsuranceLegislation / Regulation

What the Ontario budget says about auto insurance

April 12, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Credit scores could soon be used as one factor in determining Ontario auto rates, and the province plans to double coverage for catastrophic impairment, Finance Minister Vic Fedeli suggested in the budget document tabled Thursday. “Drivers should have the choice

News Insurance

Why this insurer is spending $20 million on bricks-and-mortar stores

April 4, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

When CAA Insurance clients want to visit an agent in person, company officials want those clients to feel as if they are in a home rather than an office. This is one reason CAA Club Group has spent $8 million

News Insurance

Why brokers need to check their dec pages

April 4, 2019 by David Gambrill

A Manitoba broker was fined $1,000 fine for not checking to make sure his client’s request for a Single Limit Endorsement was included as part of the client’s home insurance coverage. It wasn’t, as it turns out, and the client

News InsuranceLegalRisk

Do your insureds understand a “material change in risk”?

March 29, 2019 by Jason Contant

It’s not necessary for an insurer to prove that an insured knew a change in risk was “material” to the carrier, the Supreme Court of British Columbia has ruled. In May 2014, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company voided a homeowner’s policy

News ClaimsInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

New insurance coverage for shared travel accommodations

March 21, 2019 by Jason Contant

Has your client booked travel accommodations through platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway and Trip Advisor? If so, they are now able to get insurance coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions. CAA Travel Insurance announced Wednesday it has added a new feature

News InsuranceMGAs

What hard market in liquor liability means for clients

March 11, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Clients planning St. Patrick’s Day celebrations may find themselves short on luck when it comes to insurance coverage. It’s becoming more difficult for clients to get insurance for liquor-related losses with the terms they need, one managing general agent observes.

News InsuranceMarkets / CoveragesRisk

What lies behind the unexpected Alberta quake

March 6, 2019 by Jason Contant

Perhaps the largest-ever earthquake to hit a section of central Alberta caused no immediate reports of damage, but knocked out power for more than 4,000 customers. Could fracking be the culprit? In this case, Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is probing

News InsuranceLegal

Your landlord agrees to insure the property. Why the landlord can still subrogate against you

February 25, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

A Thunder Bay restaurant operator has lost its bid to block an insurer from filing a subrogated claim arising from a fire. The Supreme Court of Canada announced Feb. 21 it will not hear an appeal from the Sushi Station

News AdjustersClaimsInsuranceLegal

Are cannabis edibles a “drug”? What adjusters should be asking

February 22, 2019 by Jason Contant

Claims adjusters’ questions should address potential policy wording dilemmas related to the upcoming legalization of cannabis edibles later this year, a lawyer told Canadian Underwriter recently. For example, consider the following question in the context of edible cannabis (or even

News Insurance

Common misconceptions about business interruption insurance

February 8, 2019 by Jason Contant

One strong challenge to the broker channel, according to brokers, is consumer self-education about their insurance needs and options. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of business interruption (BI) insurance, a very specialized coverage that is rife

News BrokersClaimsInsuranceReinsurance

Executive challenges brokers regarding earthquake take-up rates in Quebec

February 8, 2019 by Jason Contant

Sparks flew during a recent conference discussion about mortgage impairment and earthquake loss, when a senior reinsurance company executive drew a link between the practices of Quebec brokers and the low take-up rates of earthquake insurance in the province. Philipp

News AppointmentsAssociationsClaimsLegal

Prominent insurance defence lawyer named as judge

February 5, 2019 by David Gambrill

Insurance defence lawyer William S. Chalmers, managing partner at Hughes Amys LLP, has been appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Toronto. Called to the Ontario Bar in 1987, Justice Chalmers practised law at Hughes