Is the industry taking a consistent approach to overland flood coverage?
April 23, 2019 by Jason ContantAre carriers taking a consistent approach to covering overland flood? The flood waters sweeping across New Brunswick and Quebec have brought the issue to the forefront. In general, overland flood was not covered in Canada until 2015; only sewer backup…
How brokers can stop a flooded basement
April 16, 2019 by David GambrillA recent study suggests brokers have a golden opportunity to talk to homeowners one-on-one about how to protect homes from basement floods. With the right information and often for less than $500, homeowners can protect themselves from the increasing risks…
Mystery explosion damages 22 homes in Caledon
February 6, 2019 by Greg MeckbachNearly two dozen homes were damaged after one fatal incident Sunday near Toronto. An explosion demolished a house in Caledon, killing Joseph Westcott and damaging neighbouring properties, The Canadian Press reported. About 22 homes were “damaged to varying degrees,” Andrea…
How basement flooding devalued this property
September 17, 2018 by Greg MeckbachRecurring basement flooding means a homeowner’s property is worth about $35,000 less than it would otherwise be valued at for tax purposes, says an official from the board that hears Ontario property tax appeals. Sharon Latta owns a home near…
Top 3 measures to mitigate home flood risk
September 7, 2018 by Greg MeckbachYour book of business could have lower water losses if you give homeowner clients just three pieces of advice. First, homeowners should figure out whether their home actually has a backwater valve, said Cheryl Evans, director of the home flood…
Ontario sees 1,000 forest fires so far this year, double last year’s total
August 16, 2018 Gabriele Roy - THE CANADIAN PRESSBRITT, Ont. – From a helicopter flying over a smouldering swath of northeastern Ontario, Garry Harland has a clear view of where the firefighters under his command are working to extinguish a massive blaze that’s become known as Parry Sound…
How a $395 gadget can prevent a $43,000 flood claim
July 16, 2018 by David GambrillAmid a wave of sump pumps, backwater valves and other methods designed to keep home basements dry comes a new, simple way to mitigate flood risk – an e-sensor. George Tsintzouras, CEO and co-founder of Canadian water tech company Alert…
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,…
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…
Damage becoming clear amid historic New Brunswick flood
May 8, 2018 Kevin Bissett - THE CANADIAN PRESSSAINT JOHN, N.B. – For 48 years, Jerry McFarland’s rustic cottage on New Brunswick’s Grand Lake was a cherished refuge for family and friends, where precious summertime memories were carefully recorded in well-worn journals. Today, McFarland’s cottage is in ruins,…
The $50 plumbing part that could help prevent a flooded basement
March 14, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorLooking to advise homeowners on ways to reduce basement flood risk? Consider reminding consumers to shut off the water flowing to the garden hose in winter. FirstOnSite Restoration sees a lot of incidents where homeowners forget to shut off the…
Why Canadian insurers paid $1.33 billion for cat claims in a benign cat year
January 9, 2018 by David GambrillCanadian insured losses from catastrophic events in 2017 totaled $1.33 billion, CatIQ Inc. reports, the fifth time that’s happened over the past seven years. “It’s becoming increasingly common to have Canadian annual insured losses to be greater than $1 billion,”…