Claims

Engineering study wanted for Atlantic Canada sea level rise mitigation

HALIFAX – A long-awaited process is underway to find ways to protect a narrow and vital corridor of land between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from floods caused by sea level rise and storm surges. The request for proposals issued Monday asks firms to bid on the right to do an “engineering analysis and feasibility […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 26, 2019

3 min read

Claims

Top 2 priorities for Canadian commercial insurers

Two major issues facing personal lines insurers – auto and climate change – are similarly vexing commercial insurers, says Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC)’s new board chair, Silvy Wright. And working with Canadian insurance regulators will be key to responding to these issues quickly and effectively, she added. Canadian Underwriter recently talked to Northbridge CEO […]

By David Gambrill | July 23, 2019

3 min read

Claims

Multiple homes evacuated after Winnipeg fire destroys warehouse

WINNIPEG – A central Winnipeg warehouse that covers a full city block has been destroyed by an overnight fire. Emergency officials say the flames had spread through a large part of the building by the time crews arrived shortly before 1 a.m. After about half an hour, personnel were pulled back when conditions rapidly deteriorated. […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 22, 2019

2 min read

Claims

How diligent note-taking helped this broker defend a lawsuit

Keeping meticulous files is one reason an Ontario cottage country brokerage was largely successful in defending a lawsuit from a homeowner client. In Monk v. Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company (Lindsay) released this past Friday, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled mostly in favour of Muskoka Insurance Brokerage Ltd., which (along with insurer Farmers’ Mutual) […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 22, 2019

4 min read

Extensive fire damage to 29-unit PEI apartment building

CHARLOTTETOWN – A pre-dawn fire has extensively damaged a three-storey apartment building in downtown Charlottetown displacing more than 50 people. The Canadian Red Cross says most of the tenants in the 29-unit complex on 10 Harley Street are seniors. The organization says all of the tenants were safely removed from the three-year-old building shortly after […]

1 min read

Trends Intact is seeing with equipment breakdown losses

The increasing interconnectedness of buildings is leading to larger losses from an equipment breakdown standpoint, said Loren Gardiner, vice president of specialty solutions for Intact’s western division. For example, there are now alarms built right into electrical systems, and there are components that control air conditioning and heating. “It’s a bit more of that smart-building […]

2 min read

Flood risk awareness: Dialogue around “re-location” has arrived

Canadian P&C insurers believe they are starting to make headway with national and provincial governments on the climate change adaptation file. This has put the industry in the thick of a relatively new political dialogue about re-locating Canadians who live in high-risk flood plain areas. Silvy Wright, president and CEO of Northbridge Financial Corporation, has […]

3 min read

Toronto motorists rescued from flooded vehicles

TORONTO – Officials are warning drivers in the Toronto area to be careful after a morning of heavy rain led to flash flooding in some areas on Wednesday. Provincial police spokesman Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says some drivers have had to abandon their vehicles on the roads because they weren’t able to continue through the water. […]

1 min read

Why new alcohol rules could be a risk management nightmare

Ontario now allows “happy hours” and “tailgate parties” but the fact that these are legal does not mean they are a good idea, suggests a lawyer who defends alcohol liability claims. Several new alcohol rules took effect in Ontario May 6. Clients hosting outdoor events connected to sporting events can now apply for a “tailgate” […]

3 min read

ClaimsPro president Lorri Frederick steps down

Lorri Frederick has decided to step down from her role as president of independent claims adjusting firm ClaimsPro to spend more time with her family, the company announced Monday. In the short-term, the organization will be led by Ross Betteridge, chief operating officer of SCM Insurance Services (ClaimsPro is an SCM company). Over the coming […]

1 min read