OTTAWA – Nearly a year after Health Canada issued a draft recommendation to designate an entire class of chemicals as toxic, environmental experts say it’s time to actually do something about it. There are now more than 10,000 variations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are used in hundreds of products from waterproof cosmetics and […]
By Jason Contant | March 22, 2024
4 min read
The Town of Strathmore recently finalized its hazard reduction burn plan, which aims to reduce the risk of grass and wildfires in the local region. According to the town, the plan aims to assess grassland fuels on the landscape within Strathmore, identify locations of high fire risk, prioritize and prescribe controlled burns. “The plan is […]
By Jason Contant | March 21, 2024
2 min read
Canada’s upcoming national flood insurance program needs to specify exclusions, phase in risk-based premiums, and provide incentives for flood resilience measures, the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI) says in a recent blog. A low-cost flood insurance program should drive safer decisions about living in flood zones, CCI says in a blog posted earlier this week. The […]
By Jason Contant | March 21, 2024
3 min read
This winter clocked in as Canada’s warmest winter ever, and adjusters are already sounding the alarm that a winter with no or little snow could mean more wildfire claims over the rest of the year. Snowpack in winter is one of the indicators of the severity of wildfires during the upcoming Cat season. Essentially, snowpack […]
By Alyssa DiSabatino | March 21, 2024
3 min read
Canada’s solvency regulator has tweaked its climate risk reporting guidelines in response to input from the property and casualty insurance industry. In several ways, OSFI has responded positively to concerns expressed by P&C insurers over how climate change-related risk and data will be collected and reported, starting in 2025. For example, under the B-15 Guideline, […]
By David Gambrill | March 20, 2024
3 min read
The cost of insurance for local municipalities continues to rise. Springwater Township received its annual insurance renewal notice last Friday at a cost of $625,709.52. That’s almost $42,000 more than last year, or slightly more than seven per cent. According to a report prepared by Renée Ainsworth, Springwater’s clerk and director of corporate services, which […]
By Jason Contant | March 20, 2024
3 min read
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to clarify the different ways in which adjusters in Canada earn compensation. In-field adjusters are making slightly more than their desk adjuster and claims representatives counterparts, according to Impact Recruitment’s 2024 Insurance Salary Guide. The P&C recruitment agency’s report breaks down annual base pay for P&C […]
By Alyssa DiSabatino | March 20, 2024
2 min read
British Columbia needs a drenching of rain to alleviate the tinder dry conditions that have forecasters worried about the potential for another difficult wildfire season. Cliff Chapman, director of operations for the BC Wildfire Service, said parts of the province need between 40 and 60 millimetres of rain over two weeks to return the parched […]
By Jason Contant | March 19, 2024
3 min read
If parents permit an adult child to use their all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and the son or daughter then negligently turns over control of that ATV to an inexperienced driver who gets seriously injured in a crash, the parents can be found partly liable to pay for the injuries, Ontario’s top court has found. The Ontario […]
By David Gambrill | March 18, 2024
5 min read
Pemberton’s recent heavy flooding highlights the challenges the area faces, according to Mayor Mike Richman. The Village of Pemberton (VOP) declared a state of local emergency on Jan. 30 due to flooding, and many locals were displaced from their homes due to an evacuation order on Airport Road. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) later issued […]
By Jason Contant | March 18, 2024
2 min read