Claims

The province said to lead Canada in physical flood defences

Half a century after the completion of the Red River Floodway, Manitoba still provides the best examples of overland flood defence work in Canada, the founder of a property loss think tank suggests. The Manitoba government estimates that the Red River Floodway on the outskirts of Winnipeg – has prevented about $40 billion in flood […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 21, 2018

2 min read

Claims

Lightning sparks more than 100 wildfires in B.C., further storms expected

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The B.C. Wildfire Service says more than 100 new blazes started after lightning storms rolled across the province Wednesday. Chief fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek says 113 fires have recorded, most of them due to lightning, and more fires are expected because a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect across most of […]

By Jason Contant | June 21, 2018

1 min read

Claims

Is the sun setting on auto insurance in Canada?

Is the sun setting on auto insurance as a dominant line of business in Canada? Property lines premium is catching up to auto insurance premiums, causing many to predict that auto insurance will recede in the rearview mirror over the next few years. The ratio of auto premiums to property premiums stood at about 61% […]

By David Gambrill | June 20, 2018

2 min read

Claims

Canada’s best province for flood risk management

Five years after Albertans lost billions as a result of record floods, Ontario leads the nation when it comes to keeping properties out of high-risk areas, a catastrophe loss expert contends. “Ontario has been most aggressive at trying to make sure that there is no new construction in a flood zone,” Paul Kovacs, founder and […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 20, 2018

2 min read

Recreational marijuana to be legal by mid-September

OTTAWA – Canadians will be able to legally purchase and consume recreational marijuana by mid-September at the latest after the Senate voted Tuesday to lift almost a century-old prohibition on cannabis. Senators voted 52-29, with two abstentions, to pass Bill C-45, after seven months of study and debate. Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor has said […]

3 min read

Oil sands firm could get green light for random drug and alcohol testing

A recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling opens the door to random drug and alcohol testing of Alberta oil sands workers operating heavy equipment. The outcome will no doubt affect some risk managers because employers can be held responsible for injury or damage if a worker causes an accident while under the influence of alcohol […]

3 min read

How training plays into claims adjusting during back-to-back cats

When Canada experiences back-to-back catastrophes, it can be a challenge to pull together all the required resources in a timely fashion. Part of the puzzle is ensuring that claims adjusters and other parties are properly trained for the files they will be handling, particularly when there are a mix of contractors, company adjusters and independent […]

2 min read

The obligation to defend additional insureds

It was snowing heavily on February 8, 2013 when Antonio Carneiro Jr. drove his car downhill on Brock Rd. near Pickering, Ontario. He lost control. His vehicle slid into the path of an oncoming vehicle at the intersection with Whitevale Road. Carneiro was killed. His grieving family sued a number of parties including the Regional […]

June 19, 2018

5 min read

One risk to your client if the neighbouring property is abandoned

Lindsay Bunce got a nasty shock one colder winter day when she and her husband went down to the basement of their Toronto home. “We were surprised to find about two inches of water across our basement and water coming in at quite a rapid rate from our shared wall with the other house,” Bunce […]

3 min read

Cause of $25 million fire remains under investigation

BRANDON, Man. – A massive blaze that burned through historic buildings in downtown Brandon last month caused about $25 million in damages and police now say it may have been started by people. Fire crews were called to the Christie’s Office Plus building in the western Manitoba city on May 19. But strong winds spread […]

1 min read