ICLR, The Co-operators build a safe haven in P.E.I.

Canada’s ‘Designed…for safer living program,’ the result of a partnership between the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and the Canadian insurance industry, has completed Canada’s first safer living home in Prince Edward Island.Funded by The Co-Operators, the home is designed and constructed to withstand wind speeds of 200 km-h. The house is located in West Point on the western shore of P.E.I.The house replaces a home that had been destroyed by fire. The Co-operators insured the home that had burned down.The new house is designed to withstand the most hazardous weather conditions in the area – windstorms and extreme winter weather. Special construction features include: Impact-resistant windows rated for high wind pressures. One-inch-thick steel rods that anchor the floors together including between the first floor and the foundation. Steel braces securing the trusses to the framing, and braced gable ends to withstand high winds. Special shingles designed to meet 200 km-h standards, installed using additional nails and cement. Heavy roof sheathing designed to stay dry, fastened with ring-shank nails in a tight nailing pattern; Water-resistant sealing around windows and doors; Adhesive weather-resistant strips installed over every joint in the roof sheathing to protect against water intrusion. Special wind-resistant siding, fascia and soffits.Many of the special features were imported from the United States, where a similar program was developed several years ago by ICLR’s sister organization, the Institute for Business and Home Safety.”The increasing frequency and severity of weather-related catastrophes such as Hurricane Juan are growing dangers to people around the world,” ICLR executive director Paul Kovacs said in a press release. “Canadians have a tradition of building strong homes, yet we have the knowledge to build homes that are even more resilient to extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and severity.”We need to harness that knowledge to build safer homes for this and future generations of Canadians. Our hope is that today’s celebration will be the first step in our journey to building more resilient homes and communities right across the country.””The cost of damage from natural disasters has doubled every five to seven years since the 1950s, and more and more people are living in vulnerable areas,” said Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators and an ICLR board member. “This is an alarming trend that is not sustainable and must be confronted.”We’re proud to support this [Designedfor safer living] program because as an insurer, we see first-hand the devastation wrought by natural disasters. It is incumbent upon us to do all we can to promote safer living, and we hope this will encourage all stakeholders to embrace safer standards.”In the months and years to come, additional safer living homes will be rebuilt in various regions of Canada. The homes will be designed to be resilient to the weather perils in that area, which may include earthquakes, prairie wildfire, tornadoes and hail storms.