Industry

4 design concepts for the new hybrid office

In planning their future hybrid offices, Canadian insurance industry employers will need to carefully consider office design approaches, a blog published Thursday by Harvard Business Review advises. “By all indications, the future of work is hybrid,” wrote Jim Keane and Todd Heiser in the blog, Strategies for Building a Hybrid Workplace that Works. “But getting […]

By Jason Contant | July 22, 2021

5 min read

Industry

At least 70% of vehicle sales must be zero-emission to achieve Ottawa’s emissions plan: report

OTTAWA – The C.D. Howe Institute says 70 to 75 per cent of Canadian passenger auto sales will have to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 in order to achieve the federal government’s emissions targets. The think tank says about 7.7 million electric or other no emission-vehicles would be required to be on the road in […]

By Jason Contant | July 22, 2021

2 min read

Industry

Did loosening COVID restrictions contribute to more serious accidents?

Statistics from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) show a definitive link between the lifting of COVID-19 public health orders and an increase in serious collisions and fatalities on roads in the province. Throughout the pandemic, Canadian Underwriter has reported auto insurer commentary and police data suggesting that the lockdowns drastically reduced auto collision frequency, while increasing […]

By Jason Contant | July 21, 2021

2 min read

Industry

Hundreds more ordered out of their homes in B.C. by threatening wildfires

Hundreds more British Columbians have joined the thousands already forced from their homes by wildfires as several local governments ordered residents to get out Tuesday night ahead of nearby blazes. The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary declared a local state of emergency and ordered 122 properties evacuated, while residents in another 304 properties have been […]

By Jason Contant | July 21, 2021

2 min read

New name in the works for Echelon’s former corporate owner

EFH Holdings Inc., the Mississauga, Ont.-based corporate owner of Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island (ICPEI), is applying to change its name ICPEI Holdings Inc. EFH was known until December 2020 as Echelon Financial, which owned Canadian P&C insurer Echelon Insurance until 2019. Echelon Insurance is now owned by CAA Club Group, which also owns […]

2 min read

How this Top 5 insurer is approaching return to work

Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is allowing the “vast majority” of its team members to choose where they want to work starting mid-September. The move will provide flexibility to employees, allow continued support of the business, and support recruiting and retaining top talent, Wawanesa’s senior vice president and chief people and culture officer, Jodi Carradice, told […]

3 min read

Ontario imposes restrictions on industrial operations in northwest as wildfires burn

NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO – Ontario is imposing new restrictions on the mining, rail, construction and transportation industries in the province’s northwest to reduce the likelihood of human-caused fires. The move comes as 107 active wildfires burn in the region, with 32 of those not under control. The government says operations that are now restricted include certain […]

1 min read

3 steps for an effective back-to-the-office plan

If back-to-the-office conversations are just starting at your company, or if you are finding that an early strategy isn’t working, employers should take a three-step approach to creating a successful plan, a business strategist suggests. As a manager, the first step is to make sure you understand the company’s official guidelines, Liane Davey, an author […]

4 min read

Who’s building your client’s green energy farm? Why you need to know

Whether it’s a solar or wind turbine farm, or any other energy-related facility, an insurer expert is raising red flags about the quality of people at job sites. Underwriters care about a site and its propensity to be hit by bad weather — such as hail, fire or hurricane — as well as whether there […]

By Adam Malik | July 19, 2021

3 min read

Drought ravages crops and pastures across the Prairies

CALGARY – Farmers are calling for emergency disaster relief as drought ravages crops and pastures across the Prairie provinces and beyond. Scorching temperatures and little to no rainfall have left crops in poor condition across wide swaths of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In some parts of the country, grasshoppers have infested fields. Several municipalities have […]

4 min read