Comments on: Pilot Project in Alberta, B.C. Helps Homeowners Prepare as Wildfires Approach https://www.theenergymix.com/pilot-project-in-alberta-b-c-helps-homeowners-prepare-as-wildfires-approach/ The climate news that makes a difference. Wed, 29 May 2024 16:03:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Mitchell Beer https://www.theenergymix.com/pilot-project-in-alberta-b-c-helps-homeowners-prepare-as-wildfires-approach/#comment-23665 Wed, 29 May 2024 16:03:22 +0000 https://www.theenergymix.com/?p=147180#comment-23665 In reply to Brian.

Such a great point, Brian. Many thanks for sharing the detail and history. There was a fair bit of detail in the release on the resources WDS has access to, but the bigger question is how insurance finds its way in a climate emergency and what that means for the rest of us. The industry is either funding or conducting a lot of interesting research and analysis in this space, but I still keep wondering what it will take for them to translate that knowledge into investment decisions that don’t throw fuel on the fire!

]]> By: Brian https://www.theenergymix.com/pilot-project-in-alberta-b-c-helps-homeowners-prepare-as-wildfires-approach/#comment-23647 Sun, 26 May 2024 19:15:14 +0000 https://www.theenergymix.com/?p=147180#comment-23647 I have been with Intact for many years now and received a letter about this pilot project. Within this letter is the disclaimer “Intact Insurance Company makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee regarding the quality, efficacy or safety of services provided by Wildfire Defense Systems.” So call me old but knowing this is considered a standard disclaimer I am just a little stuck on the words “makes no representation.” Who’s pilot project is it then? Why do I have to phone or e-mail in order to opt out?
Over these years of inflation, shrinkflation, deregulation, self regulation we have seen products and services go down while prices continue to go up. Insurance companies, like all other big businesses, have also been pushed to inflate premiums while shrinking their product lines. One of the biggest reasons for this, in my opinion is because of governments who continually try to wash their hands of responsibilities given to them by title. There is a long and growing list of new laws and understandings that affect insurance companies but mostly those like myself who pay for such products and services.
Making it easier to get a drivers license (deregulation) has presented itself with a generation of bad drivers who pretty flaunt their poor driving habits while our law enforcement, due to lack of funding with added responsibilities, not being properly allowed to enforce the rules of the road. There are some who get radar speeding tickets who say “it’s just a money grab.” I would honestly like to see what they would say if they were pulled over, given a ticket and issued demerits like it used to be done. Instead we now have one strike (not three) before premiums go up, no fault accident coverage just to name two big changes that insurance companies say they need to remain viable.
With the 2024 fire in Fort Mac and in BC there has been no report what so ever regarding the WDS. How many boots on the ground, where and what did they do exactly? So what precedents could possibly be set under provincial authority regarding both my insurance and the existing provincial responsibilities already paid for through taxes? Here in Alberta under the UPC and their push to privatize our health care, our police enforcement makes me ask “what’s next.” Add populism and the new “common sense” on the federal side of things makes me honestly question “we know who us is but who exactly is “them?”
I’m just an old retired guy with a good memory of what we had and what we lost over the years along with how we got here since the 70’s.

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