Insurance brokers across Canada now have an opportunity to help clients protect their homes from seismic events, following the release of earthquake protection guidelines by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
The organizations published a tiered approach on Thursday, outlining steps homeowners can take to minimize earthquake damage, with particular focus on high-risk regions in British Columbia and Quebec.
Canada experiences thousands of earthquakes annually. Data from Natural Resources Canada show that British Columbia faces a 30% chance of a major earthquake over the next 50 years, particularly along the southwest coast near the Cascadia Subduction Zone. In Eastern Canada, Quebec’s Charlevoix-Kamouraska region leads in seismic activity, followed by the Ottawa Valley.
A newly released Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment report found that 92% of British Columbia’s population and 90% of provincial businesses face seismic risk exposure.
The guidelines present “Better” and “Best” categories for homeowners with different time and budget constraints.
Enhanced measures include hiring licensed general contractors or seismic retrofit specialists for brace-and-bolt retrofits of single-family dwellings built before 1990. Homeowners are advised to move heavy items weighing more than 15 kg to floor level or low shelves, secure tall furniture to building studs with earthquake straps, and install latches on kitchen cabinets.
Comprehensive measures focus on personal safety through participation in annual ShakeOut drills, assembling emergency preparedness kits with 72 hours of supplies, and creating family communication plans.
Brokers can inform clients that earthquake coverage remains optional and separate from standard home insurance policies. Coverage must be purchased as an add-on to existing policies.
Glenn McGillivray, managing director of ICLR, and Christina Friend-Johnston, manager at IBC, authored the guidelines as part of a long-standing partnership to protect Canadians from natural hazards.
The guidelines note that homeowners unable to return home due to covered damage may receive additional living expenses through their policies. Earthquake coverage and business interruption insurance are also available for businesses.
Brokers can advise clients that discussing options with insurers does not require filing a claim and will not affect future coverage. Once it is safe to return home, clients should document damage with photos and itemized lists, retain damaged items unless they pose a health hazard, and keep all cleanup and living expense receipts.
Additional resources are available through IBC’s Earthquake Protection page and ICLR’s website.
