Last year’s record-breaking wildfire season serves as a stark reminder of the risks many residents in Atlantic Canada face. It was just one year ago that residents in Tantallon, Nova Scotia, and parts of Halifax Regional Municipality, experienced a horrific wildfire.
From May 28 to June 4, 2023, an out-of-control wildfire ripped through these communities causing over $165 million in insured damage, according to initial estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. More than 16,000 people were forced to flee their homes and businesses. The wildfire either destroyed or damaged at least 200 properties, including 151 homes. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or fatalities.
As the Tantallon wildfire continued to spread, residents in the Municipalities of Shelburne and Barrington, Nova Scotia, were impacted by a separate wildfire, known as the Barrington Lake Wildfire. This wildfire started on May 27, 2023, and grew to 19,000 hectares just a couple of days later, making it the largest wildfire on record in the province’s history.
As of today, insurers have made significant progress in guiding their affected customers through the rebuilding and recovery process, with over 80% of all claims related to the Tantallon wildfire completed.
“It’s understandable for some residents to be feeling frustrated with the recovery timelines in the aftermath of the Tantallon wildfire, one of the most destructive insured events of last year’s unprecedented wildfire season,” said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Ontario and Atlantic, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). “IBC’s member insurers are keen to see all claims in the community completed as quickly as possible. Insurers will continue to be there every step of the way until that happens."
Homeowners affected by the wildfires in Tantallon, and the Municipalities of Barrington and Shelburne, who have questions about auto, home or business insurance, are encouraged to contact their insurance representative or call IBC’s Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC.
Since the aftermath of the wildfire, IBC has been in regular contact with local leaders, including municipal and provincial officials, to assist in any way possible with the rebuilding and recovery process.
IBC has also been leading advocacy with all orders of government on the need to prepare communities now for severe weather events and wildfires that are increasing in frequency and severity. Each level of government has a role to play in improving Canada’s resilience to flooding and wildfires.
“As cross-country, record-breaking wildfires become the norm every summer, all orders of government should focus their attention on reducing the risk of wildfire fatalities, as well as reducing the risk of destruction of property and displacement of people,” added Dean. “To do this, governments need to take actions that have been proven to reduce vulnerability and exposure to wildfire by mandating and investing in wildfire protection for buildings and infrastructure.”
Canada’s response to climate change is about playing both offence and defence – adapting to the impacts of climate change and reducing our emissions – to enhance community protection against increasing extreme weather events and improve the country’s economic resilience.
