Parts of the Greater Toronto Area have been under three frost advisories so far this month. It’s an early sign that the cold-weather claims season is approaching, even as Toronto heads into a mild week.
Environment Canada issued its latest yellow frost advisory on Friday, October 16, for Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and surrounding areas. It warned that temperatures could drop to near or slightly below zero overnight into Saturday, especially north of Highway 401, with areas near Lake Ontario a few degrees warmer. Earlier advisories came on October 5, the GTA’s first of the season, and October 9, when a band from Caledon to east of Kingston was affected.
The cold has since eased, with Environment Canada forecasting a sunny high of 18 C in Toronto on Monday.
Frost advisories focus on plants. Environment Canada warned of possible damage to plants, trees and crops, and advised residents to cover or bring in cold-sensitive plants. Frost can form even when the air temperature stays slightly above zero.
Homeowners shouldn’t expect their policy to respond to that kind of damage. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) says an insurance policy does not change in winter or at specific temperatures. Instead, it covers the specific perils listed in it.
For farmers, frost is an insured risk. Agricorp’s Production Insurance covers more than 90 Ontario crops against yield losses caused by insured perils, and frost is listed as an insured peril for a number of grains and oilseeds. Claims are paid when an insured peril causes harvested yield to fall below the producer’s guaranteed production. Growers must report their harvested production by Agricorp’s deadlines, and generally need Agricorp’s consent before abandoning or destroying an insured crop.
A night near freezing won’t burst pipes. The larger property risk comes when temperatures stay below zero, and it can be expensive. When a deep freeze hit British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan in January 2024, insured damage was estimated at more than $180 million, according to CatIQ. IBC said the losses came largely from frozen and burst pipes, with around 70% of claims involving personal property.
IBC says standard home policies cover damage from frozen and burst pipes, provided the pipes are in a heated part of the home and reasonable steps are taken to keep the heat on. If a furnace or heat pump fails and pipes freeze, the resulting damage is covered, but not the cost of repairing the furnace or heat pump.
The exceptions apply to empty homes. IBC said most policies exclude frozen pipes and water damage if a home is vacant. For homeowners going away during the heating season, it recommends checking their policy first, since many require someone to check that the heat is on, which may mean every day or every other day.
That’s a growing concern. A recent TD Insurance survey found nearly half of Canadians plan to leave their homes unattended for more than a day this fall or winter, but only 15% would check their policy’s requirements beforehand.
The run of October frosts gives brokers a natural time to contact clients before the first hard freeze. Snowbirds and cottage owners need to know their policy’s check-in and heating requirements, and when to drain their plumbing. Clients with vacant properties need vacancy permits or appropriate cover. Farm clients with crops still in the field should check their Agricorp reporting deadlines. IB has previously reported IBC’s winter guidance for homeowners, which brokers can share with clients.
