"I think they should be shamed," Kathryn Van Berkyl told CBC News.
She asserts that a few of her neighbours received insurance payouts when their basements flooded, but her claim was not honoured despite similarly worded coverage.
"I think that they've done a disservice and especially right around here, when I find 10 of us that had insurance with them that weren't covered,” she said. “We're all seniors. So, it's very hard on seniors."
Berkyl is eager to express her frustrations publicly, and has even displayed protest signs against t outside her High River residence.
This should provide a cautionary tale to brokers, who can convey to homeowner clients exactly what their coverage entails and suggest additional endorsements given the house’s risk profile for extreme weather. In Alberta, brokers should not only recommend overland flood and sewer back-up products, but also protection against hail damage.
“The storm in Airdrie last year was $568-million, certainly one of the largest hail events on record,” Heather Mack, director, government relations, Insurance Bureau of Canada, told News Talk 770.
Albertans are also turning their attention to their provincial government and lobbying officials to engage in more extensive flood prevention efforts. Among the requests from residents and advocacy groups are updated flood hazard maps, the erection of new dikes and berms and reinforcement of the Glenmore Dam in Calgary.
