Author: Caroline Floyd

Toronto (February 7, 2019) – The fourth annual Canadian catastrophe conference, CatIQ Connect, was held over three days this week at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. More than 270 delegates attended the event, including catastrophe risk professionals and emergency managers from across Canada, the United States, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The number of participants at this event has increased by more than 35% year-over-year and signals the importance and relevance of catastrophe planning in Canada.

Delegates participated in a workshop developed with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) on Day One. FCM will be able to use the valuable insights from the diverse attendees to support municipalities as Canada experiences more frequent disasters. Climate change information and how it can be used practically in the capital markets, building codes, and risk management were featured prominently in the conversation as well. “CatIQ Connect is the leading forum where public and private sector leaders meet to discuss action to better manage flood, earthquake, wildfire and other catastrophic risks in Canada,” said Paul Kovacs, Executive Director, ICLR. Further discussion included how different sectors prepared for and responded to recent disasters, such as the May windstorm, British Columbia flooding, and Ontario wildfires.

“As the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increases, Canadians are bearing the financial, social and emotional impacts. As risk experts, we understand the issues and have a responsibility to act,” said Barbara Turley-McIntyre, Vice President of Sustainability & Citizenship at The Co-operators. “Events like CatIQ Connect allow us to gather across sectors, share insights and work collaboratively to help build more resilient communities.” Jim Abraham, President, ClimAction Services Inc. added, “It is only through a collective effort that we can ensure our communities are resilient. CatIQ Connect enables the collective conversation and relationship building needed to make this happen.”

Nearly 25 organizations participated as sponsors or partners of the event, including CRU Group, The Co-operators, IBC, and Wood as Platinum Sponsors. Other sponsors included major reinsurance brokers, reinsurance companies, flood risk organizations, cat modelers, imagery specialists, and restoration companies.

The success of the 2019 CatIQ Connect event was driven by the oversight of an outstanding Steering Committee. Representation included:

• Jim Abraham, 2019 President, ClimAction Services Inc.
• Kris Bagchi, AVP, Reinsurance, TD Insurance
• Ron Biggs, National Claims Director, RSA Insurance Group
• Teresa Burgess-Ogilvie, Partnership Engagement Committee, IAEM Canada and Manager, Office of Emergency Management, City of Mississauga
• Paul Cutbush, SVP Catastrophe Management, Aon
• Jim Eso, SVP, Property and Casualty, Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.
• Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo
• Deirdre Laframboise, Senior Manager, Knowledge and Sector Development, Green Municipal Fund, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Glenn McGillivray, Managing Director, ICLR
• David McGown
• Megan Meaney, Executive Director, ICLEI Canada
• Shawna Peddle, Director, Disaster Risk Reduction, Canadian Red Cross
• Alison Porter, SVP, Treaty, SCOR Canada Reinsurance
• Alexa Reedman, Research Program Coordinator, MEOPAR
• Kimberly Roberts, VP & Senior Meteorologist, JLT Re
• Dwayne Torrey, Director, Construction & Infrastructure Standards, CSA Group
• Laura Twidle, Director, Catastrophic Loss Analysis, CatIQ Inc.
• Rebecca Wagner, Associate Director, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Kyle Winston, Co-founder & President, CRU Group Inc.

CatIQ Connect will return to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre February 3-5, 2020.

Toronto (October 15, 2018) – On the final day of summer, 6 tornadoes tore across eastern Ontario and western Quebec. Among the tornadoes was an EF3 which caused extensive damage and injuries from Kinburn, ON to Gatineau, QC. In addition, there was an EF2 that severely damaged a hydro station and many homes in Nepean, ON. Extreme weather can happen anytime and anywhere and, since over 80% of Canadians live in municipalities, major impacts can be felt when a disaster strikes in these populated areas.

CatIQ is thrilled to announce that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) will host an interactive workshop at CatIQ Connect on February 4, 2019. This engaging workshop will provide diverse participants the opportunity to learn about how municipalities are mitigating, adapting and responding to the impacts of climate change related to natural disasters. Participants will also get the chance to work together and develop ideas to support capacity-building resources for FCM and others to help Canadian municipalities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.

“Through FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, we encourage municipalities to better prepare for and adapt to the new realities of climate change. We welcome the opportunity at this year’s CatIQ workshop to engage the stakeholders on this topic, and advance capacity-building resources for municipalities to help them address climate-related natural disasters,” said FCM President Vicki-May Hamm.

CatIQ Connect is designed for:

• Insurance/reinsurance professionals
• All levels of government
• Academia/researchers
• Engineers/builders
• Risk managers
• NGOs
• Other sectors/organizations dealing with resilience to catastrophes

Keynotes:

• Howard Kunreuther, Professor and Co-Director of the Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will present The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
• Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will sit down for a fireside chat with Rob Wesseling, President & CEO, The Co-operators
• Ed Struzik, a Canadian author and photographer, will present a view of how wildfires will shape the future

CatIQ Connect 2019 Agenda Highlights:

• Interactive Workshop hosted by FCM
• Translating Climate Change and Extreme Weather into Practical Application for the Capital Markets
• Lessons Learned on Hurricanes
• Nuclear Emergency – Onsite and Offsite
• Recent Catastrophes
• Are Critical Services at Risk and Are They Adapting?
• Risk Communication and Personal Action
• Codes and Standards
• Mortgage Impairment Due to Earthquake Loss
• New Technologies and Techniques
• Climate Change: From Science to Actionable Insight

Once again, this year’s Steering Committee covers organizations concerned with adaptation and management related to Canadian catastrophes, including:

• Jim Abraham, 2019 Emcee and President, ClimAction Services Inc.
• Ron Biggs, National Claims Director, RSA Insurance Group
• Kris Bagchi, AVP, Reinsurance, TD Insurance
• Teresa Burgess-Ogilvie, Partnership Engagement Committee, IAEM Canada and Manager, Office of Emergency Management, City of Mississauga
• Paul Cutbush, SVP Catastrophe Management, Aon
• Jim Eso, SVP, Property and Casualty, Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.
• Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaption, University of Waterloo
• Deirdre Laframboise, Senior Manager, Knowledge and Sector Development, Green Municipal Fund Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Glenn McGillivray, Managing Director, ICLR
• David McGown, SVP, Strategic Initiatives, IBC
• Megan Meaney, Director, ICLEI Canada
• Shawna Peddle, Director, Disaster Risk Reduction, Canadian Red Cross
• Alison Porter, SVP, Head of Treaty, SCOR Canada Reinsurance
• Alexa Reedman, Research Program Coordinator, MEOPAR
• Kimberly Roberts, VP & Senior Meteorologist, JLT Re
• Dwayne Torrey, Director, Construction & Infrastructure Standards, CSA Group
• Laura Twidle, Director, Catastrophic Loss Analysis, CatIQ Inc.
• Rebecca Wagner, Associate Director, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Kyle Winston, Co-founder & President, CRU Group Inc.

To register for CatIQ Connect 2019, or to keep up to date on the latest announcements, visit www.catiq.com/connect or follow CatIQ on Twitter at @CatIQ_Inc or via the hashtag #CatIQConnect.

Download the full PDF press release.

About CatIQ

As Canada’s loss index provider, CatIQ delivers detailed analytical and meteorological information on Canadian natural and man-made catastrophes. Through its online subscription-based platform, CatIQ combines comprehensive insured loss indices and other related information to meet the needs of the insurance/reinsurance industries, public sector and other stakeholders.
www.catiq.com
CatIQ also hosts the annual Canadian catastrophe conference, CatIQ Connect. www.catiq.com/connect/ which will next run February 4-6, 2019.

Toronto (July 23, 2018) – Significant flooding, damaging winds, and ice storms have made for widespread community impacts and large insured losses across Canada in the first half of 2018. For example, May’s windstorm became the costliest event in Ontario since the 2013 Toronto floods. With this summer’s “CAT” season only at the mid-point, 2018 has the potential for catastrophic losses for many stakeholders.

CatIQ is pleased to announce that registration for its fourth annual Canadian catastrophe conference, CatIQ Connect, is now open. CatIQ Connect 2019 is being held February 4-6, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. CatIQ Connect will kick off with a review of the events from 2018, which is sure to be interesting, given the weather activity in 2018 thus far.

CatIQ Connect, formerly C4, is a content-driven conference designed to foster collaboration between sectors relating to Canadian catastrophes. David McGown, SVP, Strategic Initiatives at IBC says “the upcoming 2019 CatIQ Connect conference follows on the heels of successful C4 conferences organized by CatIQ. The shift to focus this year beyond insurers is an important step in broadening the conversation to include other important stakeholders. As always, the conference will provide a good variety of topic areas aimed at improving knowledge and sparking conversations. We look forward to the opportunity to learn and connect with others in February 2019.” Catastrophes impact many different organizations, stakeholders, and, above all, Canadians citizens.

CatIQ Connect is for:

• Insurance/Reinsurance Professionals
• All Levels of Government
• Academia/Researchers
• Risk Managers
• NGO’s
• Other sectors/organizations dealing with resilience to catastrophes

Keynotes:

• Howard Kunreuther, Co-Director of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, University of Pennsylvania, will present The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
• Henk Ovink, Special Water Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of Netherlands in a fireside chat with The Co-operators’ President & CEO, Rob Wesseling
• Ed Struzik, a Canadian author and photographer, will present a view of how wildfires will shape the future

CatIQ Connect 2019 Agenda Highlights:

• Interactive Workshop
• Climate Concerns in Financial Services
• Lessons Learned on Hurricanes
• Meltdown: A Nuclear Catastrophe
• Local Perspectives on Recent Events
• Are Critical Services Adapting?
• Risk Communication and Personal Perception
• Codes and Standards
• Mortgage Impairment Due to Earthquake Loss
• New Technologies and Techniques
• A Scientific View of Climate Change

Once again, this year’s Steering Committee covers organizations concerned with adaptation and management related to Canadian catastrophes, including:

• Jim Abraham, 2019 Emcee and President, Climaction Services Inc.
• Kris Bagchi, AVP, Reinsurance, TD Insurance
• Ron Biggs, National Claims Director, RSA Insurance Group
• Teresa Burgess-Ogilvie , Partnership Engagement Committee, IAEM Canada and Manager, Office of Emergency Management, City of Mississauga
• Paul Cutbush, SVP Catastrophe Management, Aon Benfield Analytics
• Jim Eso, SVP, Property and Casualty, Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.
• Dr. Blair Feltmate , Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaption, University of Waterloo
• Deirdre Laframboise , Senior Manager, Knowledge and Sector Development, Green Municipal Fund Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Glenn McGillivray , Managing Director, ICLR
• David McGown, SVP, Strategic Initiatives, IBC
• Megan Meaney, Director, ICLEI Canada
• Shawna Peddle , Director, Partners for Action, University of Waterloo
• Alison Porter , SVP, Head of Treaty, SCOR Canada Reinsurance
• Alexa Reedman, Research Program Coordinator, MEOPAR
• Kimberly Roberts , VP & Senior Meteorologist, JLT Re
• Dwayne Torrey, Director, Construction & Infrastructure, Standards, CSA Group
• Laura Twidle, Director, Catastrophic Loss Analysis, CatIQ Inc.
• Rebecca Wagner, Associate Director, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Kyle Winston, Co-founder & President, CRU Group Inc.

To register for CatIQ Connect 2019, or to keep up to date on the latest announcements, visit www.catiq.com/connect or follow CatIQ on Twitter at @CatIQ_Inc or through the hashtag #CatIQConnect.

Toronto (October 19, 2017) – With the help of the CatIQ′s Canadian Catastrophe Conference (C4) expert Senior Advisory Committee, CatIQ announced that registration is now open for C4 2018. The three day event will provide attendees with a content driven platform to foster collaboration before, during and after catastrophic events.

Jim Abraham, Director, Canadian Climate Forum and President of Climaction Services Ltd reprises his role as C4 2018 Emcee.

C4 is geared towards:

• Industry executives, including the Canadian Insurance & Reinsurance Industries, as well as other sectors impacted by catastrophic events
• The academic and professional community conducting research related to natural or man-made catastrophes, engineering, and emergency management
• All levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal) tasked with preparedness and resiliency from catastrophes
• Policy makers and risk managers

The full program is now available online at www.catiq.com/c4 featuring over 36 outstanding speakers from industry, academia and government. C4 2018 sessions centre around three main themes: Catastrophes (An Overview), Strategies and Tools in Catastrophes Management and Sector Perspectives. Additionally, attendees will hear from keynote luncheon speaker: Maryam Golnaraghi, Director, Extreme Events & Climate Risk, Geneva Association

Sessions include:

• INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Canadian Disaster Mitigation Workshop
• 2017 CATs in Review
• Flood Risk Management All Over the Map: Bringing Some Cohesion
• Public Communication in Times of Crisis
• East vs. West – Understanding Macro-Economic Impacts of Earthquakes
• Lessons from Emergency Management Plans
• Building Back Better
• Coping with Canada’s Hottest Peril – Wildfire
• Ensuring the Viability of The Alberta Property Insurance Market
• Democratizing and Improving CAT and Hazard Models

Delegates who register before November 30th receive a discount of $100 and an additional $100 discount if three or more delegates from the same company register. Additionally, C4 2018 features a discounted Academic Rate available to students and professors at Academic Institutions.

Current partnerships include:

• Platinum Sponsors: IBC and CRU Group
• Gold Sponsor: Aon Benfield
• Silver Sponsors: Guy Carpenter, Swiss Re and RMS
• Community Partners: CWRA, Canadian Climate Forum, ICLR, CMOS, Conservation Ontario, ICLEI, Ouranos, Partners for Action & Toronto and Region Conservation

To register, visit www.catiq.com/c4, and obtain more conference information overall and information on partnerships.

C4 2018 Advisory Committee Members:

• Jim Abraham, Director, Canadian Climate Forum
• Heather Auld , Principal Climate Scientist, Risk Sciences International, Inc
• Nathalie Bleau, Coordinator, Built Environment Program, Ouranos
• Matthew Godsoe , Manager, Research Unit, Public Safety Canada
• Balz Grollimund , Head Treaty Underwriting, Swiss Re
• Stacey Johnson, Reinsurance Specialist, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance
• Glenn McGillivray , Managing Director, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
• David McGown, Senior Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, IBC
• Megan Meaney, Director, ICLEI Canada
• Shawna Peddle , Director, Partners for Action, University of Waterloo
• Anne Ruel, Senior Actuarial Advisory, Risk Management, Desjardins General Insurance Group
• Sean Russell , Managing Director, Guy Carpenter
• Jason Thistlethwaite , Assistant Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo
• Laura Twidle , Director of Catastrophic Loss Analysis, CatIQ Inc.
• Pat Van Bakel, President & CEO, Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.
• Rebecca Wagner, Associate Director, Prediction Services Operations – Central Region, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Kyle Winston , President, CRU Group Inc.