Additionally, three quarters of Canadians (74%) are concerned that climate change is driving up the cost of their home or business insurance. This is an eight per cent increase over last year.<\/p>\n
More than one-third of respondents (36%) report they have already experienced increases in their property insurance rates.<\/p>\n
2024 breaks record with $8.5 billion in losses <\/strong>According to CatIQ, 2024 shattered the record<\/a> for severe weather-related property losses in Canadian history at $8.5 billion. This is nearly triple the total insured losses recorded in 2023 and tops the previous record of $6.2 billion from 2016 when wildfires tore through Fort McMurray, Alberta.<\/p>\n Insurance rates are on the rise <\/strong>Property insurance rates across Canada have already risen by 5.28 per cent in 2025, according to a new study<\/a> from MyChoice, a Canadian insurtech company. Alberta leads the country with a 9.07% yearly increase in rates in 2025 after a massive $4.1 billion hit in damages (led by the Calgary hailstorm and the Jasper fire).<\/p>\n Spring\u2019s severe rains and urban flooding <\/strong>With spring underway this week, the focus shifts to severe rains and flooding. Overall, 66 per cent of Canadians have fears of severe rains and flooding (six per cent higher than last year). British Columbia (73%), Quebec (70%), and Atlantic Canada (71) were the provinces most worried about rain and flooding.<\/p>\n Canada has seen significant urban flooding events recently, including the 2024 floods in the Greater Toronto Area and Montr\u00e9al. With 80 per cent of Canadian cities located on flood plains and Canada\u2019s water infrastructure aging, these flooding events will continue and face increased pressure from climate change, according to Statistics Canada.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAs springtime approaches, one of the biggest threats to property is flooding and water damage,\u201d said Jim Mandeville, Senior Vice President, Large Loss North America for First Onsite Property Restoration. \u201cTemperatures increase, snow transforms to rain, frozen ground thaws, and river levels rise. Water and moisture can collect around the foundation of homes and businesses. The importance of being ready for these events increases every year.\u201d<\/p>\n Canada increasingly worried about storms, extreme cold, freezing, and burst pipes <\/strong>Given the winter Canadians have just been through, with its snowstorms and wild temperature fluctuations, it\u2019s not surprising that respondents have shown an increased concern about winter storms.<\/p>\n Much of this increased concern can be attributed to the winter of 2023-2024 being notably milder than usual. In fact, the national average temperature<\/a> for the 2023-2024 winter (December-February) was 5.2\u00b0C above the baseline average. Compared to last year, this year\u2019s colder temperatures have triggered concerns among Canadians about the impact of winter storms.<\/p>\n See the following table for the results of Canada\u2019s top disaster concerns:<\/p>\n Mould is a leading property fear <\/strong>Drilling down, the survey asked people\u2019s top property fears regarding disasters or severe weather events. The development of mould after flooding or severe weather was another big concern, with 61 per cent of Canadians listing it as a property fear.<\/p>\n In general, property damage caused by water-related events (natural and mechanical flooding) typically accounts for nearly 70 per cent of all emergency responses for First Onsite. Moreover, on properties where water damage from flooding has occurred, mould growth poses a severe threat to the sanitation of the property.<\/p>\n The excess water and moisture caused by spring showers and melting snow can drive mould growth, especially in dark, damp spaces. For residential and commercial property owners, it is important to be aware of the environmental triggers that feed mould growth\u2014temperature, moisture, and a lack of ventilation.<\/p>\n Below are the property fears from severe weather such as mould, the cost of renovations and repairs, and the loss of valuables and personal items.<\/p>\n Protecting property from the seasons <\/strong>\u201cThe increased occurrence and intensity of weather-related events is a constant driver for homeowners, businesses, and communities to be more resilient and better prepared for tomorrow,\u201d said Mandeville. \u201cWith the right planning and resources in place, people can be better equipped to respond to property emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n First Onsite offers free homeowner and business guides<\/a> on preventing property water damage and protecting against the growth of mould and mildew.<\/p>\n In Canada, First Onsite has been on the frontlines of high-risk situations due to climate change, natural disasters, and weather-related events for 18 years. It has been on site at some of the country\u2019s most severe catastrophes of flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and extreme cold.<\/p>\n About the FIRST ONSITE Weather and Property Survey<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n These findings are from a survey conducted by Maverick Public Relations from February 19th<\/sup> to February 21st<\/sup>, 2025, among a representative sample of 1,501 online Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +\/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.<\/p>\n First Onsite Property Restoration is one of the largest and fastest-growing emergency response planning, mitigation, and reconstruction service providers in North America. First Onsite employs over 2,500 team members and operates from more than 100 locations across Canada and the U.S. With a culture focused on harnessing the human power of its team members and a commitment to doing what\u2019s right, the First Onsite team helps clients restore, rebuild, and rise. First Onsite is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation. For more information, visit www.firstonsite.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: First Onsite Property Restoration<\/i><\/p>\n Tags: climate change<\/a>, FirstOnSite Restoration<\/a>, restoration<\/a>, survey<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First Onsite survey also explores urban flooding, severe rains, and threats to properties Mississauga, ON (Mar. 19, 2025) \u2013 As Canadian communities experience record-breaking weather-related insurance losses, almost three-in-four Canadians are now worried about...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[1],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23300"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23300\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/www.insurance-canada.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/first-onsite-survey-picture1.jpg\")
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<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAbout First Onsite<\/b><\/h4>\n