 |
Aug30, 2009 - Sept6, 2009 |
Vaughan picks up the pieces after tornado
Insurance claims will be many, but “community more unified” says mayor
By Alessio Galletti
Now that the shock is over, it's time to assess the damage done by the tornadoes that struck Ontario on Aug. 20. Although the official estimate by the Insurance Board of Canada (IBC) is still pending, it’s not difficult to estimate that losses will be in the millions of dollars, and as soon as the official numbers are released, funding promised by the McGuinty government for the rebuilding will be readily available. The situation regarding federal compensation, however, is a bit more complex.
Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan has in fact said in recent days that it’s not a political issue but one involving a complicated equation that needs to be worked out before Ottawa can intervene to help the affected communities.
Vaughan Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua points out that in certain cases, it’s not just about tallying numbers.
“The government needs to take the human factor into consideration,” he says, “Because here we’re dealing with people whose lives have changed drastically.” This is why, he adds, he is acting, along with his party leader Michael Ignatieff, to ensure that Parliament Hill does something.
Whatever decision the federal government will take, Vaughan councillor Gino Rosati explains that the official results from the Insurance Bureau of Canada must first be released.
“Queen’s Park will have to intervene as required by law,” he says. “It’s different for the federal government. They need to wait until they know how much the total damages are. At the municipal level, we’ve already done a great deal, making our employees and our resources available for the emergency. And if it becomes necessary, we can also decide to intervene once again.”
The IBC represents 95% of Canadian insurance companies.
In the meantime, insurance companies representing a significant part of the housing sector say there are already many requests for compensation. Speaking with Ian Blair from Intact, Henry Blumenthal from TD Insurance, and Tony Mammone from RBC Insurance, Corriere Canadese - Tandem learned that the total claims made to just these three companies are already more than 800. The number is relative to Ontario as a whole, but as Blumenthal – who has already received about 500 requests – reminds us, most of the affected homes are in Vaughan. And it will be his responsibility to provide the final estimate for the southern Ontario city.
Page 1/...Page 2
|
| Home / Back to Top |
|
|
 |
|
|
</ td>
