Book your spot early for two fascinating presentations on the Fort McMurray wildfires

Forest fires are a common occurrence in Canada. But on May 1, 2016, when a fire southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta took hold, few could have imagined that two days later it would trigger the largest evacuation in Alberta and an unprecedented catastrophe (CAT) in Canadian insurance history – to the tune of $3.6 billion. The emergency response plans for the province as well as at insurance companies across the country and at Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) were invoked, but from the beginning, it was clear this CAT was different.

IBC and insurers were there from the beginning to help influence and proactively guide decisions that would result in better outcomes for the industry, consumers and policyholders. Years from now, we may look back on it as a positive step towards a more coordinated and collaborative emergency strategy that put the insurance industry in the heart of the emergency operations and smoothed the way to recovery. This early industry participation is a first in disaster management in Canada and is likely to become a best practice for future responses.

Here are two opportunities to learn more about the catastrophe from multiple perspectives:

1. Lessons learned from the Fort McMurray wildfires (Part 1): Social media took hold like never before
Register Today!
October 13th, 1PM-2:15PM EST
Join the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Steve Kee and Andrew Bartucci as we discuss the critical role social media played in communicating with the people of Fort McMurray before, during and after evacuation.

2. Lessons learned from the Fort McMurray wildfires (Part 2): Disaster management like never before 
Register Today!
November 17th, 1PM-2:15PM EST
Join representatives from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) in this panel presentation on the country’s biggest catastrophic loss in history.

In this webinar you will learn about:

- The changing risk of wildfire | Panelist: Paul Kovacs, Executive Director, ICLR
- The bidirectional use of communication channels like social media| Panelist: Tim Trytten, AEMA
- The industry’s timely, responsive and proactive response | Panelist: David McGown, VP, IBC
- The lessons learned from this catastrophe that will become best practices for future disaster management planning

PLUS - Legalizing Marijuana – A smoky future for new rules and regulations in the insurance industry
Register Today!
December 8th, 1PM-2:15PM EST
Learn more about the evolving landscape of marijuana grow ops and the consequences for the insurance industry. 

In this webinar you will learn about:

- The history of illegal grow ops and movement towards legalization
- The common exclusions and impact of provincial insurance acts on coverage
- The challenges surrounding licensed grow ops and liability insurance

If you have any questions about the current or upcoming ADVANTAGE Live series, please contact us at advantagelive@insuranceinstitute.ca.