Evidence of meeting #160 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was fire.
A video is available from Parliament.
President, FireRein Inc.
On cost comparison, we're smack dab in the middle of the firefighting foams. You can get them much cheaper or far more expensive.
The biggest thing is education: teaching the firefighters that this is a different product so there are some slightly different techniques.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
On your track record, is the gel too new to have a track record? Is that another concern?
President, FireRein Inc.
We currently have three fire departments on board. We have seven fire departments lined up for training.
Everywhere they are using it, they are very happy. We're implementing truck replacement strategies now for the early departments.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
We can't look back to 10 years ago and say that it was applied and there was absolutely no impact.
President, FireRein Inc.
No. We've been in trial with a department north of Napanee, Stone Mills township, for almost two years now.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John Aldag
We're down to our last three minutes, and we're going to Mr. Fisher for the final abbreviated round. Then I have a quick announcement that I need to make, and we'll be out of here.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
All right.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'll get right into it.
Thanks, folks.
Over the past two years New Brunswick's Saint John River has seen two hundred-year floods. We heard Mr. Stewart speak to this. Human activity is causing Canada to warm at twice the global average, and this is a very expensive problem for New Brunswick. Last year's flooding alone cost the Province of New Brunswick more than $74 million, and the federal government has spent more in the past six years than it did in the previous 40.
There's a huge cost to inaction, Mr. Stewart, and New Brunswick is suffering from that.
How is climate change affecting and changing the insurance industry?
Do you feel that Canadians are generally aware of the costs that are covered in the event of a natural disaster?
Vice-President, Federal Affairs, Insurance Bureau of Canada
Three years ago our CEO went coast to coast in this country with the message that climate change is a clear and present danger, and that whereas there is a national conversation around mitigating future risk, most Canadians are not connecting the dots and realizing that it's costing them right now.
Our industry saw remarkable change around 2009 when the costs of climate change escalated. Climate change-attributed natural disasters have risen very, very quickly. Last year our losses from an insured perspective were about $2 billion, compared to the hundreds of millions we were looking at each year throughout the 2000s—not billions.
The insurance industry is responding by offering new products, yes, but also by becoming increasingly vocal about the dangers we're facing, not just here in Canada but globally, and the fact that, yes, we need to reduce future losses by reducing emissions. However, we need to realize that it's upon us now, and I don't think anybody in this town could argue with that, after what we witnessed in the last three years. So we're being very vocal about that.
What was your second question again?
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Are Canadians generally aware of what is covered in their insurance for natural disasters.
Vice-President, Federal Affairs, Insurance Bureau of Canada
From the work we are seeing, Canadians are beginning to connect the dots, that there is a link between the events they are experiencing and climate change; these aren't just fluke events.
Canadians are not aware enough of what's contained in their insurance policies, and we have been working on better messaging to try to encourage them. A number of our members have gone out with much clearer language policies to try to make sure they understand their policies. I've been out continually talking about the need. Every year when you take a look at your policy upon renewal, you should educate yourself about what's in it and what isn't and make sure you are paying for the actual risk you face.
Vice-President, Federal Affairs, Insurance Bureau of Canada
The onus is on both of us.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John Aldag
We're out of time.
Thank you to the five of you for being here and being part of this discussion. We appreciate the time and insight you have all brought to the table today.
Concerning the announcement, I know there was enough anticipation about it. It's simply that there's a reception this evening with the David Suzuki Federation for world Earth Day, at 410 Wellington, starting at six o'clock. Joël Godin, Linda Duncan and I are co-sponsoring it, so if anybody has a chance to come by and celebrate World Earth Day and meet some others, please come by.
With that, the meeting is adjourned.