The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) and its over 14,000 members thank the Ontario Government for taking decisive action against the challenges of obtaining insurance coverage for snow clearing businesses across the province. Bill 118, Occupier’s Liability Amendment Act, was first tabled by Parry Sound–Muskoka MPP Norm Miller in 2019 and passed yesterday. The IBAO is optimistic that Bill 118 will encourage more insurance companies to write this line of business, if not for this season, for 2021/2022.
“Ontario’s residents and businesses have faced many challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Colin Simpson, IBAO CEO. “We’re pleased to see the Ontario Government pass Bill 118 and are optimistic that rural and small to medium-sized snow clearing businesses will resume operation once the insurance industry is able to respond to this positive move.”
Brokers across Ontario have been hearing from policyholders that availability of snow removal insurance for their businesses was scarce to non-existent in some regions, meaning some operators wouldn’t be able to secure the necessary liability insurance to cover their business this winter, and therefore would be unable to operate. Bill 118 establishes new criteria around snow removal liability that will encourage insurance availability to return in Ontario.
“The IBAO will continue to advocate for the best interests of Ontario’s millions of policyholders to ensure they have choice and access to coverage across different insurance sectors,” said Simpson. “We thank the Government of Ontario for listening to our concerns, and ultimately the concerns of Ontario consumers and business owners.”
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