September/October 2022
Volume 16 • Issue 5
CAT
TALES
e-newsletter of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
Inside this issue Storm watch: An interview with Paul Kovacs 3 Wawanesa Insurance & Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction partner to provide six wildfire prevention grants
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City of Calgary receives ICLR’s Resilience in Recovery Award for Resilient Roofing Rebate Program
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ICLR Board of Directors Carol Jardine (Chair) • Wawanesa Ken Coley • Western Debbie Coull-Cicchini • Intact Matt Davison • Western Olivier Gay • SCOR Phil Gibson • Aviva Paul Kovacs • ICLR Claus Kroll • Munich Re Canada Monica Ningen • Swiss Re Andy Taylor • Gore Mutual John Taylor • OMIA Dan Shrubsole • Western Rob Wesseling • Co-operators
ICLR celebrates its 25th anniversary Canada’s property and casualty insurers created ICLR 25 years ago anticipating the need for science to support effective resilience action against severe weather and earthquakes. Industry thought leadership about preparedness for extreme events includes an ongoing commitment to build capacity for the rigorous study of critical perils and development of risk reduction solutions.
Along with speeches from ICLR Executive Director Paul Kovacs; Board Chair Carol Jardine, President of Canadian P&C Operations, Wawanesa Insurance; and Western University President Alan Shephard, guests enjoyed hands-on exhibits demonstrating basement flood, extreme wind and hail damage risk reduction, part of the Institute’s new Climate Resilience Centre.
This milestone was celebrated October 18 with an event at Western University’s WindEEE Research Facility. Attendees representing ICLR member companies, faculty and students at Western, research partners and other friends of the Institute helped celebrate the occasion.
The event culminated in the creation of tornadoes and downbursts in WindEEE’s huge test chamber. Attendees were keyed up to watch the genesis of a tornado before their very eyes and the demonstrations led by Dr. Girma Bitsuamlak, Professor of Wind Engineering and Director of the WindEEE Research Institute, became the talk of the event. >