A year after the second costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, insurers, homeowners and city officials say the country still lacks a unified plan to respond to extreme weather events.
On August 5, 2024, massive hailstones pummelled northeast Calgary, causing nearly $3 billion in insured damages. Most of that damage was to homes and vehicles. A year on and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is calling on governments to step up with concrete actions, including mandatory resilience standards for new builds and stronger financial incentives for retrofits.
"Calgarians have shown tremendous resiliency over the past year and insurers have worked tirelessly to help them recover”, Aaron Sutherland, vice-president, Pacific and Western, IBC, said in a statement. "The extent of repeated hail damage in the city should be a clear wake-up call to strengthen our resilience and adapt more effectively to our new weather reality."
Homeowners still battling insurance backlogs
For some residents in the hardest hit communities, the battle to claim insurance coverage is still ongoing.
Speaking to the Calgary Herald, Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal noted that some residents are still waiting for their insurance claims to be finalized. “Others are living with the fallout effects of the hail damage. In some cases, premiums have doubled or in some cases tripled, and deductibles have gone up by almost 200 per cent.”
The 2024 supercell hailstorm resulted in over 70,000 insurance claims. On July 13, 2025, the city was once again hit by an intense hailstorm, with damage expected to exceed $30 million. According to IBC, these events are not isolated incidents, but part of a clear pattern that demands improved public policy.
“The city is doing its part,” Dhaliwal told the Calgary Herald, “but the bulk of changes that will have a material impact on residents need to be at the provincial level and the federal level.”
YYC Aims to Modernize After Hailstorm
The August 2024 storm didn’t just hit homes and cars. Calgary International Airport’s Concourse B suffered major roof breaches from golf ball-sized hail, forcing a number of gates to shut down, ultimately fast-tracking the beginning of a huge restoration project that’s still underway.
In a statement released August 5, YYC says repairs are progressing, but Concourse B is not expected to open to the public until sometime next year.
“A renovation of Concourse B is happening sooner than originally planned,” says Chris Miles, chief operating officer for Calgary Airports, in a statement. “But given this opportunity, it made sense to redevelop it with everything we know now about great design and great amenities. That means designing for universal access, better sustainability, and making it more open, more welcoming, and filled with natural light.”
A call for proactive protection
Climate-related insured losses in Canada have exceeded $3 billion in each of the last three years — with a staggering $8.5 billion recorded last year. And the impact isn’t limited to homes and infrastructure. IBC also argues that Alberta’s auto insurance system is struggling under the pressure.
“Alberta’s auto insurance system is in crisis," said Sutherland. “The government must remove the rate cap and ensure the Care-First reforms are implemented effectively — especially by reining in legal costs.”
The IBC warns that without urgent reforms, many drivers could be facing challenges securing the coverage they need.
To help Canadians weather the future more sustainably, IBC is urging provincial and federal leaders to take immediate action, including:
- Implementing climate-resilient building codes for new construction
- Offering rebates and grants for impact-resistant roofing and siding
- Halting the construction of unprotected homes and businesses in high-risk flood and wildfire zones
Sources
1. Insurance Bureau of Canada: One Year Later: Calgary’s Historic Hailstorm Underscores Urgent Need for Government Action (Aug 5, 2025)
2. Calgary Herald: One year on from havoc-wreaking hailstorm, Calgary households, airport still wrestling with repairs, insurance fallout, by Scott Strasser (Aug 5, 2025)
3. Calgary Airports: YYC Calgary Airport is one year into restoration of hail-damaged Concourse B (Aug 5, 2025)
3. Insurance Bureau of Canada: 2024 shatters record for costliest year for severe weather-related losses in Canadian history at $8.5 billion (Jan 13, 2025)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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