Mary Kelly

Floodwaters surround a house and vehicles in Abbotsford B.C., on Dec. 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

December 21, 2025

The climate insurance gap is widening, and it’s leaving marginalized Canadians behind

Anne E. Kleffner, University of Calgary; Derek Cook, Ambrose University, and Mary Kelly, Wilfrid Laurier University

Climate disasters are rising and insurance costs are, too. Canada’s poorest are caught in the middle.

A woman and children who were stranded by high water due to flooding are rescued by a volunteer operating a boat in Abbotsford, B.C., in November 2021. The Insurance Institute of Canada forecasts that annual insured losses from natural disasters could increase to $5 billion within the next 10 years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

January 5, 2022

Insurance isn’t enough: Governments need to do better on natural disaster resilience

Anne E. Kleffner, University of Calgary and Mary Kelly, Wilfrid Laurier University

Although insurance is important in natural disaster recovery, government and property owners also play an important role in protecting Canadians against the impact of catastrophic weather events.

Seattle earthquake damage is seen in 2001. Seattle Municipal Archives.

February 10, 2021

Why it matters that British Columbians buy earthquake insurance; Washingtonians don’t

Glenn McGillivray, Western University and Mary Kelly, Wilfrid Laurier University

Even though Canadians and Americans living in the Pacific Northwest share the same earthquake risk, far more Canadians than American homeowners buy earthquake insurance. Why?

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The climate insurance gap is widening, and it’s leaving marginalized Canadians behind

Insurance isn’t enough: Governments need to do better on natural disaster resilience

Why it matters that British Columbians buy earthquake insurance; Washingtonians don’t

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