Uninsured Vancouver homes left without flood insurance program

It’s been a year since an atmospheric river and record-breaking rainfall levels caused massive flooding in the Lower Mainland, leading to over $100 million in property damage, including Remy De Wolf’s house in West Vancouver.

“In terms of private flood insurance, it’s something that I don’t honestly think we ever thought about or discussed,” De Wolf told The Leader Spirit.

One in ten Canadian households don’t have flood insurance, and some private insurance companies won’t offer overland water coverage if your home is in a high-risk flood zone.

The Leader Spirit analyzed data from the Vancouver Open data portal using geographic information system software.

The Leader Spirit found that there are nearly 1400 properties zoned for single family dwellings in designated floodplain areas in Vancouver alone.

The responsibility of knowing if your property is located in these areas and is at risk for flooding is your own, and your realtor doesn’t have to mention that.

The owners are in a situation, typical for homeowners: own and be aware,” said Mark Sakai, policy and research manager at BC Real Estate Association.
UBC coastal engineering Professor Enda Murphy says homeowners don’t always have the tools to learn about these risks.

“And it’s very often not in the interest of the real estate industry, for example, to convey risks accurately to potential homebuyers,” explained Murphy.

“The first thing I would say to homebuyers is see if you can find out some information about potential risks in terms of floodings.”

“Many uninsured homeowners will resort to paying out of pocket to cover damage costs or use government assisted disaster relief funds if the flooding is deemed severe enough.

Insurance Board of Canada advocates for national flood insurance program

Canada doesn’t have a national flood insurance program to support high risk households.

The Insurance Board of Canada has been advocating for the federal government to implement such a program since 2021.

“We’re still hopeful that that program will be launched in short order,” said Liam McGuinty, vice president of federal affairs at the insurance board of Canada.

“But equally important for the insurance industry is that we get this program right. It’s got to be beneficial, or it’s got to work for those Canadians who need it most, which means it has to be targeted to the highest risk households.”

Provincial Minister of Emergency Management and Climate readiness, Kelly Greene, says she has not heard developments from Ottawa about a national flood insurance program.

“I am very much hoping that the Feds come back to the table with some meaningful updates so that we can get them our feedback on what would work most effectively here in British Columbia, she told The Leader Spirit.

West Vancouver residents are still being affected by last year’s floods, with many still working to recover from the cost of damages.

“Seems like a long time ago but doesn’t seem like a long time ago, because we are still dealing with it,” De Wolf said.

“Next time, if we ever do move somewhere else, it would definitely be on our mind to know more.”