Alberta's overhaul of the auto insurance system continues. Here's how much Albertans could be paid out and the latest updates
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The province passed the Automobile Insurance Act, which will overhaul the current auto insurance model in favour of what the province is calling a 'care-first' auto insurance system, in May.
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On Wednesday, the government put out an intentions paper outlining the development of the model, including the monetary value Albertans would be paid if they were involved in a motor vehicle accident, updates on a dispute tribunal and the limited cases when Albertans will be able to pursue legal action.
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Postmedia attended a technical briefing with government officials on Wednesday. Here's a breakdown of what the latest updates will be for the new system set to launch on Jan. 1, 2027.
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According to the province, initial benefits under the new system will be set at Manitoba levels, except for the income replacement benefit, which will be based on annual income and is $5,000 higher than Manitoba to reflect Alberta's higher average income. After the implementation of the new system, benefits will be indexed annually for inflation.
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'Under the Care-First system, all injured parties in an accident involving a motor vehicle with an auto insurance policy will have access to the medical and rehabilitation they require, including cyclists and pedestrians regardless of whether they have insurance coverage,' says the document.
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Medical and rehabilitation benefits will be 'unlimited for all reasonable and necessary expenses' until maximum medical recovery. If personal care is needed, the payout would be $6,781 per month for catastrophic injuries and $5,671 per month for non-catastrophic injuries.
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Those who have a permanent impairment, depending on the injury, could receive a lump-sum payment of up to $298,520 for catastrophic injuries and up to $189,055 for non-catastrophic injuries.
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If someone dies as a result of an accident, a maximum of $10,308 could be paid out for the cost of the funeral and up to $4,310 per person for grief counselling. Payments could also be made to spouses or dependants.
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5 hours ago
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Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said he sees 'tremendous potential' for turning the port of Churchill, Manitoba, into a much larger export hub, opening new trade routes to Europe and other markets. The minister said he has seen multiple pitches for projects to move goods through the location, which is at almost the same latitude as Oslo, Norway. 'I believe there is an opportunity to make Churchill a far more strategic port,' Hodgson said in an interview with Bloomberg News. 'If you look at what the Russians are doing, they ship for most of the year from their Arctic ports.' The idea of a northern port enjoys the enthusiastic backing of politicians from Canada's resource-rich western region, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Some observers are skeptical about Churchill as a viable shipping route. Turning it into a port capable of handling a wide variety of bulk goods would take years and cost billions of dollars, for a route that's locked by ice much of the year. But Hodgson is bullish on it. The government is in the midst of procuring a new fleet of icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. With those ships, 'you're not talking about a four-month shipping season,' he said. 'You could have a lane open for probably most of the year.' Churchill's port was first used as an outlet for grain exports in the early 1930s and is the continent's only deepwater port with direct access to both the Arctic Ocean and a rail line connecting south. 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