Better disaster recovery needed as frequency grows: insurance bureau
The bureau is asking the federal government to lead talks with provinces on disaster recovery as efforts to rebuild Jasper, Alta., encounter delays a year after a wildfire destroyed about a third of the town's buildings.
IBC says that as of July 7, officials have only issued rebuilding permits for 56 of the 358 buildings that burned down, a much slower process than after the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires.
Part of the complication is the added regulation from the town being in a national park, but IBC says a lack of co-ordinated and standardized response is also an issue.
Craig Stewart, vice-president of climate change and federal issues at IBC, says delays in rebuilding are happening more frequently after major disasters so there needs to be more co-ordination such as a central agency to help manage the recovery.
The calls come as July 22 marks one year from when the Jasper wildfire caused an estimated $1.2 billion in insured damage, just one of several disasters last year that caused about $8.5 billion in combined insured damage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
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