By Canadian Press

In the news today: Premiers wrap up in Halifax, flood damage and insurance coverage

Jul 17, 2024 | 1:21 AM

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Premiers wrapping up summer meeting in Halifax

Canada’s premiers are wrapping up the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation today.

The premiers of the 10 provinces and three territories have been in Halifax for their three-day gathering hosted by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston.

A statement from the premiers says key priorities that have been discussed include housing, affordability and skills training; strategic infrastructure; the future of energy; and emergency preparedness and response.

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Several premiers have expressed frustration over what they say is a lack of teamwork from the federal government on important files.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a lack of collaboration has resulted in the doubling up of services like dental care and pharmacare.

What to know about insurance claims after flooding

As people in southern Ontario survey the damage done by intense flash flooding on Tuesday, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says residents need to figure out what their policies cover.

Torrential rain hit Toronto and the surrounding area on Tuesday, flooding a major highway and a key transit hub amid rainfall warnings for much of southern Ontario.

The bureau says some kinds of damage will only be covered if you’ve purchased optional coverage on top of the usual home or vehicle policy.

For example, when it comes to home insurance, overland flood coverage is usually optional and covers specific kinds of damage, such as the kind from overflowing lakes, ponds or rivers.

Storm clean-up continues across the GTA

The cleanup continues this morning after a storm front moved through the Greater Toronto Area, causing significant flooding and widespread power outages.

The region’s two major electrical utilities, Toronto Hydro and Hydro One, are reporting that around 5000 customers remain in the dark, mainly in Etobicoke and Brampton.

An early morning statement from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority says their flood warnings have been downgraded, but caution is still required around all bodies of water.

The authority says that at the height of the storm, an excess of 100 millimetres of rain was reported to have fallen in certain areas.

Half of Ontarians support LCBO strike goals: poll

Fewer than one-third of Ontarians say they want the provincial government to intervene to end the 12-day strike at Ontario’s main liquor retailer, while about half are supportive of the striking union’s demands.

That’s according to a new Leger poll that asked if the government should use binding arbitration or legislation to ensure LCBO stores open as soon as possible.

Twenty-nine per cent of respondents supported such a move, while 44 per cent opposed it. The poll also asked if respondents support the union’s stated goals, including wage increases and more permanent positions. Just under half, 49 per cent, answered in the affirmative, while 25 per cent said they were not supportive.

Awareness of the strike in Ontario is high, according to the poll, with 89 per cent saying they knew about it, though only 15 per cent reported being personally affected. The Leger poll of 601 residents, conducted last weekend, can’t be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.

Father sues N.L. government for jail death of son

A father in St. John’s, N.L., is suing the Newfoundland and Labrador government over his son’s death last year in the province’s largest jail.

A statement of claim filed last month by Jerome Flynn with the provincial Supreme Court alleges his son, Seamus Flynn, died at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary after he was assaulted and did not receive timely medical care.

The claims have not been tested in court and the province would not comment on the suit’s allegations.

Jerome Flynn says his son was subject to “brutal conditions” that made the penitentiary “uninhabitable.”

The statement of claim says the province is vicariously liable for the actions of the facility’s correctional officers and its other officials who the suit alleges caused Flynn’s death on Dec. 2, 2023.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2024

The Canadian Press