Repair plans on ice for many Calgarians with hail-ravaged properties

Severe summer weather is likely to spell trouble for some Calgarians this winter as many people with properties ravaged by hail continue to wait for repairs.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada would not say how many claims have been completed three months after the storms that hit Calgary on Aug. 5, resulting in more than 130,000 claims.

“We’re asking for people’s patience,” said Aaron Sutherland with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

“It will take time. There are simply not enough contractors who can do this work.”

Hail shattered two large windows in Puneet Sohal’s home in the Redstone community on August 5, but three months later her family is still waiting for repairs.

“Hopefully we’ll get it resolved before winter. If not… then of course snow will come, water will come and everything will get wet again,” Sohal said.

Her family has installed plywood and plastic over the damaged windows, but she is concerned about its quality against the cold and snow.

The August 5 hailstorms set a record for insured losses from hail, totaling nearly $2.8 billion.

“This event was the second most expensive in Canadian history from an insurance perspective,” Sutherland said.

He says only the 2016 Fort McMurray fire cost more.

Water that flowed into Calgary International Airport on August 5 closed Domestic Terminal B and YYC said this area is expected to remain closed for repairs until 2026.

About 10 percent of WestJet’s fleet was damaged by hail during the storm.

WestJet sent CTV a statement confirming that 12 of the 17 aircraft had been repaired and returned to service as of November 5.

Others’ modes of transportation remain in limbo.

Chloe Burrows says her insurance company first marked her Jeep as written off and then said it wasn’t.

While she is grateful that it can still be driven, she was told that repairs are needed to prevent electrical damage.

“I’m surprised it’s November. This happened in August and I still have giant dents and holes in (my car), so now there will be water damage in my Jeep,” she said.

After CTV interviewed Burrows, her insurance company contacted her and again said her car would be written off.

She is relieved because she said finding an appointment for a car repair and a rental car would be a challenge because of the demand of all the claims.

Meanwhile, Sohal expects higher heating costs until the windows on the main and top floors of her home are repaired.

“Sometimes it gets cold in that area, so we really have to turn up the heat,” she said.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says available staff in other regions have been redirected to help with storm claims in Calgary, but could not provide a timeline for when all claims could be resolved.