Insurance concerns mount as N.S. residents cope with wildfire destruction

Gina Gallant has lived in Hammonds Plains, N.S., for 28 years.

However, her family home was destroyed in the wildfires.

“It’s completely gone,” said Gallant, who is now processing, what will surely be, the biggest insurance claim of her life.

“We’re not sure. I’m covered and we can rebuild, or we can just, we have to have the property cleaned up.”

Gallant didn’t have pictures of the damage to share and she does not know what exactly to expect from a claim.

“I don’t have the answers,” said Gallant.

“This is all brand new to me. I’ve never been through anything like this before.”

Carol MacDougall lives in the same Highland Park area.

MacDougall’s home wasn’t destroyed, but she’s braced for a bad news scenario when it comes to potential damage to her property.

“We’re thinking possibly because the fire did destroy a house next to us and certainly there’s a lot of destruction around us as well,” said MacDougall.

Amanda Dean from the Insurance Bureau Canada has one simple piece of advice.

“Get that claim started,” said Dean, who added displaced residents should track all additional living expenses incurred after the fire, like hotel costs, rent and clothing.

“That insurer will then assign an adjuster to the file, who will ask a few very basic questions,” said Dean.

“Some insurers are looking for more details when it comes to contents. For example, itemizing items in your living room. Was there a TV, a sofa, a love seat or a coffee table?”

As for a timeline to receive money for a new home?

“We are talking months in this situation,” said Dean.

However, supply chain and labour shortages can cause delays in new home construction.