Insurers, snow removal contractors, and commercial property owners in Ontario received some good news from the provincial government this month, ahead of the heavy snow fall season. A section of Bill 118 , called the "Occupiers’ Liability Act”, will now limit claimants from taking legal action to recover personal injury damages caused by snow or ice (e.g. a slip and fall injury), unless they provide notice of the intent to sue within 60 days of the incident. This is a...
Every year the Insurance Bureau of Canada releases the list of the most stolen vehicles across the country. There’s a clear trend in 2020 as eight of the top 10 vehicles on the list are SUVs while the other two are pickup trucks. According to the IBC , auto theft costs Canadians more than $1 Billion every year and on average a vehicle is stolen every six minutes. This is more than just an insurance problem as the ripple effects trickle down to police, the court system,...
Tips to keep your workplace safe during COVID-19 The most important thing to remember is the health and safety of everyone - and that begins with employees. As always, under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) business owners and operators are required to take every reasonable precaution to protect the health and safety of workers - and operations during COVID-19 are no exception. As a reminder, from a high-level the employer requirements include:...
It has been an outstanding start to summer, with hot and dry weather. It's been a great motivator to get outside and use the backyard barbecue. And with most of us spending more time at home and cooking for ourselves, there are more grills being fired up more often. It should be no surprise that combining fire and propellants to cook food doesn't come without its risks. To protect your family and home while still enjoying your backyard, outdoor...
When I was young, RC planes were the pinnacle of the toy world. What could be cooler than a model airplane that could actually take off and pull cool loops and barrel rolls through the sky (or at least until you managed to stick it in a tree)? It turns out we all had a limited imagination. The modern-day drone makes those old balsa wood and foam planes seem antiquated. They are sleek, futuristic, and capable of dozens of cool tricks and gimmicks that would have...
After a cool start to the season, a mid-spring heat event has hit southern Ontario -- and with it comes the warnings and reminders to be proactive to help beat the heat. The risks are greater to young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with chronic illnesses. It is important to take care of yourself and those around you with these recommendations: 1) Limit Outdoor Time Between 10 am and 4 pm, the sun is at its hottest and...
It’s been over eight weeks since government and health officials mandated the majority of businesses close their doors to the public. A lot has changed and everyone has needed to quickly adapt. After a long and patient wait, we are starting to see the slow re-opening of some businesses and industries from COVID-19 mandated shutdown. This is giving many businesses pause to take the time to look around, take stock of their physical space and operating procedures, and begin...
On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus) a pandemic. At Staebler, the health and well-being of our employees and our customers continues to be our top priority, and we continue to monitor the situation as it develops. At this time, we are not making any changes to the delivery of our services to our customers. However, we are encouraging all of our customers and partners to use email and/or telephone to contact our...
With rapidly rising temperatures and rainy pre-spring weather, flood warnings will become more and more frequent. This week the Grand River Conservation Authority issued official warnings for Ayr, New Hamburg, and Drayton near the Conestogo River. A river, during calmer times. ( Photo from Pexels ) If you live near rivers it is a good idea to be notified about watches and warnings. You can subscribe to the GRCA alert emails . In case...
From the Staebler Blog archive: This post originally appeared in May, 2019. The long wait is finally over: It’s time to open up your getaway property. As the warmer weather settles in, the chores at the cottage or trailer begin. While this always seems like a never-ending and daunting task, opening the cottage for the season is very rewarding. To make sure you have time to relax on the deck, cold drink in hand, we’ve compiled a checklist of tasks you...