Letter to Local MPP I am writing to you for help as a small business operator who provides the essential service of snow and ice removal locally to businesses and residential customers. Provide a few details on your business – e.g. where you are, if you have employees or are you a sole operator, how long you have been in business. The help I need is to stop the out-of-control escalation of insurance prices for snow and ice contractors, and in some cases, the lack of insurance availability. This year alone my costs for insurance rose from $XXXXXX to $XXXXXX because of the high prevalence of slip-and-fall claims (many are frivolous or nuisance claims) against all contractors in the sector. My deductible for each claim also increased $XXXXXX and is – what is the impact on your business? Cite your own experience and/or what you have heard from others. The solution is not simple and requires legislative change. We need you to help us fight for the following amendments so that we can continue to provide essential high-quality snow and ice removal services in Ontario.
For our part, our association Landscape Ontario is working on a captive insurance solution that will result in insurance companies fighting more claims on behalf of policy holders. Right now, the cost/benefit of fighting — even when properties are maintained perfectly — favours settling claims rather than going to court. This really hurts our members. I hope you will see the importance of keeping Ontario’s snow and ice removal service providers in business and operating at full capacity as winter approaches. The landscape industry sincerely appreciated the government helping to get our sector working safely again after the pandemic shutdown, but it has hurt our businesses. Addressing the insurance crisis would help protect our businesses from unfair insurance costs in this important year. Sincerely, cc. The Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario - doug.fordco@pc.ola.org The Hon. Doug Downey, Attorney General - doug.downey@pc.ola.org The Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction - prabmeet.sarkaria@pc.ola.org Tony DiGiovanni Executive Director, Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association - tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com |