The Insurance Crisis: A Twitter Conversation Guide 
 
Objective: To encourage MPPs to support government action to resolve the insurance issue facing snow and ice operators.
 
Key Themes:
 
  • The business of snow and ice removal is under unprecedented threat.
  • Rising insurance costs mean there will be operators, especially smaller ones, put out of business.
  • Coupled with the impact of Covid-19 across the industry, the results could be devastating. 
  • Public expectations of safe snow and ice management will be shaken.
  • Snow and ice operators live in all ridings in Ontario.
  • Our solution will save jobs and help reduce salt use, which will be beneficial to the environment.
 
Twitter Best Practices:
 
  • Tag your local MPP, and MPP Norm Miller (@normmillerpc), Attorney General Downey (@douglasdowney), Premier Ford (@fordnation) and the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, Minister Sarkaria (@PrabSarkaria)

  • If you are including messaging about the environment you should also tag the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Minister Yurek (@JeffYurekMPP)

  • You may also wish to tag the PA to the Attorney General, Lindsey Park (@lparkpc) and the PA to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Andrea Khanjin (@andrea_khanjin)

  • Tag Landscape Ontario @green_for_life.

  • Include #InsuranceCrisis in your tweet

  • Given that Twitter has a character limit, you can place your tags in a reply to your own tweet. This will create a thread. You can also tell a longer story in this format.

  • Landscape Ontario will retweet some of the stories to draw more attention to them.
 
Key Messages:
 
It is important that you use your authentic voice to express these concepts. 
 
  • The cost of liability insurance for snow and ice operators is skyrocketing (if possible, include a concrete example. Such as your insurance increasing by a specific dollar amount, or a percentage)
  • If there is not a solution to the insurance issue, your business may not be able to operate this season, or you may have to lay off workers in an already difficult economy.
  • With difficult decisions being made by operators throughout the industry, you are worried about the public’s reaction that their safety is being compromised.
  • The likelihood that more salt will be employed to reduce liability risks undermines the government’s own plans for reducing the environmental damage caused by salt runoff 
  • MPP Norm Miller has introduced a bill that would limit the time for people to file slip and fall claims. This would help, but more is needed such as Smart About Salt guidelines and a “hold harmless” clause.
 
Suggested Tweets (customize them so that they are true for your situation):
 
The #insurancecrisis facing snow & ice operators resulted in my insurance costs increasing by $20,000 last winter. I don’t know what will happen this winter. We need @normmillerpc ‘s bill implemented and more to continue keeping the public safe! @douglasdowney @lparkpc @fordnation
 
Our insurance went up by XX% last season. We do everything we can to keep parking lots safe, but the #insurancecrisis is killing our small business. @Normmillers’s bill is a great first step and we need it passed and more has to be done to ensure all the small operators stay viable @douglasdowney @prab_sarkaria @fordnation 
 
Small businesses are struggling with #COVID19, and things won’t get better in the winter for us. Last year our insurance bill tripled. @normmillerpc has a great bill & @green_for_life has ideas to make it stronger @douglasdowney @fordnation
 
We are a small business in XXX & last year our insurance tripled. We do everything we can to keep parking lots safe, but the #insurancecrisis is killing our business. @Normmillerps’s bill is a great first step, but we need more @douglasdowney @prab_sarkaria @fordnation @rodphillips01