'We can't move ahead,' Family stuck in limbo after hurricane destroys home
Hurricane Fiona is one of the most catastrophic events to hit Atlantic Canada; weeks later, many have found their insurance won't cover the damage.
"We're hearing more often of insurance companies turning them down," said Brian Button, mayor of Port aux Basques. "We are hearing more denials than we are of the positive coverage."
As homes in the small Newfoundland coastal town were ripped from foundations and pulled out to sea, people like the Savery family, who moved to the town from the Barrie area three years ago, are still searching for answers.
A photo of their iconic blue home teetering on the edge of a cliff was shared worldwide, capturing the moment before it was torn apart by wind and waves.
An Ontario family's iconic blue house is swept away in Hurricane Fiona's path in Port aux Basques, N.L. (Courtesy: R. Roy Wreckhouse Press)
Peggy Savery said she initially understood that her claim was denied, but on Wednesday was told it's still up in the air.
After receiving a letter on October 8, that stated in part, "We reserve the right based on your insurance policy terms and conditions to close your file without compensation regardless of whether the investigation has to be completed or not."
"They know they are the reason why we can't move ahead," said Savery. "To find out that we're being held up even longer because of our insurance company is very frustrating."
She said until she knows one way or the other, her family is stuck in limbo and applying for any federal or provincial disaster relief.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), storm surges are not typically covered by insurance, even with an add-on policy to cover floods.
"The risk modelling for storm surge and what causes the ocean to enter homes and properties, that modelling needs to be further developed," said Amanda Dean, vice president of Atlantic IBC.
The situation is exposing gaps in an industry trying to catch up as disasters become more frequent and unpredictable.
"That's why our industry is so motivated to sit at the table with government and talk about private and public partnerships in order to help those who are at the highest risk," said Dean.
In the meantime, the road to recovery is littered with more questions than answers.
"Back in the day, it was necessary to build the homes by the sea, but is it today? That's the question we have to ask ourselves," said Button.
As many wait to see what provincial and federal support they may qualify for, a GoFundMe campaign for the Savery's has raised nearly $50,000.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Large numbers of New York City police officers begin entering Columbia University campus
Large numbers of New York City police officers began entering the Columbia University late Tuesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters remained on the campus.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
CSE says it shared information on Chinese hacking of parliamentarians in 2022
While several MPs and senators say they were only recently made aware of China-backed hackers targeting them, the Communications Security Establishment, one of Canada's intelligence agencies, says it shared information about the incident with parliamentary officials in June of 2022.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Eviction for landlord's use was legitimate, despite owners' partial move, B.C. court rules
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.