Toronto, ON � June 7, 2011 � Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to present awards to the Ontario communities with the highest participation rates per capita in the Emergency Preparedness Challenge presented by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO).
“We are pleased to recognize those communities with residents who have taken steps to be better prepared for disaster,” said Ralph Palumbo, Vice-President, Ontario, IBC. “Our industry has seen first-hand the devastating impact that disasters can have on individuals, families and communities. Especially with many recent examples of disasters around the world � fires, tornadoes, flooding and more � the time to get prepared is now.”
The Emergency Preparedness Challenge, which ran throughout the month of May, is a provincial initiative aimed at increasing Ontarians� awareness and understanding of emergency preparedness. The winning communities will each be presented with $2,000 from IBC that can be used toward further enhancing their local emergency preparedness programs. The winning communities are: Temagami, Temiskaming Shores, Sault Ste. Marie, Chatham-Kent, Timiskaming District and Aamjiwnaang (First Nations).
“Hats off to the communities that participated in the Emergency Preparedness Challenge. And hats off to Insurance Bureau of Canada for partnering with Emergency Management Ontario to bring to the public�s attention the importance of being ready for an emergency before it happens,” said Jim Bradley, Ontario Minister of Community Safety.
Additionally, IBC will recognize four Ontario schools for their commitment to emergency preparedness. Each winning school, randomly selected from eligible entries received throughout the month of May, will receive $1,500 from IBC. The winning schools are: Ruthven Public School (Kingsville), Princess Elizabeth Public School (Orangeville), Don Mills Collegiate Institute (North York) and �cole �l�mentaire catholique Saint-Joseph (Sturgeon Falls).
“We hope that the students who participated in the Emergency Preparedness Challenge with their school will take the important messages they learned home to help their families be better prepared for disaster,” added Palumbo. “If every household does its part, Ontario communities will be more resilient in the face of disaster.”
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada is the national industry association representing Canada�s private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. The P&C insurance industry employs over 114,000 Canadians, pays more than $7 billion in taxes to the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has a total premium base of $40 billion.
To view media releases and information, visit the media section of IBC�s website at www.ibc.ca.
