AMA puts brakes on recreational auto insurance following Fort McMurray wildfire

An Alberta automotive insurer says it's not offeringrecreational autoinsurance to any new clients in Fort McMurray in the wake of the wildfire, including for motorcycles and ATVs.

MathewWesolowski, chief operating officer at the Alberta Motor Association Insurance Company,saidMonday the insurer has not provided anynew clients with recreational coverage since the May wildfire.

"Right now we are focusing on those individuals in Fort McMurray who are our customers and have suffered losses and damages as a result of the fire," Wesolowski said.

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Wesolowski couldn't say when AMA would resume offering new recreational vehicle coverage, but said it would not happen until after nearly all other insurance claims were settled.

AMA customers with existing recreational insurance are able to renew their policies, he said.

Wesolowski said AMAhas received over 8,000 wildfire insurance claims and has settled more than 7,000.

'Just disappointed'

Fort McMurray resident Steve Halecomplained to AMAwhen he could not insure his two motorcycles in March because of the insurer's new policy.

He had allowed his previousAMA insurance tolapse in Septemberand wanted to reinstate his policies in time to hit the roadthis spring, he said.

"I called them and they put me on a long hold as soon as I told them I was from Fort McMurray," Hale said. "When the (AMA representative) came back he said that for our region that they could not insure me."

"I'mmostly just disappointed," he added.

Steve Kee, a spokesperson with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said in an email to the CBC that he has not seen a trend among insurers of rolling back their coveragein the Fort McMurray region.

Kee saidinsurance buyers in Alberta have many choices for recreational insurance and he encouragedanyone to shop around for the right coverage.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada considers May's forest fire one of Canada's costliestinsured disasters.

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