IBC advises Greenstone residents to protect their homes during natural gas outage

TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2014 /CNW/ - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) urges residents of Greenstone, located northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario, to take steps to prevent their pipes from freezing in the event they must leave their homes as a result of the current natural gas service outage.

"We urge you to stay safe and to take a few easy measures to protect your property from water damage as a result of burst pipes during the outage," says Ralph Palumbo, IBC Vice-President, Ontario.

If possible, take these precautions before you are evacuated or must leave your home:

• Turn off the water where it comes in to the home and drain your pipes.
• If you are unable to drain your pipes, leave a tap running slowly to avoid frozen water lines.
• Prevent exposed pipes from freezing by wrapping them in insulation sleeves or wrapping.
• Move valuable items from the basement to upper floors.
• If flooding is imminent, shut off electricity to areas of the home that might be affected.

Restoring service for residents is under way and may take time. If you have any insurance-related questions or concerns, please contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-800-387-2880.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to celebrate 50 years as a valuable resource for insurance information. Since 1964, IBC has been working with governments across Canada to make our communities safer, championing issues that directly affect Canadians and the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. IBC is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the P&C insurance market in Canada. The P&C insurance industry employs over 118,600 Canadians, pays more than $7 billion in taxes and levies to the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has a total premium base of $46 billion.

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If you require more information, IBC spokespeople are available to discuss the details in this media release.

SOURCE: Insurance Bureau of Canada

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