Repair plans on ice for many Calgarians with hail-pummelled property

Severe summer weather will likely leave some Calgarians with troubles this winter, as many people with property pummelled by hail continue to wait for repairs.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada would not say how many claims have been finalized three months after the storms that hit Calgary on Aug. 5, generating more than 130,000 damage claims.

"We would ask for people's patience," said Aaron Sutherland with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

"It is going to take time. There simply aren't enough contractors able to do this work."

Hail shattered two large windows in Puneet Sohal's home in the community of Redstone on Aug. 5, but three months later, her family is still waiting to have them repaired.

"Hopefully, we get it fixed before winter. If not...of course, the snow's going to come, water is going to come, everything is going to get wet again," Sohal said.

Her family put plywood and plastic over their damaged windows, but she worries how it will stand up against the cold and snow.

The Aug. 5 hailstorms set a record for insured losses caused by hail, totalling nearly $2.8 billion.

"This event was the second costliest in Canadian history from an insurance standpoint," Sutherland said.

He says only the Fort McMurray fire in 2016 cost more.

Water gushing into Calgary International Airport on Aug. 5 closed domestic terminal B and YYC said that area is expected to remain closed for repairs until 2026.

About 10 per cent of WestJet's fleet was damaged by hail in the storm.

WestJet sent CTV a statement confirming 12 of the 17 planes have been repaired and returned to service as of Nov. 5.

Others' modes of transportation remain in limbo.

Chloe Burrows says her insurance provider first declared her Jeep a write-off, then said it wasn't.

While she is thankful it is still driveable, she was told repairs are needed to prevent electrical damage.

"It blows my mind that it's November. This happened in August, and I still have giant dents and holes in (my vehicle), so now, there's going to be water damage in my Jeep," she said.

After CTV interviewed Burrows, her insurance provider contacted her and once again said her vehicle will be a write-off.

She is relieved because she said finding a car-repair appointment and rental vehicle would be challenging due to the demand from all the claims.

Meanwhile, Sohal expects higher heating bills until the windows on the main and top floor of her home get fixed.

"Sometimes, it gets cold in that area, so we have to put the heat really up," she said.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says available staff in other regions have been diverted to help with the Calgary storm claims but couldn't give a timeframe of when all the claims may be resolved.