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Spring Cleaning & Maintenance

Now that the snow and ice has almost all melted, it is important to take a look around our home to see if there are any repairs, updates or any cleaning required. We have more time than we have ever had at home, so we should be checking off these items before we start to get busy again. 

  • Landscaping: Cut and trim all vegetation and overgrown bushes from structures. Power raking and aerating your lawn is also a good idea if it hasn’t been done in a while.
  • Deck and Porches: Check your deck, patios, porches, stairs, and railings for any loose members and for any deterioration. Wood decks and fences need to be treated every 4-6 years, depending on how much exposure they get to sun and rain.
  • Sprinklers: Check your lawn sprinkler system for leaky valves, exposed lines, and improperly working sprinkler heads. If there is an area of your yard that collects too much water or doesn’t get enough, run the sprinklers to figure out the problem. If it’s not something you can fix yourself, call a professional before your lawn needs the water.
  • Gutters and downspouts: Pull out any leaves and debris from your gutters and downspouts. Re-attach gutters that have pulled away from the house. Run a hose on the roof and check for proper drainage. If a leak exists, dry the area and use caulking or epoxy to seal the leak.
  • Roof: Inspect roof surface, flashing, eaves, and soffits. Perform a thorough cleaning. Check flashings around all surface projections and sidewalls. Check for any loose shingles that may have been damaged from our Saskatchewan winds.
  • Foundation: Check the foundation walls, floors, concrete, and masonry for cracking, heaving, or any deterioration. If you can slide a nickel into a crack in your concrete floor, slab or foundation call a foundation repair professional near you immediately.
  • Siding: Clean siding with a pressure washer to keep mold from growing. Check all wood surfaces for weathering and paint failure. If wood is showing through, sand the immediate area and apply a primer coat before painting. If paint is peeling, scrape loose paint and sand smooth before painting.
  • Exterior caulking: Inspect caulking and replace if deteriorating. Scrape out all of the eroding caulk and recaulk needed area.
  • Window sills, door sills, and thresholds: Fill cracks, caulk edges, repaint or replace if necessary.
  • Window and door screens: Clean screening and check for holes. If holes are bigger than a quarter, that is plenty of room for bugs to climb in. Patch holes or replace the screen. Save the bad screen to patch holes next year.

If you notice significant damage to your home during the inspection. Please contact your insurance broker to file a claim. You have 1-2 years to claim any damage to your home if the damage is covered under your home insurance policy.

Protect yourself from water runoff & spring thaw

April has come in with a very “heavy” vibe to it. Heavy – with the eerie feelings we are having doing daily “unconscious” tasks like fueling up our vehicle, buying groceries, grabbing a coffee, just breathing in public, or being aware of how “moistly” we speak. It has also brought a heavy amount of snowfall. Now that the warmer weather is approaching, we may find ourselves with a water problem or runoff issues.

Over the past few years, our provincial government has slowly transferred responsibility of their PDAP flood program and put that burden on the public to now buy flood insurance. Not all people have purchased this coverage as they feel like they are on higher ground, or do not have a basement in their home/cabin/business, or they’re generally not concerned. It is important to be prepared for these events regardless of your position, and even if you HAVE purchased the coverage, you should still take precautions and try to prevent a potential loss as not all water losses are covered; even under this new water protection coverage.

What should I do to prevent damage to my home or place of business?
As a property owner, there are a number of things you should do to help prevent water damage.

  • Remove built-up snow/ice from the roof/eavestroughs to prevent ice damming.
  • Make sure downspouts are cleaned out, connected properly and are directed away from the building.
  • Shovel snow away from the perimeter of the building.
  • Confirm slope of the landscaping around the building sheds water away from the building.
  • Install a sump pump, pipe it away from property and have a backup power supply installed for added protection. If you already have a sump pump, test it to make sure it is working and ready to go.
  • Install a backup inline valve in your sewer line to prevent sewer water backing up into your basement.

What happens if I do these preventative measures and I still end up having water in my basement?

You can do everything right and still have a claim on your property. This is why insurance exists. They are not maintenance policies, but sudden and accidental policies to protect you from the unforeseen. If you have water protection coverage on your policy, you could potentially be covered for the following:

  • Surface water – This is where water on the surface of the ground enters the dwelling through a point, at or above, the surface of the ground.
  • Flood – This is damage caused by the rising of, breaking out or overflow of any body of water. 
  • Ground Water – damage to the home caused by water entering the home beneath the surface of the ground. Coverage will be provided only when it’s sudden and accidental, and it happens at the same time as a flood or surface water incident. 
  • Sewer Backup – Water or sewage accidentally discharged or escaped from the sewer, sump or septic tank.

However, that being said, not everything is covered. There is some confusion surrounding groundwater and the term “seepage.” Seepage is not usually covered. Some companies have started to develop some type of coverage for this peril, but most continue to exclude it.  Seepage, by definition, is the process by which a liquid (water) leaks slowly through a porous substance. Ie – Concrete Foundation. It is a slow constant process and therefore, not sudden and accidental. 

This is why it is important to have water shedding away from the foundation of the home. The more the water gathers around the house, the more likely it is, that you could have water seeping through a hole in your foundation and potentially have a water loss in your home. Sump pumps are a must nowadays with the high water table in the ground. Many locations like Warman or Martensville have a higher water table and the sump pumps in those areas are actively being used this time of year. So make sure they are maintained and ready for the season.

If you do have a water issue and need to submit a potential claim, please fill out our claim form online and submit it to our office, we will pass that information along to your insurance provider and we can get the process started. Please note that if you proceed with the claim, you will be responsible to pay for your deductible as that is your portion you are responsible for. 

If you have any further questions in regards to your policy or this coverage in particular, please contact your broker or request a copy of your wordings to review the coverage you have on your policy with your insurance carrier.

Even though the world has come to a halt, it is important to not stop ourselves, but to keep moving and focusing on protecting our assets and our family. Stay safe everyone.

Delivering Insurance in a “Socially Distant” environment.

The past 2.5 weeks, our cities, province, country and world have gone from a casual “it’s just a flu” response to full on “lockdown.” It seems surreal that we have all been “sent to our rooms,” so to speak, to help the healthcare system from collapsing.

These seem like drastic measures, and it is (at the cost of our economy), but keeping our loved ones healthy and our health care workers safe, is always more important than money (at least that’s the standards that I was raised with). “As long as you have your health, you can always make more money.” That being said, it is important to keep mentally and physically healthy during this time of self-isolation.

During this time, some businesses NEED to continue so that we can continue to live. Grocery Stores, Trucking Companies, Fuel Stations, Hospitals, Paramedics, Care-workers, etc. all need to continue to work despite putting themselves in harms way. To them, we are extremely grateful for their relentless & exhausting efforts during this time. There are a lot of other non-essential businesses that have had to adapt to the new norm and figure out how to work without going to work. This requires working from home or creating a delivery based system to their customers.

At Block’s Agencies, we fortunately had remote access capabilities, into our brokerage software already in place. We created data security measures to keep our data private and secure, and gave our teams the ability to access our client data from anywhere; giving us the ability to still operate as if nothing had changed.

During this stressful time, the government has made it very clear that gatherings and public outings should be minimized at all cost. So we have locked our doors to “self-isolate” and are trying our best to help flatten the curve. However, truckers still need to truck, drivers still need to drive and despite the lockdown, the world hasn’t stopped. So what are we doing to help deliver our customers the same service behind locked doors. Here is some Q&A to help answer some of those concerns:

Q.  I still need to renew my driver’s licenses and registrations. How can we do this?

A.  By calling, texting or emailing one of our branches (contact info at the bottom of this page) or by utilizing the MySGI tool on our website. You can text us at 306-992-2606.

Our team has call-forwarding and our email accounts are set up to track and monitor your requests. We can handle (pretty much) every situation for SGI inquiries, and if we can’t, we will find the source to help you out and get you looked after. Currently, we are asking clients to come pick up the licenses, registrations and plates outside our door. We have a drop-off / pickup area for people to pick up their new plates or other documentation that they may need.

Q.  What if I have an insurance claim? Is an adjuster still going to come out to investigate?

A.  It depends on the claim. Not all claims require someone in attendance, however, in the event that a large fire, accident or other event were to occur, there would likely be someone to attend the scene to make sure everything was looked after and that everybody was safe.

Q.  I bought a house. How can I get insurance on it? 

A.  If you call or email one of our branches or brokers, we can get you started remotely. We can set up a conference call or ZOOM conference to have a face-to-face meeting if that is what you would like. We have e-signature software set up and can handle all our applications and contracts via secure email.

Q.  Is this COVID-19 pandemic covered on my business policy as a “business interruption?”

A.  We would have to submit a claim request to your insurance provider to see if your policy wordings responded to this type of loss. However, based on the initial assessment of the insurance industry as a whole, it is rather unlikely as business interruption coverage responds when there is a direct loss from an insured peril (ie. fire or wind), then this coverage is triggered to that corresponding claim. Some wordings exclude pandemic, some are vague on the exclusion, so it is worth submitting the claim to see what the interpretation of your wordings will be.

Q. How long will your operations continue in this manner? When will things turn back to normal?

A.  As you can imagine, our operations will be decided on the recommendations of the Chief Health Officers of Canada and Saskatchewan. When they recommend that we can continue business as “usual.” We will update you and let you know when our doors have reopened.

We are grateful for your patience as we continue to navigate through these unknown waters. Your business is very important to us and we appreciate your support. Our people and our communities are our main priority and we want to be here for you during this stressful and chaotic time. Thank you for your continued patronage. It does not go unnoticed.

How do you get a new serial number for your vehicle?

Being in the province of Saskatchewan, we have had the privilege to be able to build our own vehicles (as long as they fall under the Provincial Vehicle Standards & Traffic Safety Act). Many people have built their own trailers or have rebuilt vehicles and require a new VIN to be assigned to the newly constructed vehicle.

Currently, SGI or any SGI Motor Licence Issuer, would be able to assign a new VIN number to homebuilt trailers. And you would have to deal with SGI claims or vehicle safety standards to inspect and assign the serial number. However, as of March 16th, 2020, those regulations will change and you will no longer be able to obtain those serial numbers from SGI. 

Effective March 16th, 2020, SGI has partnered with VIN Verification Services Inc, to assist with assigning these new VIN serial numbers. If you want a new serial number assigned to your vehicle, you will have to visit assignedvin.ca and apply for a new serial number. 

How much is this going to cost me?

  • If you are requiring a serial number for a motorized vehicle or heavy trailer, it will cost you $500 plus tax for this serial number.
  • If you require a serial number for a single-axle trailer, this will cost you $175 plus tax.

Alright, now what happens?

  • You will be contacted by VIN Verification Services (VVS) to make arrangements on how this VIN will be assigned. Examination will happen within 30 days of receiving payment.
  • An investigator will visit the customer to review, inspect and validate the vehicle or trailer as well as the ownership documents.
  • For more information on the process and what goes into the inspection, please click here.

If approved, a VIN will be issued and applied to the vehicle or trailer on site. The customer will then receive documentation once the VIN has been issued, which they will use to register the vehicle.

Why are they making these changes?

This process will help reduce crime by stopping the fabrication of unapproved and false VIN numbers, it will help with consumer protection as well as adding no additional costs to our government for these services. If you would like more information, please contact our office or visit assignedvin.ca.

Be my valentine!…and also…insurance stuff.


Do you love your family? That can be an easy question or a complicated one. We get incredible mileage out of this old tired word, “Love,” don’t we?  We tell someone we love them and then in the very same breath we say how we “love pizza” or “love that show Grace and Frankie!”

Some other cultures define love in a more broken down way. I like the idea of splitting the word love into segments as I don’t feel it truly does justice to all the usages we have for it. In Hebrew for example, they have 3 words for love. Raya, Ahava & Dod. 

  • The word “Raya” is used in context with a friend or companion. We would use this in the context of “She’s my best friend” or “I really enjoy this person or thing.” 
  • The word “Ahava” is deep affection, a sense of desire to be with someone so much your heart aches. You can think of little else. 
  • Lastly is the word “Dod.” This word is the erotic side of the coin. Where your chemistry and physicality of the relationship comes into form. 

So again, I ask, do you love your family?  What does that mean for your spouse, your children or your extended family? The reason I ask, is so often we hear the expression “I would do anything for my family!” and “Family is the most important thing,” and yet so often, we overlook them. We look past their needs and are only out for our own selfish gains.

I want you to strongly consider what is important to your family, your close friends or co-workers and see what you can do to show them that you love them and cherish them. Might be as simple as buying them a coffee, a surprise night out with a babysitter already lined up, or showing up to your kids ballgame or dance recital. Love can be expressed in action, words, or time.

Wait a minute, isn’t this an insurance blog?

Yes, yes it is. Buried way down (if you’re still reading) we have a “lovely” insurance plug. We recommend everyone to purchase a life insurance policy. This is to help protect your loved ones from financial hardship if something terrible happens to you. You don’t want to burden them with funeral costs, lost income, mortgage payments, car payments, daycare costs, all these expenses on top of the fact that their loved one is no longer around. These days can be dark. We want to help shed light onto those days. Please talk to one of our life insurance specialists to get your family set up right. These policies put in place at a young age are fairly inexpensive and can help your family immensely if you were tragically taken from this earth.

How “roaring” are these 20s going to be?


We are on Day 7 of this new decade. The “Roaring 20s.” It seems very strange to think that this past year was the end of the decade. It has felt like since 2000, we have been living in a new era of the “2000s” and the perspective of time has been skewed. I often think, “Oh a 2001 truck is still pretty new!” Then realize that in 10 years, it will be an antique! Wild! Time is just flying by. To think that every day now revolves around online streaming and internet content and it has only been “mainstream” since 1993! Most of us had dial-up internet through the Y2K Armageddon Debacle. Now, between Netflix, Amazon, and Social Media, our lives pivot on the axis of this new Net-World.

So looking forward, what is to come? What will the next decade bring? These are the exciting questions that many are asking, and many others are building and creating. Tesla continues to create innovative autonomous products. Google, Apple & Microsoft are developing new technology all the time to house all this data that we continue to create. To put that into perspective, YouTube has 500 hours of fresh video content added every minute.That works out to 30,000 hours of new content per hour, and 720,000 hours of new content per day. No wonder we are addicted. There is no way we can keep up to that amount of content. This is unreal. To think, that just 25 years ago, television ENDED at 12pm every night. Our minds are always on, because the content never stops. It is hard to grasp and actually find time to shut down and unwind. 

Just like these companies and the products they offer, insurance companies are continuing to innovate and develop new technology to help their consumers as well. In fact, Block’s Agencies just created “Saskatchewan’s FIRST Digital Insurance Brokerage” called Mello Insurance. With Mello Insurance, you can purchase Condo or Renters Insurance online INSTANTLY. You can also make billing changes, policy changes ANYTIME, online through your customer portal. We are currently developing Home, Auto & Travel Insurance products and should be up in early 2020.

Mello Insurance offers the very best coverage, with the most convenience for our customers. We understand that business doesn’t end at 5pm and so with our platform, you can continue to make those changes on your time. We also understand that in the event of a claim, you still want people in your corner; so even though we are a digital company, we still have great people who will continue to support you through your hardships and give you that small town customer service you expect.

Technology continues to advance and blow our minds. In our industry, we know we need to continue to advance, however, we also know it is people that are at our core and make our business valuable. We know a robot will not have the same level of customer service and bedside manner as an actual person does, when your basement is flooded. However, we know that you want to shop, be efficient, and make changes to your policy on your own time. So we are working around the clock to offer every level of service imaginable.

With that in mind, as we move into the twenties, we need to continue to think outside the box and push ourselves. Whether it is in our own business, our work ethic, trying to be healthier or in helping the environment. Let us be better and work together to make this decade the best one yet.