Spotlight on Risk & Resilience: A Conversation with Gaelan Porter
Navigating the world of strata insurance in British Columbia is no easy task, and no one knows that better than Gaelan Porter. As the leader of HUB International’s Real Estate Strata Insurance Practice in BC, Gaelan brings strategic insight and hands-on experience to her work supporting property managers across the province. Her team collaborates with strata managers to solve insurance challenges, reduce risk and strengthen council decision-making. We spoke with Gaelan about market trends, the role of risk education and the value of a strong broker-client relationship.
Question: Can you tell us about your role at HUB and how your team supports stratas across BC?
Gaelan: Absolutely. I lead a specialized team at HUB that focuses on strata insurance in British Columbia. We work closely with property managers, council members and insurers to navigate the unique challenges of strata properties — whether that’s helping new developments get off the ground, securing competitive renewal terms or addressing complex claims. Our goal is to support our clients with strategic advice, strong insurer relationships and risk management solutions that protect their communities and keep premiums sustainable.
I’ve been with HUB for almost two years now, and before that, I worked for a large property management company for a decade. When I joined HUB, I was genuinely blown away by how many services and resources are available to support property managers, council members and owners — many of them complimentary. From risk management to claims advocacy to disaster planning to AI contract review, there’s a lot we can offer to make your role easier and your strata more resilient.
Q: We’ve seen a lot of changes in the strata insurance market in recent years. What trends are you seeing now and what should strata councils and property managers be preparing for over the next year?
G: The past few years have been a wild ride for the strata insurance market. It feels like just yesterday that many strata corporations were hit with sharp premium increases and sky-high deductibles, which in some cases, they couldn’t even get coverage. That shift came after it became clear the market had been underpriced for years, especially as claims from water damage and fire started piling up.
The good news is that things are changing. We’re in a much softer market with insurance becoming more affordable and easier to get thanks to a combination of improved insurer profitability and better technology, like advanced risk modeling.
That said, the insurance market tends to swing, so I always tell strata clients to focus on what they can control. For instance, around 70% to 75% of claims come from water damage; 25% are linked to human error, and 50% are due to things such as poor maintenance — think aging pipes or leaky building envelopes — and the rest stem from weather events.
So, if your building had a burst pipe last winter, don’t wait. Get ahead of it by insulating exposed pipes, checking parkade drainage (a system designed to collect waste flows from parking-level garages), replacing missing insulation and winterizing early. Being proactive reduces the risk of loss, keeps your building insurable and helps you ride out market ups and downs with fewer surprises.
Q: What emerging risks or changes should strata managers and councils keep an eye on, such as concerns associated with climate, legislation or building infrastructure?
G: Despite a positive outlook for 2025, last year Canada saw over $8.5 billion in catastrophic losses driven by wildfires in Jasper, hail in Calgary and flooding in Ontario and Quebec. Climate-related events are becoming more frequent and more severe, and insurers are looking at how well properties are prepared.
As climate risks intensify, one of the most effective ways strata corporations can protect a property is with routine building maintenance. Keeping up with small tasks, like clearing gutters, checking drains and spotting issues early, can prevent much bigger problems later.
A few key actions strata councils and property managers can take include scheduling routine building inspections, using fire-resistant landscaping, keeping drainage systems in good shape, installing sump pumps, using other water diversion measures and, of course, staying compliant with local fire codes.
By taking proactive steps, stratas can better protect their assets and improve insurability, which can help stabilize premiums even as climate risks grow.
Q: From a risk management perspective, what practical steps can stratas take to reduce claims or better prepare their buildings?
G: Although I’m an insurance professional, I also have a graduate degree in disaster and emergency management, so I tend to look at things through that lens.
One simple formula from emergency planning that really sticks with me is Risk = Hazard × Vulnerability.
In a strata context, that means hazards are the threats — things like floods, fires or something as simple as an overflowing tub — and vulnerability is how exposed your building is to those threats — aging infrastructure, poor maintenance or no emergency plan. The more you reduce the hazard or the vulnerability, the more resilient your strata becomes.
My favorite definition of resilience is the ability to adapt under pressure. One of the best ways to do that is through community. Creating connections among residents, encouraging volunteerism and forming committees, such as a risk or emergency planning group, can go a long way.
For example, if you are creating a water incident response plan, you need to first identify people on the council or in the building who can respond to water emergencies after hours. You’ll need to share a building-wide notice with clear response steps and emergency contact numbers, including the property manager’s after-hours line. These volunteers will need to be trained and shown where shut-off valves are and how to use them, as well as know where spill kits are stored and have access to them.
Speaking of shut-offs, it’s ideal if owners and tenants know the location of shut-offs in their units, and that all new residents are instructed on how to use them as part of the move-in process. It’s a small step that can prevent a lot of damage.
Q: Insurance terms and renewals can be daunting for council members. What tips or tools does your team use to help property managers communicate effectively with councils?
G: During the hard market, the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) found that many strata councils and owners didn’t fully understand their risk profile. Insurance can feel overwhelming, especially for new council members. After all, it’s a complex financial product.
At HUB, we try to simplify that. Insurers look at four main things when assessing a strata: construction, occupancy, fire protection and exposures. Our 2025 Market Outlook breaks this down in more detail.
One of the best ways to stay ahead of renewal season is to connect with your broker about 90 days before your policy renews. That’s when they’re putting together the renewal submission, and it’s your chance to share updates — like completed maintenance or claims prevention efforts — that can help present your property in the best possible light.
Some other things you can do are to invite your broker to a council meeting before renewal, so they can walk through policy details and explain any changes or exclusions. You can also have them attend the AGM to present the insurance report directly to owners, which takes the pressure off volunteer council members.
Finally, ask your broker about claims support before anything happens. We offer tools, such as a large loss toolkit, to help councils prepare for worst-case scenarios and improve communication if a major claim arises.
Getting these timelines in sync can streamline the process and reduce confusion down the road.
Q: Can you share a success story where your team helped a property manager navigate a difficult insurance issue or improve a building’s coverage and risk profile?
G: Last year, we worked with a large, high-rise strata that had struggled with major water losses and, as a result, rising insurance premiums over the years. The property manager contacted HUB almost a year in advance of the renewal, which gave us time to engage our Risk Services team, who worked closely with the strata council and property manager to assess the issues and put a water mitigation plan in place.
They made real improvements based on our recommendations — procedures, maintenance and owner awareness. We pulled all of that into a detailed risk report, which we shared with insurers ahead of renewal.
The result? Over $400,000 in premium savings. More importantly, the building’s risk profile improved significantly, and the strata council gained more confidence in its approach to risk management.
This success story shows what’s possible when everyone works together — broker, property manager, council and insurer — and sees insurance not just as a once-a-year transaction, but as an ongoing partnership.
It also brings to life that simple formula: Risk = Hazard × Vulnerability. You may not be able to control every hazard, but by reducing vulnerability through proactive planning, you can reduce your overall risk and save money doing it.
Q: If you could clear up one common misconception about strata insurance, what would it be?
G: I know that strata property managers and strata councils are busy — they’re juggling dozens of vendors and are always under pressure to keep costs down.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that strata insurance is just another line item on the budget, a transactional expense like any other vendor. The truth is that insurance can play a much bigger role in improving the safety and quality of life for residents. That’s why I encourage stratas to take a “systems thinking approach.”
What does that mean? It’s about looking at the building as an interconnected whole, not just a collection of individual parts. A small roof leak, for example, isn’t just a maintenance issue. Left unresolved, it could cause water damage, then mold, then health issues for residents, higher claims, rising premiums and budget shortfalls that delay future repairs or require levies.
With systems thinking, strata councils and property managers can spot how one issue can ripple across the whole building, address root causes instead of just symptoms and make smarter and proactive decisions that prevent bigger problems down the line.
It’s a shift in mindset, but it can have a real impact on both insurance outcomes and the overall health of the community.
Closing thoughts
Gaelan Porter’s insights remind us that strata insurance is more than just premiums and policies — it’s about protecting people, property and community wellbeing. By taking a proactive, systems-based approach and building strong partnerships between councils, property managers and brokers, stratas can reduce risk, improve insurability and make more informed decisions.