Burnaby: School Risk Management in a Growing City
Neighbouring Vancouver’s northeast corner, Burnaby, British Columbia, is a growing and diverse community. Growth brings both opportunity and risk. For the city’s many educational institutions, managing that risk requires Burnaby school insurance.
Diversity is no idle boast for Burnaby: More than half of its residents are fluent in a language other than English or French. Diversity also defines the city’s business climate. Cutting-edge pioneers in fuel cells and fusion energy have joined Burnaby’s long-established petroleum refiners.
The city’s population broke the quarter-million mark in 2020. Now adding new residents at a 1.56% annual clip, Burnaby is one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. A catalyst for that growth is the city’s mix of public, independent and vocational schools. In each of these three categories, school leaders confront particular insurance challenges.
Burnaby School Insurance: Public Schools
While all of Burnaby’s elementary and secondary public schools share common risks, no two institutions face identical risk profiles. To maximize the value of every coverage dollar, risk reduction is essential. HUB International’s Risk Services Team answers this need.
Leveraging our experience with thousands of schools spanning North America, the Risk Services Team provides practical solutions for campus safety, student travel hazards, cybersecurity and other risks.
In the 1970s, Burnaby pioneered the concept of community schools. These schools aim to foster cooperation between community stakeholders:
- Faculty
- Students
- Parents
- Businesses
- Civic groups
Nearly 50 years later, the project continues to thrive. As part of this mission, community schools aim to maximize the use of school grounds. To keep this goal on track, community schools must ensure that their property and casualty insurance covers these additional risks. HUB International’s risk assessment teams are well-equipped to keep pace with the ever-evolving needs of this project.
Burnaby School Insurance: Independent Schools
Over decades, Burnaby’s independent schools built a reputation for challenging their students. Those pupils answered. Test scores from several of the city’s independent schools are among the highest in the province.
While British Columbia offers limited support to independent schools that meet strict guidelines, these tuition-based institutions must maintain their reputations to survive. Those reputations hinge on the school’s faculty. For the leaders of these schools, faculty retention is essential for earning the confidence of parents.
Our research indicates that the working environment and support system outweigh the salary for independent school faculty members. On top of the same Burnaby school insurance coverage and claims service we offer for public schools, HUB International has the depth to structure employee benefits packages. Leveraging this breadth of service helps retain both faculty members and hard-won institutional reputations.
Burnaby’s Vocational Schools: Unique Risks
In keeping with Burnaby’s diversity, the city’s 19 vocational schools feature curricula spanning building trades, business courses, health care, video production, the arts and Chinese medicine.
All of these schools aim to prepare students for the workplace. On top of the risks incurred at any school, vocational institutions often require additional coverage that reflects job site hazards.
To meet that need, your HUB International broker can call on the same workplace safety professionals who tackle healthcare, manufacturing and construction site issues. Burnaby’s vocational schools face competition across Metro Vancouver. Our workplace safety experience helps these schools keep tuition competitive and the bottom line healthy.