Northview renters in Yellowknife discover default tenant insurance won't cover evacuation costs

When Karmella Solomon fled Yellowknife after the evacuation order was issued last month, the cost of leaving wasn't on her mind. 

"We weren't prepared, but initially of course we just thought about our safety," she said.

She needed to cover necessities like clothes, gas and accommodations, and decided to look into the tenant insurance that she was automatically registered for when she signed a lease with Northview, the largest residential property company in Yellowknife. 

After speaking with an adjuster about her claim, it seemed like her living expenses would be covered.

"I was really happy about it, I was like, 'oh they really care about us,'" she said. 

She ended up booking a hotel for a night and bought some necessities, thankful she wouldn't be saddled with the costs. But on Aug. 28, nearly two weeks after the evacuation order went out, she was informed by Sharp Insurance that unless her property itself was damaged, none of their costs would be covered. 

"It was really disappointing because it was a contradiction to what the initial adjustor had told me," she said. 

"We're already anxious about what's going on… We're stretching our funds just to survive this evacuation."

Daniel Wahba, a spokesperson for Sharp Insurance, sent an emailed response to CBC News saying the company would ensure that Sharp clients "affected by the wildfires in Yellowknife receive the insurance coverage that they are entitled to."

The statement said brokers are currently in communication with the insurance provider and claims adjusters.

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires."

Solomon wasn't alone in her discovery as multiple other Northview tenants showed CBC News the emails they'd received, saying they wouldn't be covered unless the property was damaged.

The tenants who reached out also weren't aware of what their policy included before the evacuation order. 

CBC News received multiple Northview lease agreements that don't detail what the policy is, just a few handwritten words on the document that say "insurance included" or just "included."