Manitoba Public Insurance opens dedicated centre for what could be record number of hail claims

Manitoba Public Insurance opened a "hail response centre" Wednesday to deal with what is on pace to be a record-setting number of claims related to a single weather event.

Too soon to tell whether insurance rates will climb after significant hail damage, MPI says

· Posted: Jun 18, 2026 7:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 19

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Manitoba Public Insurance chief claims officer John Bowering says the corporation is aiming to filter 300 claims through a dedicated 'catastrophe centre' for people whose vehicles were damaged during a hailstorm on June 9. (Jaison Empson/CBC)Manitoba drivers pulled into a newly opened "hail response centre" Thursday, where they waited as Manitoba Public Insurance estimators on ladders peered over the tops of the vehicles to assess storm damage, ranging from small dimples to the dents the size of golf balls.

Sitting in his silver SUV as it was being assessed, Ferdinand Loria said his son went to work in the vehicle on June 9, the night a severe hailstorm hit Winnipeg.

"Next day I looked at it and it was peppered with dents," said Loria.

Hailstones ranging in size from nickels to tennis balls were reported across Winnipeg that night, while in some rural areas, they were the size of baseballs.

MPI's hail response centre — located at its Gateway Service Centre in East Kildonan — opened Wednesday to deal with what's on pace to become a record number of incoming claims related to a single storm.

The insurer expects to complete 300 claim estimates per day, with estimators filtering cars out within 15 to 20 minutes. The centre is expected to be open for two to three months.

"The [claim] numbers have been larger than anything we've seen in our history," said MPI vice-president and chief claims officer John Bowering.

The Crown corporation says there have already been 22,000 claims — most from Winnipeg — but that's expected to climb over 30,000.

A typical hailstorm usually results in 7,000 to 8,000 claims, said Bowering. The current record was from a 1996 hailstorm that led to about 24,000.

Manitoba Public Insurance opened its dedicated facility for hail-damage claims at its Gateway Service Centre on Wednesday. (Justin Fiacconi/CBC)

MPI's online claims process, implemented after a 2023 storm that led to 16,000 calls, has also "really helped with call volumes and processing time," said Bowering, with thousands of appointments for estimates booked online.

As well, customers who have a damaged windshield can go to an accredited autobody or glass repair shop to open a claim and arrange for a temporary repair, regardless of whether they've begun the claims process.

Some of the drivers at the centre Thursday said they were pleased with how it's working.

Will Mantik, who had his car assessed, said when the storm hit, it sounded like his car was constantly being hit by golf balls as he drove to work.