Though some new homes are being built to withstand baseball-sized hail, one northeast Calgary resident is wondering what will happen to the existing homes.

For nearly three decades, Harry Dhillon has watched the skies over northeast Calgary with growing unease.

The longtime resident has lived in his home since 1998 and said hail was never a major concern until a devastating storm struck in 2016. Since then, he believes damaging hail has become a recurring reality, bringing repeated repairs, rising insurance costs and uncertainty every summer.

“I don’t know how people can afford it,” Dhillon said. “Insurance has gone up, taxes have gone up, repairs have gone up. I don’t know how I’m surviving.”

His experience reflects a broader conversation in Calgary as one of Alberta’s largest homebuilders announces a shift toward more resilient construction.

Beginning Aug. 1, Calgary-based Homes by Avi will install UL Class 4 impact-resistant shingles on every new single-family home it builds in Alberta, becoming the first large-volume builder in the province to make the roofing standard across its detached homes.

The announcement comes after years of increasingly costly hailstorms. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Alberta has experienced at least one major hailstorm every year for the past two decades, resulting in more than $11 billion in insured losses, including $6 billion in the last five years alone.

Homes by Avi says its new roofs, supplied by BP Canada, are designed to better withstand hail and high winds, reducing damage and improving the long-term durability of homes.

The move is being welcomed by industry partners as a step toward more resilient housing, but it also raises one question for many existing homeowners.

Existing homeowners still paying the price

For Dhillon, the announcement is encouraging, but it also highlights the gap between new construction and established neighbourhoods.

He said stronger building materials should become the norm rather than an upgrade available only on new homes.

“If it’s mandatory, more materials will be used and hopefully they’ll become cheaper,” he said, adding that currently homeowners are absorbing the financial impact.

Dhillon said his annual property taxes have climbed from roughly $1,400 when he first moved into his home to about $4,700 today. His home insurance, he said, has increased from around $390 annually to roughly $3,700.

While his insurer has continued renewing his policy, he said premium increases have become difficult to absorb.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal said those concerns are common across northeast Calgary, an area repeatedly affected by severe hail.

“Insurance rates go up, premiums go up, deductibles go up,” Dhaliwal said.

He said residents regularly tell him affordability is becoming a growing challenge as rising insurance costs add to increasing household expenses.

“In some cases, insurance claims are taking months to be resolved,” he said.

“There need to be some changes to protect some of these people.”

Builder initiative welcomed, but broader changes needed

Dhaliwal called Homes by Avi’s decision to standardize impact-resistant roofing “a great start,” but said one builder alone will not solve the larger issue.

He said discussions involving municipalities, builders, insurers and higher levels of government are still needed to determine whether more resilient construction should become standard practice across hail-prone regions.

“If someone is buying a hail-resilient house, how does that translate into reduced insurance premiums and deductibles?” he said. “Those discussions are not happening.”

He also noted newer communities have still experienced significant hail damage in recent years, suggesting resilient roofing is only one part of a broader solution.

Dhaliwal said he has advocated for additional homeowner support, including attempting to revive a resilient roofing incentive program and exploring financing options through the City’s Clean Energy Improvement Program that could help residents spread the cost of upgrades over several years.

City encouraging homeowners to strengthen homes

While Calgary does not require impact-resistant roofing on homes, the City has expanded public guidance encouraging residents to better prepare for hail and high winds.

The City’s Climate Ready Home program recommends homeowners consider impact-resistant roofing materials, windows and doors when replacing aging products, particularly because Calgary sits within Canada’s “Hail Alley,” where climate projections suggest severe thunderstorms capable of producing larger hailstones are expected to become more frequent. 

The City also recommends choosing more resilient roofing designs for new homes and maintaining roofs before storm season. 

The guidance doesn’t recommend specific manufacturers or require particular products, instead encouraging homeowners to evaluate their home’s vulnerability and choose materials suited to Calgary’s increasingly severe weather. 

For Dhillon, any move toward stronger homes is welcome.

Until resilient building practices become more widespread and until insurance costs reflect those investments, he expects many longtime homeowners will continue facing the same annual anxiety whenever dark clouds begin gathering over northeast Calgary.

“They’re building stronger homes now,” he said. “That’s good. But people who’ve been here for years are still paying the price.”