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Protect your business from freezing up: Winter tips and tricks for Canadian business owners

TL;DR – Winter tips to protect your business

  • Winter weather can disrupt operations and cause damage, with many businesses affected by seasonal events—making preparation essential to reduce risks.
  • For businesses with outdoor work or travel (e.g., contractors), using proper winter gear, clearing snow/ice, winterizing vehicles, and having backup power (like generators) can help prevent accidents and downtime.
  • Retail and restaurant businesses should focus on customer safety by removing snow/water from floors, using mats, and reducing slip‑and‑fall hazards during high foot traffic. 
  • Prevent property damage by maintaining heating systems and insulating pipes to avoid freezing or bursting, which can lead to costly water damage.
  • Insurance coverage—such as commercial property and general liability—can help protect against winter risks like property damage and customer injuries.

Bottom line: Preparing your business for winter—through safety measures, maintenance, and the right insurance—can help reduce risks and keep operations running smoothly during harsh weather.

Winter is coming. A thought that brings joy to some Canadians but can be concerning to others. As a business owner, the Canadian winter is nothing to sneeze at. According to Statistics Canada, 1 in 10 businesses are affected by weather-related issues and nearly 1 in 5 businesses were not prepared for those events. In a report by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), weather events have impacted almost 31% of small business owners across the nation.

While weather events and their effects can't be completely avoided, you can always strive to be prepared for them to minimize potential losses to your business. Let's discuss a few tips and tricks that might help protect your business this season.

Contractors

Being quite a dynamic industry which may include traveling, working with power tools and heavy machinery, there are quite a few ways winter can impact such businesses. Here are a few tips that may help prevent accidents:

1.      Safety/seasonal gear: Ensure you and your team are equipped with waterproof, snow boots, jackets and gloves. Safety goggles are also advised since they help with unobstructed vision.

2.      Clear out snow/ice: Accumulated snow may turn into ice which becomes a slip and fall hazard.

3.      Winterize your vehicles: Consider changing to winter tires for better traction along with a washer fluid swap which can help with visibility.

4.      Electricity backup: Having a generator can be crucial since it isn't uncommon to lose electricity due to heavy snowfall.

Retail and Restaurants

With winter comes the seasonal rush to shop and dine. But the heavy foot traffic could lead to more chances of slip and fall. Here are a few tips to try and steer clear of such events:

1.      Snow/water removal: Try and periodically dry off the floors and install winter mats at the entrance to help brush the snow off boots.

2.      Plumbing: Insulate any uninsulated indoor pipes found along exterior walls, and pipes that are located outside. Outdoor pipes may freeze and burst if left uninsulated which may cause water damage to the property.

3.      HVAC/AC: Ensure your heating units are well-maintained for the season. If you provide outdoor seating, good space heaters are a must along with a leak-proof, sturdy roof that can deal with a good snowfall.

Protecting your business with TD Insurance

At TD Insurance we can help you with your business insurance needs, no matter the season. Here are some of the options we offer.

  1. Commercial General Liability Insurance: This type of insurance protects your business from third party liability. This includes events like slip and fall accidents.
  2. Commercial Property Insurance: Helps protect your workplace and its contents from covered risks. It also provides business interruption insurance in case your business needs to temporarily shut down.
  3. Commercial Auto Insurance: Protects you, your registered drivers, and your vehicle from covered risks. This includes covered at-fault accidents and weather-related events.

The right kind of coverage can keep your business going, all season, every season. You can explore  the options at TD Insurance or speak with a Licensed TD Insurance Advisor (1-855-724-2883) for more details.

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FAQs

While it isn't mandatory, it certainly helps with attracting more customers or getting the job done without snow or ice-related incidents or at least reducing the chances of any.

Changing to winter tires may not be mandatory (unless you live in Quebec where they are mandatory) but can be helpful to navigate seasonal changes like ice and snow. This can attribute to an increase in driver safety as well. Also, some insurers may offer a discount in prices if winter tires are used.

 The content on this page is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Any coverages described herein may be subject to additional eligibility criteria, limitations and exclusions. In the event you make a claim, potential indemnification is also subject to the receivability of the claim and the type of coverage you bought.

In the case of conflict between the content on this page and your policy wordings, your policy wordings shall prevail. Please speak to an Advisor or consult your policy wordings for further details.