Intact Financial Corporation has introduced an enhanced version of its Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program for 2024.
The company is doubling its investment, allocating $2 million over the next two years to finance practical solutions for municipalities, registered charities, and Indigenous communities facing extreme weather challenges like flooding and wildfires.
“As the frequency and severity of extreme weather continues to increase, we are doubling down on helping people and communities adapt to a changing climate,” said Carla Smith (pictured), executive vice president and chief strategy, climate, and people officer at Intact.
“Through our Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program, we fund locally driven projects that support real, proven adaptation solutions to help build climate-resilient communities.”
The grants will prioritize initiatives that implement proven adaptation methods, such as those identified by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo.
Eligible projects must target communities and residents most vulnerable to climate change impacts and demonstrate concrete success indicators with potential scalability.
In 2022, Intact invested $1 million across 10 climate adaptation projects in the country.
“We are proud of the partnerships and results we achieved through the 2022 Municipal Climate Resiliency Grant program, and there’s so much more to do,” said Glenn Minnis, president and principal broker of Intact Public Entities.
“We’re in a unique position to help bring these projects to life and, with twice the available funds, we are excited to once again see the ingenuity and practicality of the projects submitted to support people and communities adapt to a changing climate.”
Previous grant recipients include the City of Fredericton in New Brunswick, which developed a flood risk portal, and the City of Charlottetown in PEI, which implemented a flood risk rebate program. Other projects featured a rain garden initiative in Lac-Sergent, Quebec, and a FireSmart home action rebate program by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
“Intact has been on the frontlines of climate change for over a decade, and we see the risks and devastation of severe weather events up close,” Smith said.
“Programs such as our Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program and our recently announced Wildfire Defense Systems service pilot project are examples of how we continue to deliver concrete solutions that help build climate-resilient communities.”
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