Intact Public Entities and Intact Financial Corporation provide $1 million to support climate resiliency in Canadian communities

Ten municipalities and not-for-profit recipients awarded grant funding to support local climate change initiatives  

TORONTO, June 29, 2022 /CNW/ - Intact Public Entities (IPE) and Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC) are pleased to announce that 10 communities across Canada will receive grants to mitigate the risks of flooding and wildfires. Intact's granting investment, totalling $1 million, will go directly to support the front lines – municipalities being affected by the impacts of a changing climate. 

Doubling down on adapting to the impacts of climate change is one of the pillars of Intact's five-part climate strategy. "We are proud to support local solutions for communities vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather like flooding and wildfire," says Diane Flanagan, Deputy Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Communications, IFC and Chair, Intact Foundation. 

The 10 selected recipients represent municipalities and not-for-profit organizations across the country and were picked from a competitive pool of 144 applicants. Their projects range from creating wetlands and rain gardens to reduce flooding in the community, to the implementation of incentive programs for homeowners to make their residences more wildfire resilient. 

• British Columbia: Increasing climate resilience through wetland development in Vancouver's Downtown East Side, EYA Environmental Youth Alliance Society, Vancouver
• Alberta:
• Wildfire mitigation incentive program, Lac La Biche County 
• FireSmart home action rebate program, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Fort McMurray   
• FireSmart homeowner incentive program, Town of Whitecourt
• Ontario: Fire break project in the Municipality of Red Lake, Balmertown
• Quebec
• Rain garden program for the residents of Lac-Sergent, Fondation en environnement et développement durable
• Intervention plan for the Rivière à la Raquette watershed, Nature-Action Québec Inc.
• Prince Edward Island: Flood risk reduction rebate program, City of Charlottetown
• New Brunswick: Neighbourhood-level flood risk portal, City of Fredericton
• Nova Scotia: Fire break project around Acadia First Nation member communities, The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq, Truro  

"Municipalities play a critical role in protecting communities from the impacts of climate change," says Larry Ryan, President & Principal Broker, Intact Public Entities. "The overwhelming response from interested municipalities demonstrates the increasing need to invest in climate resilience strategies." 

The Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants prioritized projects that mitigate flood or wildfire risk, have strong measurable outcomes, and can be scaled to other communities. While some projects have already begun, others will be gearing up to make their communities stronger and more resilient in the coming months. 

For more information about the successful grant recipients and their initiatives, visit www.intactpublicentities.ca/the-intact-foundation and Intactfc.com.  

Key facts 

• Municipalities own and operate 60% of the public infrastructure in Canada.
• Nearly two million Canadian households are at high risk of flooding, yet most people don't know they're at risk.
• About 60% of all Canadian cities, towns, settlements, and Indigenous communities are at risk from wildfires. Most communities threatened by wildfires are in regions with burn areas projected to increase by 50% to 200% due to climate change.
• On April 14, 2022, Intact announced a five-part climate transition plan that includes a commitment to double down on helping people adapt to the extreme weather impacts of climate change.
• For more than a decade, the Intact Foundation has supported more than 90 projects through the climate adaptation grants across Canada, committing more than $16 million to support these practical solutions.

About Intact Financial Corporation

Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC) is the largest provider of property and casualty (P&C) insurance in Canada, a leading provider of global specialty insurance, and, with RSA, a leader in the U.K. and Ireland. Our business has grown organically and through acquisitions to over $20 billion of total annual premiums. 

In Canada, Intact distributes insurance under the Intact Insurance brand through a wide network of brokers, including its wholly-owned subsidiary BrokerLink, and directly to consumers through belairdirect. Intact also provides affinity insurance solutions through the Johnson Affinity Groups. 

In the U.S., Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions provides a range of specialty insurance products and services through independent agencies, regional and national brokers, and wholesalers and managing general agencies. 

Outside of North America, the Company provides personal, commercial and specialty insurance solutions across the U.K., Ireland, Europe and the Middle East through the RSA brands. 

Intact Public Entities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intact Financial Corporation.  

SOURCE Intact Financial Corporation

Media Inquiries: Intact Media Relations, [phone] [email protected]; Investor Inquiries: Shubha Khan, Vice President, Investor Relations, [phone] x41004, [email protected]