• Intact invests $2 million over two years to support practical solutions that will help municipalities address and prepare for severe weather events
• Municipalities can now apply to receive up to $200,000 for climate resilience projects
• Application portal is open from September 9, 2024 to January 31, 2025

Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC) is now accepting applications for its 2024 Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program. Intact has doubled its investment in this program to $2 million dollars over two years, supporting municipalities and communities across Canada develop and implement practical solutions to mitigate the future impacts of flooding and wildfire.

"In the aftermath of this summer's devastating extreme weather events, our teams continue to work around the clock supporting thousands of customers and homeowners across the country get back on track." said Carla Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy, Climate and People Officer, Intact Financial Corporation. "As the frequency and severity of extreme weather events continues to increase, there is an urgency for society to become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, which is why we are committed to helping even more municipalities and communities through our Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program."

The Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program funds projects led by municipalities, registered charities, and Indigenous communities that assess and address their exposure to the increasing threats of extreme weather, while also mobilizing residents in the process. Funding decisions for grants will be announced in early 2025 so that projects can be launched quickly to address the immediate needs of communities across Canada. Eligible projects should target communities and residents that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and have concrete indicators of success, with the potential to be scaled across the community.

"Building climate resilience is central to Intact's strategy.  For over a decade, we have been on the front lines of climate change, helping our communities recover from the devastating impacts of extreme weather while funding climate adaptation research and projects to help society prepare for and mitigate the impacts of flooding and wildfire events," added Ms. Smith. "Since 2010, we have invested $25 million in more than 100 climate adaptation projects and we are looking forward to partnering with even more municipalities and communities across the country as we collectively build towards a more climate resilient future."

As part of Intact's 2022 Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program, Intact invested a total of $1 million in ten climate adaptation projects including the development of an intervention plan for the Rivière à la Raquette watershed with Nature-Action Quebec.

"We really appreciate the funding we received from Intact's Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program. It allowed us to identify priority areas for intervention in order to carry out restoration activities along the shorelines of the Rivière à la Raquette watershed," said Arianne St-Pierre, Project Manager at Nature-Action Québec. "This work is essential in helping our communities adapt to climate change and in preventing shoreline erosion to ensure public safety. Intact's support helped us go further in implementing these actions."

For more details about Intact's Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program, including the full list of 2022 partners and details on the application process please visit the Intact Financial Corporation website.

Resources to build a project application:

Intact's Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants prioritize initiatives that implement proven adaptation solutions including flood and fire tools available by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, and through FireSmart^TM community assessments.

• FireSmart leads the development of resources and programs to help Canadians increase resilience to wildfire
• The Intact Centre provides a Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up self-assessment. These tools can help assess potential hazards and actions to reduce risks.
• The Intact Centre has additional free resources and tools for individuals and communities to help protect themselves from floods and wildfires.

For specific questions on the granting process please reach out to the Intact Foundation at intact.foundation@intact.net. 

For any technical difficulties with the application form, please contact the Client Technical Support team at grants@benevity.com.