Climate Resiliency Grants Program

Environmental Youth Alliance and Strathcona Community Gardens rolling up sleeves to combat climate change with urban wetland in Vancouver’s downtown

The devastating effects of climate change can be felt across the country. With extreme weather events occurring more frequently and with greater severity, communities must adapt and better prepare themselves to handle the impacts. Municipalities in particular play a critical role in protecting their communities from climate change. With 60% of infrastructure belonging to municipalities, these governing bodies must ensure they are protected to minimize losses and damages. In many instances, partnering with a community organization, not-for-profit or non-governmental organization can be a great benefit in getting climate adaptation strategies off the ground.

As communities grapple with extreme weather, Intact Public Entities (IPE) and the Intact Financial Corporation (IFC) are doubling down on helping people adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. They recently invested in 10 communities across Canada, including Vancouver, to bolster resiliency in areas where climate has the ability to have a negative impact.

In recent years, British Columbia has become all too familiar with the damaging effects of climate change. In 2021, wildfires damaged more than 800,000 hectares of land1. Flooding has also been the source of significant damage prompting community wide evacuations and resulting in extensive damages. In Vancouver’s downtown east side, the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) and Strathcona Community Gardens are increasing climate resilience through the development of an urban wetland. This particular area of the city has less natural infrastructure than surrounding areas resulting in more frequent flooding.

With the help of at-risk youth and other community members, the EYA plans to develop a 1.34 hectare greenspace into a freshwater wetland consisting of a pond, marsh, bioswales and a riparian buffer area that will catch and absorb surface run-off. The space will incorporate native plants and will help the community manage and mitigate the impact of more frequent and extreme rain events caused by climate change. The wetland will attenuate the flow of water through the site and will retain water in its man-made pond.

Work will be completed by 240 youth experiencing poverty and other barriers led by EYA facilitators as well as 160 community volunteers in organized work parties. This community involvement will increase capacity to contribute to future projects that support climate resilience. The project is projected to begin in the fall with an anticipated end date of spring 2024.

1 https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/ is-b-c-s-2021-wildfire-season-the-worst-on-record-1004214343/

Project highlights by the numbers: • 0.4 hectare wetland • 0.1 hectare pond • 0.06 hectare marsh • 0.24 hectare riparian buffer zone • 4 bioswales to direct runoff into the wetland • 980 native plants planted, including those that are food sources

The EYA and Strathcona Community Gardens’ wetland development is an excellent example of a climate resilience strategy that can be replicated and adapted for success in communities across Canada experiencing floods in urban settings lacking natural infrastructure.

Doubling down on helping people adapt to climate change is one of the pillars of Intact’s five-part climate strategy. Through the Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program, Intact is supporting initiatives that mitigate the impacts flooding and wildfire have on communities. Read more about the 10 grant recipients at https://

www.intactpublicentities.ca/the-intact-foundation

LARRY RYAN is the President of Intact Public Entities and possesses a unique perspective of the municipal insurance environment. Larry has worked in the municipal sector for over 25 years, previously as the CFO for a large Ontario municipality.

Building Climate Resilient Communities Together

Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants Announced

Municipalities play a critical role in protecting communities from the impacts of climate change. Intact Public Entities and the Intact Financial Corporation have just invested $1 million in 10 communities across Canada to bolster resiliency where climate has the ability to have a negative impact. The selected applicants will implement a variety of projects, including those that create a new wetland by engaging youth, offer FireSmartTM approved enhancements to at-risk homes, build fire breaks around vulnerable communities and provide advance flood prevention information to local residents.

Learn more about these community initiatives at intactpublicentities.ca/the-intact-foundation

TM & © 2022 Intact Public Entities Inc. and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.